Jade Close facts for kids

Jade Close was born on October 18, 1987. She is an Australian field hockey player. She played for the NSW Arrows in the Australian Hockey League. Jade was also a member of the Hockeyroos, which is Australia's national women's team. She played 87 games for them. Jade was chosen to play for Australia at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

About Jade Close

Jade Close, also known by her nickname Ruby, was born in Wagga Wagga. She grew up in Penrith, New South Wales. She lived in Perth, Western Australia, because that is where the national team trained. When she was not training, she would go home to Penrith to be with her family.

A cool fact about Jade is that she was a ball girl at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. She was there during the Hockeyroos' gold medal match. After her playing career, Jade became the Assistant Pathways Manager for Hockey NSW. This means she helps young hockey players develop their skills.

Playing Field Hockey

Jade Close played as a striker in field hockey. She started playing the sport because her sister's team needed an extra player. She played for the NSW Arrows team in the Australian Hockey League. Her jersey number was 4.

Playing for Australia

Jade Close first played for the Australian national team, the Hockeyroos, during a tour in Europe in 2010. In January 2011, a new coach named Adam Commens joined the team. He saw Jade as one of the key players to help the national team grow stronger.

By June 2012, Jade had played 87 games for the Australian women's national field hockey team. In June 2012, she also played in a tournament called the Investec London Cup. She played in a game where Australia lost to the Netherlands.

Jade Close was chosen to be part of the Australian team for the 2012 Summer Olympics when she was 24 years old. To get ready for the Olympics, she trained for four weeks in Perth during June and July 2012. She and her teammates traveled to London for the Games on July 17, 2012.