Echo Women in Sport award: Double Joy for hockey sensation Sampson

If enthusiasm alone would get you to the top in sport, or indeed life, then Joy Sampson would be a superstar.

Spend a bit of time in the teenager's company and talk about hockey and you will see her face light up.

To say she is ionate about her chosen sport would be an understatement and it is no surprise that Joy was a key figure in her club, Harlequins, winning the domestic double in May.

They beat UCC in the Munster Cup final and also got the better of the students in the league play-off to ensure the two cups made their way to Farmers Cross.

In the cup final they won by 3-2, with Joy scoring all their goals and for this and other displays across the season she has been picked as the April The Echo Women in Sport monthly award winner. But for the next few weeks, the hockey stick will be put away as the Ashton Secondary School student concentrates on her Leaving Cert.

It was only when she started at the school that Joy got interested in hockey and one day hopes to follow in the footsteps of one of her heroes in the game.

She said that of her mum, Anne, and brother and sister Kate and Mark she is the only sporty one and has always loved being involved in sport. Before she concentrated on hockey Joy also played camogie, but had to choose between the two due to clashes of games and training sessions.

"None of my family have any real interest in sport, they are more theatre people. So while their stage might be the Everyman or Opera House mine is a hockey pitch," said Joy.

Joy, also said that it was only when she came to Ashton that she took an interest in hockey.

"I started when I came to Ashton and I didn't know hockey was a sport, I knew nothing about it. I played camogie for a few years with the Barrs, but in the end, I had to choose between the two sports. But I just loved hockey so I picked it.

"It wasn't an easy decision and it went on for a while, but my ion grew so much for hockey when I started playing. I started in First Year and I didn't get into Harlequins until I was 14 going on 15.

I was late enough to the game and just had a ion for it from the beginning. You know when you just know, and I knew from the beginning that I was going to go with hockey. I just love it."

Joy then ed Harlequins and in a matter of seasons was part of their Division One squad.

"I was on a waiting list for a while, I'd say at least a year, and at the time it was the only club I'd heard of because I didn't know much about hockey. So I was U16 and we were training for a while and then I ended up getting on U16 A team.

"I played that and then I went to U18 and then Division Five and U18 together. Then I went from Division Five to Division Two and One together and then this season I was just on the Division One squad."

Like all young players, Joy is still learning and was full of praise for her fellow club players.

"The players you're playing alongside, they just push you so much once you get to that level. You know you're going to thrive up there."

Commenting on her hat-trick in the cup final and her crucial goal in the league play-off Joy added: "We worked so hard for so long and getting to that final was brilliant. UCC are big rivals and to play my part in that game was amazing. 

When the final whistle went I was actually off the pitch. I was off for the last two minutes and my stomach was in knots because it was getting so close but there was only a goal in it.

To score a hat-trick was amazing and to be celebrating with your teammates after was unreal."

Playing with Quins first team has also made another hockey dream come true for Joy.

One of the players she has always looked up to is Yvonne O'Byrne, who was part of the Irish team that won silver medals at the World Cup.

UNREAL

"When I ed Harlequins when I was 14 or so and Yvonne was coming back from the Olympics and came up to our training session. She signed my very first hockey bag, which I still have, and now I'm playing alongside her is just surreal.

"There was a whole gang in the hall and she was talking about her journey in hockey and she was saying how she started when she was in secondary school and I was like, God, I'm like her.

"I was thinking maybe I'm too late starting to get places, but seeing her name and seeing that we were quite similar it really inspired me. Now that I'm playing with her is just amazing."

In the last few weeks, they beat UCC again to complete the double, with Joy scoring the first goal. But even as the season ends, she is already thinking ahead of the new one.

"It has been a great year for us winning the double, and hopefully next season we will be competing again for both and also with a little luck get back into Division One of the EY Hockey League."