A talented young artist and athlete from Hartlepool is preparing to make her mark on the international stage this summer.
Caitlin Eastwood, a Level 2 Art & Design student at Hartlepool College of Further Education, will be heading to Poprad, Slovakia, to proudly represent Team GB in the Ball Hockey World Championships in July. Caitlin, who celebrated her 17th birthday in February, will be the sole North-East player in the Under-20s squad. Her journey to Slovakia has been bolstered by sponsorship from Hartlepool College of Further Education, where she studies.
Ball hockey is like ice hockey but played on a dry surface with a ball instead of a puck. It utilises the same sticks and format, but with trainers replacing skates.
Caitlin said: “Because I have played ice hockey, the skills correlate with ball hockey and even though this is my debut year in ball hockey, playing for Deck Stars in Newcastle, my coach put me forward for Team GB trials and it’s all gone from there." Caitlin has experience in ice hockey, playing for four years across three teams including Caledonia Steel Queens (Div One), U18s Whitley Bay Boys and Whitley Bay Beacons (Div Two), and that has provided a strong foundation for her new passion. She said: “It is quite exciting to represent my country, and I am going to go out and give it my all. It is a huge sport in Canada and in America, there are scouts everywhere, if you lived over there you’d know more about it, so it’s fantastic to be raising the game’s profile here.”
Originally from Somerset, Caitlin moved north six years ago to live in Billingham where she first started to learn how to figure skate before discovering ice hockey four years ago. She said: “I didn’t think I would get selected but my mam, Melaine, got an email saying I had been selected to play and train at Rotherham with the squad. I want to keep improving and play in a team atmosphere and have fun. I have never dreamed of playing in the Olympics or anything, I’ve just wanted to train, play and have fun.”
Caitlin’s achievements on the rink and in the classroom are even more impressive given she manages ADHD and dyslexia. Despite these challenges, and gruelling schedule, she is currently on course for a distinction grade in her art and design course. “I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was four,” Caitlin said. “I take medication when I am at college. Sport allows me to let out all the energy and that regulates it. “I can’t always concentrate because I can’t stop thinking about everything else, so sport has been a lifesaver for me.”
The trip to Slovakia in early July will be a new experience for Caitlin, who has never been on a plane before. Juggling her demanding sports schedule with college work requires significant understanding and the College has been a huge help with extending deadlines. Richard Peacock, lecturer and Head of Teaching and Learning at Hartlepool College, said: “Caitlin is a fantastic student, very talented and on course for a distinction grade this year. She has a focus on fabric and textiles in the classroom, but the high grade she is achieving has to be put into perspective because of the commitments to hockey and ice hockey she has.
“She is away weekends, midweeks, training and playing, arriving home sometimes in the early hours of the morning and still completing college work to such a high standard. A phenomenal student.”
