A Tradition of Field Hockey at QMS
Story appeared in the 2014 issue of QMS Connections Magazine.
BY LEANNE SCHULTZ, OPERATIONS & HR MANAGER
The Bridgeman Cup is the oldest and most prestigious Senior Girls’ Field Hockey Tournament in British Columbia. First held in 1937, the Bridgman Cup has its roots at Queen Margaret’s School, where the tournament took place every November.
QMS won this tournament 14 times since its inception. The tournament is now run by Field Hockey BC, but the tradition of the sport is still strong at QMS: “Hockey was an important part of the training at QMS, from the early days, when Mr. Denny made sticks from tree branches, to the days when QMS could put a really good team on the field, and later, some of those girls were chosen to play for British Columbia and Canada.” (p. 132)
The tradition of strong field hockey players has been a constant at QMS throughout the years. Penny Quinlan became a student at QMS in Grade 5 and graduated in 1971. She has also held a variety of teaching positions at QMS over the years. Her love of field hockey has been lifelong, from playing in the Bridgman Cup in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, playing at the provincial level, and inspiring her son and daughter to play throughout their elementary and high school years.
Flash forward 43 years and Grade 9 student Robin Fleming is celebrating her recent selection to the BC U15 Blue (elite) team. Moving for-ward, she’s setting her sights higher for a spot on the Women’s National Team, playing for Canada at the Olympics. Like many successful QMS athletes before her, she credits the school for providing extraordinary opportunities that have allowed her to thrive in her chosen sport.
Penny Quinlan is presented the Jr. Bridgman trophy by Miss Denny with Mrs. Bridgman watching on.
Penny became a student at QMS in Grade 5 and graduated in 1971. She has also held a variety of teaching positions at QMS over the years.
Grass hockey, field hockey, turf hockey. As the sport continues to evolve, so too does its name. Yet, the heart and soul of field hockey has never changed.
QMS has long been known to harbour an abiding love for a game where boys and girls carry hooked sticks and chase a small ball up and down a playing surface.
Historically, Queen Margaret’s School was a powerhouse in the traditional game of grass hockey. This was largely due to our Miss Geoghegan’s love of playing the sport, our deep British roots, strong coaches and access to a large grass field on our lovely campus.
During the 2013-2014 season, a plan was put in place to re-invigorate interest and pride in the sport. The QMS Athletic Department initiated a strong cardio conditioning plan and invested in new goalie equipment. Bi-weekly practices were booked on QMS’s new regulation grass field and at Cowichan Sportsplex turf field.
Through this new initiative, improvement in players’ skills, technical performance and understanding of the game were clear by mid-season. Stu-dents learned first hand the speed differences between running on grass versus turf surfaces, the different body positioning, ball motion and speed, and the need to practice stick/ball movement to make it as fast and seamless as possible.
The game has evolved over the years; the competition is fierce. A commitment to the game and the training involved is mandatory. Yet feeling the immense pride taking to the pitch wearing the green and white of QMS is priceless, and something we hope students will enjoy at the school for many years to come.
Lauren Baily defends against an Isfeld Secondary player.
Ben O’Malley races for the ball.
Robin Fleming makes a save.