Sticks Around The World - Casey Crowley & Olivia Shannon

Sticks Around The World – Casey Crowley and Olivia Shannon

We’re excited to launch our brand-new series, Sticks Around The World, where we pull back the curtain on our Vantage Black Sticks athletes to give you a glimpse into their everyday routines, coffee, conditioning, chaos and all.

This series, running alongside our social media channels, offers a closer look at life under the new decentralised programme. With players now training and playing across Aotearoa and Europe, the fern continues to fly proudly from all corners of the hockey world.

We chat with Vantage Black Stick players Casey Crowley and Olivia Shannon on how they are adapting to the decentralised model.

Casey (defender) is currently based in Auckland and playing for ABC Hockey Club on the North Shore. Since making her senior debut for the Vantage Black Sticks against Australia in May 2022, Casey has gone on to earn 40 caps for New Zealand bringing experience, grit, and leadership to the squad.

Olivia (midfield/striker) has proven to be a standout performer and a force to be reckoned with, sitting on 19 goals and 89 caps for her country. Based in the UK, Olivia currently plays for East Grinstead with the season having most recently drawn to a close finishing 3rd in the English Hockey League.

Like most of us, Casey and Olivia handle work, study, and a social life, but also maintain fitness and technical skills to the highest level to compete on the world stage.  

Remaining focused and motivated while being decentralised is one of the biggest challenges to overcome – how do you shift your mindset to combat this?

Olivia, “Motivation for me fluctuates especially when I’m away from my family and friends.  They are a big reason I do what I do and sometimes it can be lonely on the other side of the world without them, but my motivation comes from my family as well as doing it for the legacy of the people who have come before me and the little girls & boys that aspire to put the Black Sticks singlet on. It’s always a good reminder for the motivation that girls all around the world are putting in the work too.” 

That mix of personal purpose and emotional challenge is something Casey has also felt throughout her journey.

“Motivation is like being on a rollercoaster. There have been days where I’ve questioned everything, my commitment, my skill, why I keep putting myself through baseline conditioning! But when you're with the team, the enjoyment is unmatched. Wearing the fern and knowing we’re all pushing ourselves through the same doubts, that connection is special. It’s what keeps me disciplined when motivation dips.” 

Balance is another beast in the high-performance world, how do you juggle it?

“To be honest, I don’t always balance it. There are a lot of emotional days. As competitive people, we want to do it all, but that’s not always realistic. I’ve learned to plan my weeks based on intensity blocks and upcoming events, and I’m lucky to have a flexible job that works around training. That, plus making sure I take time to reset, helps me keep going”, says Casey.

Olivia, “It’s always a tricky one but being in the programme and growing with it you learn to adapt. I know when I first made the programme I certainly wasn’t good at it being 17 away from family and friends was really tough but now being decentralised it’s given me the ability to be in Hawke’s Bay close to family and friends but also the opportunity to go overseas and play high quality hockey to improve and get better. I’ve learnt to balance my social life with friends and family alongside hockey as that actually makes me a better hockey player when my cup is full mentally that’s when I’m at my best physically.”

Looking ahead, there’s one major date circled on both Casey and Olivia’s calendars:

“Anything that brings the group together is exciting. But I think the Oceania Cup in Darwin will be a big one. It’s always a great battle between New Zealand and Australia and with a 2026 World Cup spot on the line, it’s going to be something special,” Casey shared.

On Olivia’s side, her feelings as follows: “It’s a very busy back end of the year, but especially excited for Oceania cup there is nothing like playing our Trans-Tasman rivals and battling for a spot for the World Cup with the girls. I’m really looking forward to stepping on the pitch with them but also watching our lads play it’s always special when you’re all in the same spot.”

Keep an eye out as more Black Sticks take us through their day-to-day in this series and don’t forget to follow along on our socials for exclusive content, behind-the-scenes stories, and more.