U15 SHC2 Girls Winning OFF the Field
My mother used to say, “Winning isn’t everything ». Nowhere is this truer than in the world of sports.
Sometimes, it’s the journey, the resilience, and the camaraderie that define a team’s spirit, not the number on the scoreboard. Such is the story of the U15 Servette Hockey Club 2 Girls team (SHC2), whose recent match against HC Rotweiss Wettingen (RWW) tested their grit and showcased their determination.
The day started in a very un-Swiss-like fashion — with train problems — and the team found themselves facing unforeseen challenges that threatened to derail their plans. After disembarking to find an alternate route toward their destination, the girls finally arrived after four trains, one bus, and 4 hours and 45 minutes of travel, a mere five minutes before their scheduled start. RWW was kind enough to allow 15 minutes to warm up.
Despite the setback, the resolve of the SHC2 girls remained unwavering. Facing formidable opponents can be intimidating, and RWW is a strong club with talented players: they’re also the 2023 Swiss champions. Yet, outmatched and with the odds stacked against them, the girls of SHC2 refused to back down, fueled by team solidarity and a collective passion for the sport. As the game neared the end and the final whistle blew, the Servette girls suffered a resounding defeat on the scoreboard (0-15), but the true measure of victory lay in their performance on the field. The SHC2 girls emerged with their heads held high, knowing they had played with their best efforts.
Let’s be clear — the game against RWW was never going to be a Cinderella story for SHC2, and that’s ok. This is the beginning of their journey. They are a team being built from the ground up, a team of young players and new recruits. They are a team that will grow and learn together and, yes, one day succeed together. Each game they play, win or lose, serves as a building block, helping shape the team’s identity, strengthening their abilities, and reinforcing their resolve.
As the team made the 3.5-hour journey back home, there was no sense of disappointment but rather a belief that they had grown closer as a team and emerged stronger for the experience. It became clear that sometimes it’s best to listen to your mother. For in the game of field hockey, as in life, it is not the victories alone that define us, but the journey and the lessons learned along the way.
Kate Kraushaar
(Team Manager, U15 SHC2)
