At the age of 5 I was excessively hyper-active and more than just a little rebellious. Not the sweet and innocent angel I look in the photo. When I arrived at home after having endured another tedious Sunday school session, I met my neighbour Alf Whimshurst , who promised my mother he would take me to hockey the following week.

The plan was that I would come back exhausted and be less of a pain around the house. Well the plan almost worked, he did take me to hockey, but I came back with even more energy than before. It was so much fun, I loved it. The name of the club was O.P.C.S. and was based in Portsmouth where I grew up.

So a stick was cut down to my size and a ball issued to me that I could practice with, which was not the most thought out plan, as I was already breaking more than my fair share of windows with just a soft tennis ball! Well I practiced and practiced and got more addicted every time I had a stick in my hands. My dad got involved and as the weeks went by, more and more of the neighbourhood kids started to play. The lure of a free mars bar and can of coke seem to hasten their interest to join the club.

After a while we had grown to over 50 players and had a thriving junior section. We held lots of fund raising events, the best of which was when my dad organised a cabaret evening, with the stars of the show, the mini player’s themselves. It’s a good job I was a good hockey player, I clearly had no future on the stage!!

In 1983 I won my first award, O.P.C.S. mini colt player of the year. It was such an amazing feeling when I won that award, I smiled the whole evening. The trophy sits just as proud next to my two European Cup Medals I won with England.

That year at the age of 10 I went for my first county trial, Hampshire under 14’s. I was baby-sat by a player who was to become a huge hero of mine, even to this day, Russell Garcia. I wasn’t to get the chance to play for Hampshire until the following year. Russell had moved on by then and was only 4 years away from becoming the youngest ever winner of an Olympic Hockey Gold medal.

I went on to play for Hampshire at all ages, and represented the South-West of England, winning the Under 14 and 18 divisional tournaments along the way. In 1989 though, it was time to move on, I wanted to play for England, but my career had hit a plateau, I needed to move to a bigger club.

I still remember when I picked up a stick for the first time when I was just 5 years old.  As a result of suffering from ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), I was already out of control, and in far more trouble than I should have been. I was introduced to hockey by my neighbour Alf, who made a promise to my mother that he would take me to hockey the following Sunday. The plan was that he would bring me back home worn out. Alf kept his promise and took me to hockey, but I didn’t come back worn out, I came back more hyper than ever.

I didn’t find out  I had a learning disability until 2000, and when I was at school I struggled to control the effects of ADHD and had problems from almost day one. I had very little self-esteem at school, and was in trouble on a daily basis.

Hockey was the only thing that kept me happy, when I was at hockey I was made to feel talented, the people there made me feel like I was worth something. I know my life would have turned out very differently if I had not played sport, and it is makes me shudder to think how different my life would have turned out. My journey from naughty 5 year old to Olympian was not an easy one, there were many challenges overcome, and numerous barriers broken along the way.

My story on the site starts from the very beginning and continues up to the present day. It is a story that I hope inspires young players to gain the belief that they too can achieve their dreams. My story proves that you don’t have to be rich, you don’t even have to play hockey at school. All you need is a dream, and then the desire in your heart to go and achieve it.