Guyanese makes U.S. U-19 hockey team

Mar 27, 2020 Sports

By Calvin Chapman

Overseas based Guyanese student-athlete; Ethan Skeete, who recently made the cut to represent the United States of America (USA) under-19 male hockey team, during an interview with Kaieteur Sport, announced that although he wants to play the sport at the highest level, he would love to come back home one day and be involved with the game locally.

Ethan Skeete

The 16-year-old junior at Washington Liberty High in the state of Virginia, left the shores of the ‘land of many waters’ two years, he had attended Saint Stanislaus College (SSC); the school that fostered his passion for hockey.
Skeete recounted, “On my first day of school (SSC), during orientation, Robbie (Robert Fernandes) came up to me and encouraged me to play. I decided to give it a go and I haven’t looked back since then. I really should thank Robbie and Saints Hockey Club because that’s where I started and I am proud of where I am today although much more work is needed if I’m to reach my goals.”
Fernandes; a Level III certified Hockey Coach and Physical Education teacher at SSC, when questioned on his first encounter with Skeete explained that, “Every year we do a presentation and some demonstrations at first form orientation to encourage youngsters to take up sports and Skeete gravitated to hockey.”
“His hard work and dedication needs to be highlighted. It takes a lot of courage and self-confidence to play field hockey in the U.S. because in that society field hockey is considered a women’s sport. There are no male scholarships offered at university for the sport which means he had to persevere despite those challenges and social stereotypes to achieve what he has so far. It is something he should be very proud of, I’m definitely very proud of him.”
Like all sportspersons worldwide, Skeete’s season has come to a premature end due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The lad plays with three different hockey outfits, namely the Washington Field Hockey Association, DC Dragons and Band of Brother FHC but he explained what hurts the most is not being able to play at the national level after making the U.S. under-19 team since last November.
Skeete plays defence in outoor field hockey while he favours getting forward in the indoor version of the game but he noted that it doesn’t matter what position he is in, he loves hockey.