She may not be a familiar face, but one of Leicester Hockey Club’s most recent signings has a name that many sports fans will recognise. Josie Inverdale, the daughter of BBC Sport presenter John, joined the Pukkas from Loughborough University student’s team this summer.  

With her father’s passion for sport, it’s no surprise that Josie took an interest in hockey and tennis at an early age.

“My family is really sporty. I’ve been to three Olympics as a spectator and watching the athletes inspired me. I started playing hockey when I was 11-years-old. I used to play a lot of tennis but I tried hockey to be involved in a team sport. I made it up through the ranks, from county to regional and then to England under 16s, 18s and now under 21s. It’s difficult to find time for tennis because my training regime is so specific that my coaches don’t want me overtraining and I don’t want to get injured.”

Josie talked about how growing up as an Inverdale has influenced her sporting career.

“It’s great having my dad involved in sport as I’ve been able to go to a lot of really cool things and meet a lot of people. Sometimes he thinks he knows things and perhaps he doesn’t, but he’s a great influence and definitely positive from a hockey perspective.”

Despite being an avid Chelsea fan, Josie’s sporting hero is Manchester United legend Roy Keane, someone she met thanks to her dad’s connections.

“He’s a bit of a controversial figure but he’s my hero. I was lucky enough to meet him. I went down to Ipswich Town when he was manager  there and had a chat with him. He’s obviously done a few bad things but his attitude and his desire to win is what I want to have.

“I had a one-on-one with him for about an hour and it was incredible. He gave me an insight into his life, what it was like to be at the top of the game and how he dealt with personal issues and the media.”

After captaining England at every youth level, Josie is keen to make an impact on the senior team and is looking to take inspiration from her Leicester team-mates, many of whom are England and Great Britain regulars.

“The players have been great and everybody’s been really friendly and accommodating. Hopefully I can take something from all of them to make me a better player. I’m playing at the back and when Crista Cullen – who has been in the world all-star team – is back to full fitness, I will hopefully play alongside her, which will be brilliant for my game.”

As well as playing for Leicester, the 18-year-old has other training commitments and is busy studying at Loughborough University.

“I’m into my second year of a sports science and management degree. I’m part of the national performance programme in Loughborough and train at 7am most mornings with gym and conditioning sessions throughout the day. The coaches know my timetable and we fit training around it. It is tough and the life of a student athlete isn’t the life of a normal student, but I’ve had a great time and I love Loughborough. It’s the best place to be for hockey and for elite sport.

Photo: Andy Smith

Before arriving at Loughborough, Inverdale played for Premier League side Reading and she is pleased to have returned to that level with a team viewed as the best in the business.

“I had a season with Loughborough in the National League. Unfortunately we didn’t get promoted but I wanted to play in the Premier League. A lot of teams fear Leicester because we are the best club, pretty much the Manchester United of the hockey world. I wanted to play amongst senior internationals and with a great coach like Chris Mayer. It’s definitely been the right decision.”

Josie explained what it means to play for Leicester and why the club is so special.

“It’s a much more professional outlook and once you’re a Leicester girl, you’re a Leicester girl for life. I definitely get that feeling. A lot of the senior internationals are based at the National Sports Centre in Bisham Abbey but they’ve got a diehard feeling that they’ve got to come back to Leicester. Chris Mayer is the key. They want to play for him and, basically, they want to play in orange.

“I definitely feel part of it already. I’m getting involved with a lot of things in the club. Part of my contract involves coaching the juniors and  I’m getting swept into the whole Leicester feeling.”

After already reaching such a high standard at such a young age, Josie is determined to continue progressing to the very highest level.

“The 2016 Olympics is my target. It is gutting that 2012 is a little bit too soon but I’ll be there watching and cheering on my team-mates. The 2014 Commonwealth Games are in Glasgow so that will pretty much be on home soil. If we do well next year, hockey will hopefully get a lot more publicity which would only be a good thing for me and my under 21 team-mates. Hopefully I can have a good season with Leicester and press on.”

Certainly someone to look out for in the future, Josie Inverdale is likely to ensure that her family name remains associated with top level sport for many years to come.

For more information on Leicester Hockey Club visit www.leicesterhc.co.uk