Meet Alyssa Manley - Hockey player for the US at this year's Hockey World Cup in London
From Lititz, Pennsylvania. Team #29
Published on July 9, 2018
www.teamusa.org/usa-field-hockey/athletes/Alyssa-Manley

Where are you from in the States, and how did you get into Hockey?

Hi my name is Alyssa Manley, I am from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I started playing Field Hockey when I was 6 years old. My high school coach runs a youth hockey camp every spring for children 4 years old until 8th grade. This is where I first started playing and learning about Field Hockey and then eventually went on to help coach.

You'll be competing for the USA in the upcoming Hockey Women's World Cup in London. How do you feel representing the United States in the competition?

I am very excited to represent the US in the World Cup. There are 28 of us on the team and we all have been working extremely hard throughout the year. To be one of the 18 selected to go compete and show the hard work we have put in is an honor.

One of your big matches in this year's competition will be on July 25 against the home nation, England - how are you feeling about this big Transatlantic match against the hosts of this year's World Cup?

Playing against England is always a good game that is hard fought by both teams. Being able to playing against them in London will be even more exciting because of the atmosphere the fans will create.

The US Women's Hockey team has had big success in recent years, including winning the Champions Challenge in Glasgow in 2014. How do you feel the team is progressing, and what are your hopes for the World Cup?

After the 2016 Olympics we had a lot of girls who had been on the team for a while retire. After that a lot of new girls were brought up so we started building our new USA Field Hockey team. We have worked really hard and have had a lot of growth as a team in the last two years. There is always room for growth and we are still showing that. Resilient is a good way to describe our team. We don’t give up. Our hopes for any tournament we play in is to medal and that is the same for the World Cup.

In the States, the word 'Hockey' often gets associated with Ice Hockey, but how is Field Hockey developing?

USA Field Hockey has made great efforts of growing the game in the US. Camps have been hosted in areas that hockey isn’t as popular so kids have the chance to try it. Our training location was also moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania where Field Hockey is pretty popular. This has allowed us to add even more to that popularity because young kids get to see what they can aspire to be.

How have you been preparing for the World Cup, what is the training regime like?

We have been playing a lot of hockey. I know that seems obvious but we have added more game play to our trainings. We have also been conditioning and lifting to make sure that we are physically ready for each game.

Whilst you're in London, will you have much time to relax? If you have some free time, what would you love to do whilst in the UK?

We have a few days off between each game so we will have a lot of relaxing time. Most of that time will be set towards recovery and preparing for the next game. If we do get some time to do sight seeing, I would love to see all the classic tourist spots like Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Tower Bridge, etc.

What advice would you give someone interested in getting into Field Hockey?

Never give up. Field Hockey is a bit tough at the start but it gets easier if you stick with it. I have been playing since I was 6 but I am always improving skills that I have been able to do since the start. Its also a game that you are constantly learning new things.

Finally, what's the best thing about being part of the US Field Hockey team?

I love that I get to keep competing at the highest level with an amazing group of girls. They have pushed me so much to better myself not only on the field but also off the field. Being a part of the team has allowed me to go to some amazing places. I have been able to experience so many different cultures while being on the team.

Find out more about the USA Field Hockey team at their website, www.teamusa.org/USA-Field-Hockey, and find our details on the USA's matches at the London World Cup, starting July 21, via www.fih.ch/events/world-cup/world-cup-2018/hockey-world-cup-london-2018-w/