Kate Hollywood (born 28 May 1986) is an Australian former field hockey player who represented the Australian national team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and won two Commonwealth Games gold medals, in 2006 and 2010. Domestically, Hollywood played for the New South Wales Arrows in the Australian Hockey League (AHL). Known for her "speed, vision, and accuracy in passing",[1] Hollywood played predominantly in midfield and was a member of the national team from 2005 to 2011, earning over 150 international caps.[2]

Kate Hollywood
Personal information
Born (1986-05-28) 28 May 1986 (age 38)
Gymea Bay, New South Wales
Playing position Midfielder, defender
Senior career
Years Team
2005–2012 NSW Arrows
National team
Years Team Caps
2005–2011 Australia 142 (27)
Medal record
Women's field hockey
Representing  Australia
Champions Trophy
Silver medal – second place 2005 Canberra Team
Silver medal – second place 2009 Sydney Team
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 2006 Melbourne Team
Gold medal – first place 2010 Delhi Team

Early life

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Born to Carolyn and Bob Hollywood on 28 May 1986, Hollywood is originally from Gymea Bay, New South Wales.[3][4] From a hockey-playing family – her father played first-grade hockey in Sydney[5] – she began playing hockey at four years of age for her local team, Sutherland Hockey Club.[6]

Career

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After her debut season with the New South Wales Arrows in the Australian Hockey League (AHL) in 2005, Hollywood was selected to play for the Australian team for their 2005 tour of the United States.[7] Hollywood made her international debut on that tour as a 19-year-old and, after an impressive showing, she became a constant fixture in the Australian team.[7][8] In July, Hollywood was selected to play for the Australian under-21 team at the Junior World Cup.[9] Several months after her senior debut, Hollywood played at the 2005 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy where she won a silver medal, losing the final in a penalty shootout to the Netherlands.[10]

The next year, Hollywood played for Australia at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.[3] Australia won the gold medal,[8] defeating India 1–0 in the final, which Hollywood described as the "highlight of her career" and her "greatest moment".[1][11] Hollywood also played at the 2006 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy, but the Australians could not repeat their performance of the previous year and did not feature in the medals. Despite being a regular in the Australian team for the majority of the year, Hollywood was not selected to the Australian squad for the 2006 World Cup.[12]

The 2007 season saw Hollywood suffer her first major injury setback, as she was sidelined for four months to recover from surgery due to compartment syndrome.[8] Hollywood made her way back into the Australian team in time for the 2007 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy where Australia lost the third place playoff to Germany.[13]

Prior to the 2008 Olympics, Hollywood competed at the 2008 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy where Australia finished a distant fifth.[14] Hollywood then proceeded to complete a "childhood dream" by playing at her first Olympic Games.[15] Although there was speculation in the lead-up that Australia was a gold medal contender,[15] the Australians finished third in their group and did not progress to the semi-finals. Australia ended up finishing a disappointing fifth overall.[16]

The next year Hollywood, who had become one of the national team's senior players due to multiple retirements after the Olympics,[17] played at the 2009 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy. Hollywood played her 100th international match at the tournament,[18] as the Australians won the silver medal, losing to Argentina in a penalty shootout in the final.[19]

Australia failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy in 2010,[19] so the first major tournament that Hollywood was scheduled to play was the World Cup.[20] After breaking her hand in June, Hollywood raced to become fit in time for the World Cup, which began in late August.[21] Hollywood did recover in time and, in what was becoming a pattern for the Australian team at major tournaments, they again finished fifth after failing to make the semi-finals.[22] Hollywood played at her second Commonwealth Games later in the year,[23] where she was one of only five players who had also represented Australia at the previous Games.[24] She scored one goal for the tournament as the Australians won the gold medal—Hollywood's second Commonwealth Games gold—winning the final against New Zealand in a penalty shootout.[25]

Despite winning the Commonwealth Games in 2010, the Australian team fell to fifth in the world rankings. As a result, a new coach, Adam Commens, was appointed. He began his time in charge of the Hockeyroos by dropping five experienced players, Hollywood included, from the Australian national squad, citing an "emphasis on youth". Hollywood was subsequently moved to the development squad to "develop on areas [she] needs to work on", with Commens declaring that it was not the end of Hollywood's career.[2] As she had changed from a midfielder to a defender in the Australian off-season, Hollywood said that it "wasn't a major shock", but that she had enjoyed the move and was determined to win her way back into the Australian side for the 2012 Olympics.[26][27] During the year, Hollywood finished her bachelor's degree in physical education; played professionally for Dutch side, Rotterdam; and also played domestically in New Zealand.[28] In October, Hollywood was rewarded with a call-up to the national team for a series against China. Commens said that she had "done well for Australia A during various matches throughout the year" and that "with some strong performances in this series against China she could challenge for a spot in the [Olympic] squad".[29] Despite playing well in the series against China, including scoring a goal from a penalty corner,[30] Hollywood was left out of the 27-person Australian training squad for the 2012 Olympics.[31]

Hollywood played another season in the Netherlands for Rotterdam and again followed that up with a stint playing professionally in New Zealand for Auckland Fury, returning home to Australia in September 2012. She then decided to take a break from playing hockey and started doing some junior coaching.[32] Hollywood subsequently started work as a physical education teacher in Sydney. She is also an ambassador for Autism Spectrum Australia.[33] In July 2013, Hollywood stated that she was unsure if she would return to hockey.[34]

References

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  1. ^ a b Wilson, Jim (5 March 2008). "Kate Hollywood". Fox Sports. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Kate Hollywood axed from Hockeyroos squad". Herald Sun. Australian Associated Press. 24 January 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2011.
  3. ^ a b Forrest, Brad (19 June 2008). "Hollywood's star is beginning to shine". St George & Sutherland Shire Leader. Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
  4. ^ McNulty, Bronwyn; Date, Margot (18 December 2005). "Hollywood comes knocking so it's time to get physical 'You can't make a living out of our hockey ... I always wanted to go to university or college'". The Sun-Herald. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  5. ^ Lane, Daniel (22 April 2007). "The dark days of Hollywood". The Sun-Herald. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  6. ^ Herbertson, Lisa (13 August 2006). "Casey's already a big hit as Hockeyroos rebuild international reputation". The Sun-Herald. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  7. ^ a b Hollywood, Kate (28 April 2008). "Kate Hollywood's Beijing Bound diary April 28". Courier Mail. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
  8. ^ a b c "Kate Hollywood: Olympic debutant recovered from injury". ABC News. 23 July 2008. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
  9. ^ Zalunardo, Paul (27 July 2005). "Sweet sixteen and in the team". The Illawarra Mercury. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  10. ^ "Skirving named Australian player of the year for 2005". International Hockey Federation. 14 May 2006. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
  11. ^ Wilson, Jim (4 March 2008). "Kate Hollywood profile for Beijing Olympics". Herald Sun. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
  12. ^ Boulton, Martin (18 July 2010). "Hollywood injury a blow". The Age. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  13. ^ "Netherlands claim 2007 BDO Champions Trophy title". World Hockey. 22 January 2007. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
  14. ^ "Argentina beat Germany to win women's hockey bronze (1st Lead)". Deutsche Presse-Agentur. 22 August 2008. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
  15. ^ a b Wilson, Jim (16 April 2008). "Hockeyroo Kate Hollywood's name up in lights". Herald Sun. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
  16. ^ "Netherlands women take Olympic Gold". Olympic Hockey Beijing 2008. 22 August 2008. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
  17. ^ Quayle, Emma (4 June 2009). "Kate Hollywood and Casey Eastham – Hockeyroos". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  18. ^ Broun, Samantha (19 July 2009). "Hockeyroos storm into final yet face fight for survival". The Sun-Herald. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  19. ^ a b "Roos down to Argentina in shootout". The Age. Australian Associated Press. 20 July 2009. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  20. ^ "Indian women's hockey team in tough World Cup pool". The Times of India. Indo-Asian News Service. 4 May 2010. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
  21. ^ "Hockeyroos hit by injuries". ABC News. Australian Associated Press. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  22. ^ "Hockeyroos lose out to Germany". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australian Associated Press. 8 September 2010. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
  23. ^ Craddock, Robert (2 October 2010). "Kate Hollywood goes Bollywood". The Australian. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
  24. ^ Cox, Michael (18 September 2010). "Eastham honoured at Games selection". The Illawarra Mercury. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  25. ^ "Australia wins Women's Hockey Gold, beating New Zealand in a penalty shoot-out". The Sports Campus. 13 October 2010. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
  26. ^ Stephen, Gene (4 March 2011). "It's not all show as Hollywood digs deep". The West Australian. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  27. ^ "Hollywood demoted". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australian Associated Press. 3 March 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  28. ^ Gould, Russell (28 October 2011). "Hollywood ending for Hockeyroo glamour girl Kate". Herald Sun. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  29. ^ "Kate Hollywood back in Hockeyroos team for China series". Herald Sun. Australian Associated Press. 26 October 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  30. ^ "Hockeyroos make it three". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australian Associated Press. 31 October 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  31. ^ "Hollywood missing from Hockeyroos". ABC News. Australian Associated Press. 7 November 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  32. ^ Forrest, Brad (7 October 2012). "Real Hollywood keen to inspire". St George & Sutherland Shire Leader. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  33. ^ Ham, Melinda (7 July 2013). "As good as gold". The Sun-Herald. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  34. ^ Findlay, Matt (12 July 2013). "Hollywood's starring role with kids". Central Western Daily. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
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