Field hockey star Jessica Hollis started playing the game at the age of 11 - she was introduced to field hockey by her PE teacher at Bermuda High School and became enamoured with the sport.“I fell in love with it when I started playing,” said Ms Hollis.Originally a football player, Ms Hollis found that she was better with her hands than her feet. However, the real draw to field hockey was the sport’s uniqueness.“It wasn’t like anything else people were playing,” she said.Ms Hollis quickly graduated from school leagues and was playing in the Bermuda Hockey Federation’s women’s league by the age of 12. Under the instruction of her BHF coach Burt Rodney, Ms Hollis was able to qualify for the Bermudian national women’s team just a year later. The then 13-year-old Ms Hollis became one of the youngest people to ever play for the national women’s team.She would go on to represent Bermuda three times, most notably at the 2009 Pan-American Cup.The 19-year-old, from Devonshire, now plays for the University of Richmond in Virginia, where she is currently in her second year of a psychology BA.The University of Richmond is a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference, a 21-sport league that includes 14 universities across eight states and the District of Columbia. The Atlantic 10 is hailed as one of the best conferences in the US.This past November, Miss Hollis and her teammates were named the Atlantic 10 field hockey champions. This is the team’s seventh Atlantic 10 victory in 11 years.Ms Hollis is currently vacationing in the Dominican Republic, but is eager to return to university for the spring season. She and her teammates will begin their 20-hour per week training regiment in February to prepare for tournament play later in the month.Despite all her success, Ms Hollis doubts that she will play past the college level. After graduation she plans to return to the BHF, the league where she learned the basics and first experienced a high level of play.“I hope [the BHF] grows,” said Ms Hollis. “It’s already gotten a lot bigger.” As the league grows Ms Hollis, along with all the BHF players and coaches, can help others to fall in love with field hockey.