From the US to Austria, Elena Tice lived in various locations around the world with her family until the age of nine, when they moved to Ireland and settled on a farm in Glenealy, Co Wicklow, where they keep horses and sheep.
It was during these formative years Elena was first introduced to cricket by her father, who is a big fan of the sport, having played in school and university himself. With two older brothers, all the family would play together at home growing up.
“When we were in Vienna, we actually found a cricket club there. My dad loves cricket, so I would have just spent hours and hours all summer in Vienna playing cricket, which is the most random thing ever,” laughs Elena.
“Then when we moved back here, straight away I joined a club. I went to a primary school that had a cricket team as well, so I just got into it then and didn’t look back.”
The school Elena attended for both primary and secondary school, St Gerard’s in Bray, also had a hockey team, where another sporting passion was born – the one she would become best known for.
Throughout her teenage years both cricket and hockey played a big part in Elena’s life. She was just 13 getting the call-up to the senior Ireland women’s cricket team.
“I made my international debut when I was really young, when I was 13. I could hardly tie my own laces,” the sports woman jokes with a smile. “I had a five-year international [cricket] career and stopped when I was 17. I had to pick between hockey and cricket at that point.
“I was young when I had to make that decision. There were other factors at play – I had my Leaving Cert and stuff like that. It was really difficult, but ultimately it is something I was glad I did in hindsight.”
Hockey heroes
Hockey proved to be a rewarding choice for Elena, as she was part of the Irish squad that came into the Women’s Hockey World Cup as underdogs and went on to reach the final. The team took the country – and indeed the world – by storm and touched the hearts of the nation.
“We knew we could do something special,” she explains, “but I wouldn’t say a World Cup final was something we really considered. We knew we could create a few upsets, get a few good wins and then things just started rolling.
“As the tournament progressed and we realised who we were playing in the next game and in the next game, we thought, ‘This is a massive opportunity, we can really do something’. It was unreal. Then coming home and realising what was going on, that was probably the most special part of it all.”
Elena’s first international hockey cap was just before she turned 18. Last month, the 21-year-old celebrated her 100th cap with a win over China.
Chatting with the UCD economics student, it is clear she is comfortable on a range of subjects, but it is when discussing hockey that she really comes alive. In the same breath as describing her 100th cap, she turns her attention towards the Irish team’s Tokyo 2020 Olympics qualifier, a two-legged tie against Canada.
“The Olympics is the ultimate for us, it is far bigger than the World Cup. It really is the pinnacle of the sport. Our qualifiers are on 2 and 3 November, they are coming around the corner. We are flat out training and things are going well, we have gotten some good results,” says Elena.
“We are definitely feeling really good. It is a really tough task because it is just two games against Canada and the winner takes all. Anything can happen in two games, but we are as prepared as we can possibly be. We will leave nothing behind. That allows you to rest easy knowing that we will be 100% ready to go.”
Championing causes
A positive spin-off of Irish women’s hockey success of late, is the platform it has given the players to champion good causes. This year Elena has taken up the mantel of ambassador for Team Hope’s Christmas Shoebox Appeal, something close to her heart as she always did it with her family as a child.
Also high on the agenda for Elena and the Irish team is inspiring a new generation of female athletes.
“It is something we talk about and it is one of our values as a team, to inspire the next generation. I think there has been a massive surge in participation in clubs all around the country, especially with young girls,” says Elena.
“It is an amazing feeling for us. Something we just strive to continue to do is inspire the next generation and bring participation levels up as much as possible.
“I was very fortunate, from a young age I was always just wanted to play and compete, but it is not the same for everyone. People get into sport at different times, so to have role models is important.
“To see someone you relate to playing on TV or to hear about them on the news, that’s massive. To be able to set yourself goals as a young girl is really, really important.” CL
How to become a shoeboxing champion
The Christmas Shoebox Appeal gives gifts to children across the world who otherwise would have none. To participate you have to fill an empty shoebox for a girl or boy aged between two and 14 with the four Ws: something to wash with, something to wear, something to write with and something to wow the child with. Shoeboxes can be dropped off at collection points right across the country. The deadline for boxes is 8 November. For more guidelines and a list of drop-off points, see www.teamhope.ie or phone 01 294 0222.