Meet Kathleen Sharkey - Hockey player for the US at this year's Hockey World Cup in London
From Moosic, Pennsylvania. Team #24
Published on July 9, 2018
www.teamusa.org/usa-field-hockey/athletes/Kathleen-Sharkey

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

I'm from Moosic, Pennsylvania. It is a small town in the Northeast corner of Pennsylvania. I started playing hockey when I was 12 years old and I joined my school's team. I wanted to play because my older sister played. We used to hit around together in the backyard and I really enjoyed it.

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'm really excited to play in the World Cup. It's a great honor to represent the United States at the highest level in the sport. We've been training really hard to prepare for the tournament, so I'm excited to see what we can accomplish.

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?

England is a great opponent. They're very fast, strong, and skilled, so I expect it to be a very exciting game to watch. I'm looking forward to playing in front of an energetic crowd.

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?

We are a completely different team than we were four years ago at the 2014 World Cup. We have a very young team, but all of the younger players have a ton of skill and speed. I'm excited to see how we will all come together. I hope that we can take it one game at a game and just play to our potential in each match.

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

Field Hockey is getting more and more popular each year, but there is still a lot of growth and development that needs to occur. We need to bring the sport to different areas of the country because right now it is still primarily an East Coast sport. Girls are starting to play the sport at a much younger age, which will definitely start to increase the overall skill level in the United States.

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

Our national team is always in a centralized full time training program. We train together five days a week in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Usually we have double sessions each day consisting of hockey, lifting, running, and video sessions.

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?

I'm not sure of our exact training schedule while we're in London, but I do know there are quite a few rest days during the tournaments. Hopefully we will get to explore some of the city while we are there.

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

My advice would be to play the sport for your own enjoyment. Make sure you're playing because you want to and you enjoy it. If you're not having fun while you're playing, you're not going play your best.

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

The best part about being on the US Field Hockey team is my teammates. We have a great group of girls on the team right now and I love going to training each day to work hard with them in pursuit of our team's goals. We have a lot of fun together even on our hardest day in training, which really makes me love being on this 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/