Before playing her first game in division one of the Women's Capital League, 13-year-old Ellen Cornish was slightly worried.
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''I thought I might stuff up, but I did all right,'' she said of her first game in the top grade hockey.
The young striker did a bit more than all right. She got off to the perfect start, scoring a goal with her first touch from a pass into the circle.
Cornish, from Goulburn, took up hockey about five years ago, but this year started commuting to Canberra up to three times a week to train with the Tuggeranong Vikings, and the Canberra Academy, which has a high-performance junior development program.
The program, which Hockey ACT started this year, aims to significantly improve the skills of its junior participants, and no doubt has helped a number of young players in their step up to first grade level.
Hockey ACT chief Terry Evans, who also coaches the Tuggeranong Vikings side, has seen many positive signs in the group of juniors. ''They're sponges, they want to learn and they want to improve, and they're not afraid to make mistakes'' Evans said. ''They're really happy to have a go and try new things and experiment. It's not their skills or ability holding them back, at this time it's just their strength - they don't have the strength to match some of the older women, but they certainly have the speed and the desire to match anyone we play against.''
Evans has a number of juniors playing in the Vikings first grade side each week. Twelve-year-old Melrose High student Talei Forrest made her debut last month, having started the season as the fourth grade goalkeeper.
Despite the prospect of hockey balls flying at her off the sticks of women twice her age, Forrest wasn't daunted by the step up. ''It's just challenging, I like a good challenge all the time. I'm always looking to further my experience,'' she said, adding ''It's a bit out there, but I'd like to play for the Hockeyroos in 2016.''
