Meet Caversham local Abigail Day, a 12-year-old WA representative hockey player heading interstate for national competition. Discover her story and how the Caversham community can help.

Caversham Backs Abigail: From “What’s That?” to Representing WA

Three years ago, two Caversham sisters saw someone practising hockey on their school grounds and asked a very simple question:

“What’s that? That looks like fun.”

They decided to give it a go.

Three years later, that moment of curiosity has turned into after-school training, entire weekends devoted to hockey, new friendships, state selection — and dreams that now stretch all the way to the Olympic Games.

Meet Abigail Day, 12, and her older sister Emelia Day, 14.

Both girls recently visited us at Caversham Cafe with their mum, and after sitting down over a couple of drinks — and, naturally, a bowl of CavCaff chips — we got to hear a little more about the commitment behind their achievements.

And the more we heard, the more convinced we became that this was exactly the kind of local story our community should know about.

Three years in the making

Neither girl grew up with some grand plan to become a competitive hockey player.

It began almost accidentally.

They saw someone practicing hockey by themselves on their school grounds. They weren’t particularly familiar with what they were watching; they simply thought it looked fun.

So they tried it.

And they were hooked.

Fast-forward three years and hockey is now a major part of life for the Day family.

There is training after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There are matches and commitments across the weekend, including games on both Saturday and Sunday.

Then there are all the hours that don’t necessarily appear in a photograph: learning, practising, improving technique, getting fitter, recovering, turning up again and repeating it.

That little “what’s that?” moment has become something much bigger.

Both girls have now reached competition level and earned places in WA Under 14 State Hockey.

For Abigail in particular, being just 12 years old and competing at this level makes the achievement even more impressive.

“It’s good to see the effort paying off.”

When we asked Abigail what representing WA means to her, her answer was wonderfully simple:

“It’s good to see the effort paying off.”

For a 12-year-old, there’s quite a lot packed into those few words.

Because this hasn’t happened overnight.

Abigail has already spent years committing herself to a sport she discovered almost by chance.

She’s looking forward to meeting new people through the experience, making more friends and testing herself at another level.

Her older sister Emelia sees the friendships as one of the greatest things hockey has already given her.

She spoke about meeting people who can become lifelong friends, while continually learning new skills and new “tricks of the trade.”

But Emelia also has a considerably bigger goal sitting somewhere in the back of her mind.

When we asked where she would love hockey to take her one day, the answer came pretty quickly:

The Hockeyroos.

That’s a fairly big dream, National team, the Olympic team! Wow.

But considering both girls went from watching somebody practicing at school three years ago to representing their state, we’re certainly not going to be the ones telling them what’s possible.

Behind two young athletes is a very committed family

Of course, when children reach this level in sport, they aren’t doing it entirely on their own.

There are parents driving to training.

Weekend games.

Uniforms.

Equipment.

Travel.

Accommodation.

Early mornings.

Late afternoons.

Changed family plans.

And then comes one of the biggest hurdles for families of talented young athletes: the financial cost of giving them the opportunity to compete.

When we asked Mum what she gets from all of this, her answer wasn’t about medals or results.

It was:

“Watching the girls grow and achieve their dreams.”

Then we asked what community support means to the family.

Her answer stopped us a little.

“No support, no opportunity.”

Four words.

And they really do explain why Caversham Backs Abigail now exists.

Talent and hard work can earn a young athlete selection.

Unfortunately, talent and hard work don’t pay for flights, accommodation, uniforms and interstate representative expenses.

Abigail is preparing to travel interstate in early October, and the costs associated with representing Western Australia are substantial.

That’s where we hope our community can help.

Why is Caversham Cafe getting involved?

We’re a café.

We make coffee, breakfasts, cakes, lunches and — apparently — some rather popular chips.

So why get involved in junior hockey?

Because Caversham Cafe has never only been about food.

We live and work in a community.

The people sitting at our tables are our neighbours, parents, grandparents, teachers, families, local workers and friends.

And every now and then, someone from our little corner of WA does something extraordinary.

When they do, we think it’s worth saying:

“Hey, Caversham — look what one of our own is doing.”

We’re not pretending #cavcaff can simply write a cheque covering the cost of Abigail’s journey.

We’re a small local business ourselves.

What we can do is use the café, our social pages and the wonderful people who support us to help tell her story.

And perhaps together, we can achieve considerably more than any of us could individually.

“Without your help, this wouldn’t be possible.”

At the end of our little interview, we asked Abigail and Emelia what they would like to say to the people who decide to support this journey.

Together, they told us:

“Thank you so much. This is an opportunity of a lifetime. Without your help, this wouldn’t be possible.”

That is really what this campaign comes down to.

Two local girls discovered a sport because they happened to see somebody practicing.

They gave it a go.

They fell in love with it.

Three years of training and competition later, they’re representing Western Australia — and one of them is already quietly talking about the Olympics.

Sometimes enormous dreams start with remarkably small moments.

Now it’s our turn, Caversham.

We’re officially getting behind Abigail Day, and we’re inviting the Caversham and wider Swan Valley community to join us.

Abigail has an official Australian Sports Foundation fundraising page where supporters can contribute directly towards the costs associated with her representative hockey journey:

Donate here:
https://asf.org.au/campaigns/abigail-day

If you’re able to donate, whether it’s $5, $20, $50 or more, it will all help.

If you’re not in a position to donate, you can still make a difference.

Share Abigail’s story.

Send it to a friend. Share our posts. Tell another local business. Mention it to someone who loves hockey. Help us put this young Caversham athlete in front of as many people as possible.

Because Mum said it better than we ever could:

No support, no opportunity.

And we’d quite like to make sure opportunity wins this time.

🏑💚💛

Caversham Backs Abigail.

Sip, Sit, Smile and Stay a While — and help us back one of our own.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I support Abigail?
You can support Abigail by visiting https://asf.org.au/campaigns/abigail-day and donating

What makes CavCaff special?
CavCaff is more than just a café; it’s a community hub where locals gather for quality coffee, house-made treats, and a welcoming atmosphere. It’s where friendships flourish and memories are made.

How can I participate in community events at CavCaff?
CavCaff hosts various events like Seniors Day Tuesday and Friendship Wednesday, knitting for charity Thursday, Join us to connect with others and be part of our vibrant community spirit.