In the third of our series of our Elite Q&A with top women’s sports stars, we were lucky enough to speak to GB Hockey player Esme Burge at our ‘In Conversation with…..’ Google Meet discussion this week.

Aged just 20, Esme has already made the GB hockey team, having chalked up 8 caps since making her debut in June 2019. She recounted her sporting journey, from taking part in hockey, netball and athletics at Loughborough High School (where Miss Nicholas was her PE teacher and made her run the 800m in 3 minutes!), her move to Repton School on a sports scholarship in Year 8 through club hockey and selections for county, regional and national squads.

Esme played a variety of sports at secondary school, having only picked up a hockey stick for the first time at age 10 or 11 (“it doesn’t matter if you haven’t started playing sooner”). She loved netball and played to county level, but her defining moment came when leafing through the Loughborough Lightning player profiles in a match programme, she noticed the players’ heights – all over 6 foot tall!

Esme wondered at that point if she could make it as a netballer as in her words, “I’m really not very tall!”

At Repton where she was a boarder, Esme took every opportunity she could to be on the hockey pitch and enjoyed playing alongside the older boys to improve her game, as the school won ten national titles. By age 14, she was delighted to get her first England call up (to the U16 England team) and played her first game against Holland who were number one in the world, but the match ended 0-9 to the Dutch – a big reality check! U21 selection for the Junior World Cup in Chile was an exciting experience as she tried to do her A level revision in between games before returning home to do her exams.

Currently Esme is studying Psychology at the University of Nottingham where in her second year she really pushed herself with her hockey training, giving up the socialising aspect of university life in pursuit of stepping up to the senior team. Her sacrifice paid off in February 2019 when she was invited to a training session with the Senior GB team. This was like a dream come true for Esme as she admitted ‘proper fangirling’ as she played on the same pitch as her heroines from the Olympics! Esme’s first cap came in the Pro League at Lee Valley against Germany in front of a packed crowd. As she said “I’m just a normal kid who plays hockey. I’m really living the dream. I got offered a full-time playing contract – I had always wanted to play the sport I love for a living. I am so, so lucky!”

Question from Amrita: Have you made any decisions that you have regretted?

A: Tricky one. The ones I have made have been hard – my aim in life is to look back and know that if it doesn’t work out and I don’t get picked – that I know I gave my all and couldn’t have done any more.

Question from Hannah: How do you stand out at trials and training so the coaches notice you?

A: Focus on having the best basic skills. My basic skills are one of my real strengths. I’m not the quickest, or the most physical on the pitch. But my technical skills from all my practice really help me. Execute all those skills under pressure and have confidence in your basics – they’re like your building blocks – so then you can do the fancy stuff.

 Question from Zoe: What is your favourite position?

A: Centre half – central midfield. I love being in the middle of the action all the time. You don’t get the glory of scoring but you can make other people look good, often by doing something really simple. You know you’ve done your job as playmaker if they get the ball in the net.

Question from Jasmine: How have you coped with any injuries?

A: I’ve been pretty lucky with no major injuries. Recently I had my longest time away from the pitch (4 weeks) with a lower back injury. It put things into perspective as I was on the sidelines while others were on the pitch – when you can’t be on the pitch, you realise how much you want to be there. But it’s about controlling what you can control. Have the mind set in rehab that you would have on the pitch. Be as diligent as possible with rehab. Don’t come back too early. Knowing it will get better. Knowing that you still have those skills when you get back on pitch.

Question from Keerit: Do you have any tips on juggling school and training?

A: I am SO organised! I have a plan of my day by the hour (she showed us it!) which I like to tick and cross off! Because I was so busy at school with sport and work, I was more productive – I knew I juts had to smash this work and get it done. I replicated my hard work on the pitch in my school work too. Communicating with the different people in your life (friends, parents, teachers, club etc) is so important to make sure you’re not getting pulled into different directions. I wanted to do everything but sometimes there are just not enough hours in the day.

Question from Jojo: How have you been dealing with the psychological impact of not seeing teammates during lockdown and training?

A: It’s been really hard – I’ve gone from seeing them every day to nothing and lots of uncertainty. Really tough. One thing taught me is that it’s OK to feel rubbish sometimes and have a down day. Staying connected is so important. Allow yourself to feel a bit anxious – it is exhausting – if you need a nap – have a nap. Keep things in perspective, having a routine is key. Training is hard although running outside has been good in the nice weather. Trying to control what I can control. Don’t think too far ahead. Live day by day.

Question from Miss Nicholas: What motivates you?

A: How badly do you want it? If you want to get picked – you need to stand out and do something different from everyone else. So at school for example, I would do a session with the 6^th form boys. I would always look to do that extra rep at training. I always do a run on Christmas Day just because other people aren’t doing one! It’s about enjoying your sport. Make sure you are doing it for you, otherwise you won’t enjoy it.

Question from Amrita: How do you handle pre-match nerves?

A: Everyone has different routines. I just like to be happy – my music on, having a laugh with my teammates. I think about why I love playing hockey rather than being focused ‘in the zone’ like some of my teammates. You need to experiment and see what works for you.

Question from Alice: What do you do after a bad game?

If you don’t manage to achieve what you wanted to, it’s hard as most sports people are perfectionists. We always remember what went wrong! Try to think about the little, simple things you did well and how you played your role in the team. If things aren’t clicking for you, you just have to ride it out and move onto the next thing. It might be a bad spell you’re going through but it won’t last forever. Make sure your mind set is in the right place – get other people, especially your coach and your teammates to remind you of the good things.

Pooja: How do you approach a game when you are the underdog?

A: Have that “nothing to lose” mentality – these are good players but we can give it our best shots. If you are a goalkeeper, up against a strong team, you need to stay in the moment. Concentrate on stopping that 6^th goal going in. If you do let one in, then focus, reset and start again.

Question from Clemmie: Why did you choose a team sport?

A: I just love being with my mates and making memories with them. When you are so tired but you have got through something with everyone together, that’s when you are making memories. I love reminiscing about times with my teammates – when you won a game, this happened – looking back on memories. Friendships you make in sport are like no other. You go through thick and thin together. You see everyone at their most vulnerable but also their most elated. You can find like-minded people in sport and people that you just click with.

Try to keep going with as many sports as you can for as long as you can, as you can benefit from doing a variety. Netball helps with a change of direction and agility, while rounders or cricket can help your hand-eye co-ordination. The more you can do, the better.

Thank you so much to Esme for sharing her journey and fantastic tips and advice with us.

We’ll be looking out for you in the future, especially at the Olympics next year to see if Miss Nicholas’ prediction of you being the Alex Danson of your generation comes true!