ABOUT KATHLEEN PARTRIDGE

Kath started her hockey career in Armidale New South Wales, a country town located in the northern tablelands; when, as a high school student at O’Connor Catholic High School, she filled in for someone who was unable to goal keep for the college team.  Her hockey talent was considered latent because of the delayed start to her beginning to play the game but at 15 years of age she quickly learnt the basics of goalkeeping, having a lot of natural ability from playing a variety of sports and growing up with a competitive big brother. She had physical strength, speed, concentration and dynamic reflexes. She also worked with a dedicated coach, Jeanette Slade, who was a keen hockey player, coach and selector.

By 18 years of age she was representing New South Wales in the senior women’s hockey team. In the same year (1982) she was named in the Australian Women’s hockey squad and began her national career.  In 1984 she won a scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport’s Hockey Unit which was based in Perth, Western Australia.  She accepted to be a part of this first group of elite hockey players and packed her bags and moved to Perth where she also participated as part of the Australian women’s hockey squad training for the Los Angeles Olympic (1984). Kath was the reserve goalkeeper for this team remaining in Perth during the competition.

Kath made the Australian women’s hockey team in 1985 and represented Australia at the 1986 World Cup in Amsterdam where she was named ‘keeper of the tournament’. She was named in the composite World XI team at a number of competitions including the Seoul Olympics where she won an Olympic Gold Medal.  In 1988 she wrote her first hockey text book The Rebound Revolution which was later reprinted in 1991, the same year that The Rebound Revolution video was released. After the Seoul Olympics she took a short break from playing to complete her teaching qualification and to start her teaching career. She re-established herself back into the Australian team (playing in the national competition for Western Australia) and vice captained the Barcelona Olympic team that finished fifth in 1992.

A scholarship holder at the Australian Institute of Sport for eight years and Australian representative for close to ten years Kath finished her playing career after Barcelona having played sixty five games for Australia. She then accepted the position of Hockeyroos Goalkeeping Coach working with Ric Charlesworth and his staff from 1995 until 2000. During this time the Hockeyroos won many championships including Olympic Gold at Atlanta (1996) and Sydney (2000).

Now a senior college principal, Kath Partridge (PhD) still remains committed to helping goalkeepers and coaches develop their knowledge about the unique position of goalkeeper. Kath is also currently enjoying her role as the National Men's goalkeeping coach back working with Ric Charlesworth.