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Forest Hills Field Hockey / Grand Rapids, MI



Forest Hills Field Hockey Down Under

Forest Hills Field Hockey is proud of its relationship with Hockey Albury Wodonga in the Australian states of New South Wales and Victoria.

It started in 2011 when Alex Chapman came to Forest Hills as an exchange student. She won over the team and earned All-State honors during her one season with the club. Two years later, her sister Hannah did the same, living for six months with Coach Shaner and her family while also leading the Forest Hills team as goalkeeper to the Division II state championship game.

The relationship that the Chapmans built with their teammates was so special that an informal discussion got started about a group of players traveling to Australia to visit and get a taste of field hockey overseas (where it is one of the primary sports played by both men and women). The club enlisted the help of tour company ZAG Sports and developed a plan to take a full team of players Down Under in summer of 2015.

After much fundraising and planning, Forest Hills Field Hockey made the journey in July and August 2015 with 16 players, two siblings, and six adults. The pictures below attest to the incredible experience the trip provided; the team played against multiple clubs in Albury, Melbourne, and Sydney, stayed with host families in Albury, and did a lot of awesome sightseeing!

Preliminary talks are underway to bring a team of Albury students to Michigan in 2017, with a hopeful return trip to Australia slated for 2019!
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