Isla Goold

Club Background

I began my hockey journey at age 9, when I joined my local hockey club in Bromsgrove and realised how much I loved the sport. Aged 10, I moved to the club I am at now, Stourport Hockey Club, which has the strongest junior section in the region. I played in U12 leagues a year young, and have worked my way up through the age groups to U16. As soon as I was able to, at age 13, I also began playing ladies’ hockey, where I very quickly moved from the Ladies 4th team to the Ladies 2nd team by the time I was 14. Unfortunately, at the beginning of my 2023 season, I broke my ankle, which was a huge blow to my ongoing progress. However, after prolonged physio and strength and conditioning, I made a return after the Christmas break. I managed to improve enough to be selected for the TA cup that summer, as well as returning to my club ladies’ hockey.

In September 2024, at the age of 15, I made my debut for the Ladies 1st XI at my club, which is a national league side. I worked hard to gain this place, which I consistently maintained after Christmas.

In September 2025, I began the season starting for the Ladies 1st XI. Throughout the season, I have won player of the match in 9 of 18 games and have been voted player of the season and most improved player.  Over the Christmas break, I was also invited to play indoor hockey for Sutton Coldfield Hockey Club. I am now playing summer league with both Sutton and Gloucester, both of which are Division 1 teams. I hope to move to either of these teams come September.

Player Pathway

I joined the regional Talent Academy in September 2023, when I was 14. Talent Academy is directed at girls aged 15-18, so I was considerably younger than some of my peers. I had been selected due to my relentless physicality; however, my technical skills were less good. By playing with girls who were older, better and more experienced than me, I improved quickly. I missed a section of the season due to the above injury. Despite this, I spent time working on my skills, which led to my selection for the Summer 2025 Talent Academy cup as one of the youngest players. It is now my third season as a member of the TA, and I am often given leadership roles on Match days. Talent Academy has been and continues to be a key part of my hockey career, since it gave me the confidence and inspiration to improve, and now gives me a platform to work on communication and leadership. I will be attending the TA Cup again this summer.

School 1st XI

I made my debut for my school 1st XI aged 14. The older players in the squad looked after me and made me feel comfortable in this somewhat intimidating environment. My school coach is also an ex-olympian, who has helped me develop through 1-1 skills sessions, as well as personalised strength and fitness programmes. I quickly found my feet on the school side. In my U16 year, I won the U18 indoor player of the year. This season, I won Most Valuable Player, as well as “Most likely to raise the team’s spirit during a difficult spell” - a team-voted award which I am particularly proud of! I have recently been made the school 1st XI captain for the 2026-7 season.

Coaching

I was an assistant coach to the County Hockey U13 Boys squad for the 2024-25 season. I thoroughly enjoyed this experience since it challenged my communication, as well as figuring out how to get the best out of a player. Seeing the boys improve over the season, with one of them being chosen for the UK Lions team, was a particular highlight of this role.

Why I want to play college field hockey

Numerous factors draw me to the US college field hockey; however, the factor that stands out to me is the focus on physicality. Not only do colleges strive for you to technically be the best player you can, but they also encourage you to become the best physical version of yourself. This helps lead to fast-paced, exciting, and physical games, which appeal to me.

Another reason college hockey would be an amazing opportunity is due to the athlete’s lifestyle. Athletes have access to the most incredible teams, facilities and coaches, creating an environment where a team can truly perform their best individually, and together.

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