Oral History Interview: Janet (Jane) Sixsmith

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: [indistinguishable]
SIXSMITH: Okay.
SOMERVILLE: Right. So, I'm just checking that this is responding. Could you just say something, Jane?

Segment Synopsis: Sixsmith introduces herself and states her date of birth.

Keywords: Date of birth; European Nations Championship/EuroHockey Nations Championship; Final; London--United Kingdom (UK)

Subjects: Tournaments--International

Partial Transcript: SIXSMITH: Erm, I first represented England, under 18s - oh ca--can't remember the year - erm, but I, I st--I started out really playing hockey, erm, at secondary school. I was actually a footballer up until then, played with the boys.

Segment Synopsis: Sixsmith recalls her school hockey days and her progression to international level by way of county and territory. She recounts a specific anecdote wherein she celebrated her 21st birthday on the aeroplane on the way to the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988.

Keywords: Alcohol; Barbara Holden/Barbara Hambly; Birthday; Comprehensive School; England; Football (Soccer); Jane Swinnerton; Lisa Bayliss; Mandy Davies; Midland Counties Womens Hockey Association (MCWHA)/Midlands (territory); Olympics/Olympic Games; Schedule; School; Secondary School; Sutton Coldfield Hockey Club; Sutton Coldfield--United Kingdom (UK)

Subjects: Olympic Games--1988 Seoul; Recollection of Others--Player; Teams--Girls--County; Teams--Girls--International; Teams--Girls--School; Teams--Girls--Territory; Teams--Women--Club; Teams--Women--County; Teams--Women--International; Teams--Women--Territory

Partial Transcript: SIXSMITH; I remember, erm, in '88 though, erm, we had a qualifier. Well, I think it was [pause] I think it was before '88, it was '87, erm, because Great Britain weren't in existence then. Erm, they didn't have a track record to qualify for the Olympic Games.

Segment Synopsis: Sixsmith recalls the Olympic Qualifiers against Russia in 1987.

Keywords: Barcelona--Spain; Coach; Dennis Hay; Great Britain; Great Britain Hockey; International Hockey Federation (FIH); Olympic Qualifiers; Olympics/Olympic Games; Russia; Selectors; Substitute

Subjects: Associations--International; Associations--National; Olympic Games--1988 Seoul; Recollection of Others--Coach & Manager; Rules; Teams--Women--International; Tournaments--International

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: And what happened when you got to Seoul?

Segment Synopsis: Sixsmith recalls her experiences of the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games when the Women finished fourth. She recalls the matches, the interaction with the Men (who would famously win Gold) and discusses her experiences of the Olympic Village and the social side of the Games.

Keywords: Athletics; Barcelona--Spain; Ben Johnson; Bronze Medal; Doping; Gold Medal; Netherlands; Olympic Village; Olympics/Olympic Games; Party; Semi-final; Seoul--South Korea; Silver Medal; South Korea; Swimming

Subjects: Olympic Games--1988 Seoul; Olympic Games--1992 Barcelona; Recollection of Others--Non-hockey Athlete; Social & Friendships; Teams--Men--International; Teams--Women--International

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: So the s--a core of that team stayed together...
SIXSMITH: Yeah, I think there was...
SOMERVILLE: ...through the internationals into the [indistinguishable]...
SIXSMITH: Yeah.
SOMERVILLE: ...the two Olympics?

Segment Synopsis: Sixsmith recalls the competitive rivalry amongst the Home Nations players for places in the Great Britain squad and the dilemma faces by players from the Celtic nations in choosing to represent GB.

Keywords: England; Great Britain; Ireland; Moira Macleod; Nikki Symmons/Nicola Symmons; Olympics/Olympic Games; Scotland; Violet McBride; Wales

Subjects: Olympic Games--1988 Seoul; Politics; Recollection of Others--Player; Teams--Men--International; Teams--Women--International

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: You then played all the internationals intervene--intervening. Did you keep injury free during that time?

Segment Synopsis: Prompted by talk of her regular participation in the matches between the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games, Sixsmith discusses her injury record.

Keywords: Cracked Rib; Operation

Subjects: Fitness & Injury

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: So what about the next Olympics?

Segment Synopsis: Sixsmith recalls her experience of the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games where Great Britain won Bronze. She discusses the size of the support team compared to today's standards, recalls specific matches and reflects on how Olympic success impacted her life once she returned home.

Keywords: Alcohol; Assistant Manager; Auckland--New Zealand; Barcelona--Spain; Bronze Medal; Charity; Coach; Dennis Hay; Di Batterham/Diane Batterham/Di Bird/Diane Bird; Extra Time; Germany; Great Britain; Manager; Olympic Qualifiers; Olympics/Olympic Games; Opening Ceremony; Penalty Corner; Physiotherapy; Schedule; Semi-final; Sharron Davies; South Africa; South Korea; Spain; Video Analysis

Subjects: Dinners; Fame & Celebrity; Olympic Games--1988 Seoul; Olympic Games--1992 Barcelona; Recollection of Others--Coach & Manager; Recollection of Others--Non-hockey Athlete; Social & Friendships; Tournaments--International

Partial Transcript: SIXSMITH: Oh, we had the Europeans in between, didn't we?
SOMERVILLE: Yes.
SIXSMITH: No, prior to Barcelona.

Segment Synopsis: Sixsmith recalls winning Gold with England in the EuroHockey Nations Championship of 1991. In particular, she recounts the imposed restraint and general lack of fanfare immediately following their victory over Germany in the Final.

Keywords: All England Womens Hockey Association (AEWHA); Barcelona--Spain; Brussels--Belgium; England; European Nations Championship/EuroHockey Nations Championship; Final; Germany; Gold Medal; Party

Subjects: Associations--National; Reunion; Social & Friendships; Teams--Women--International; Tournaments--International

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: Okay...
SIXSMITH: ...A shame.
SOMERVILLE: ...Talk me through the, er, build up to the next Olympics.

Segment Synopsis: Sixsmith recalls her experiences of the Atlanta 1996 Olympics, lamenting its considerable commercialisation and recounting her bitter disappointment of missing out on a medal following a change in the tournament's format.

Keywords: Atlanta--United States of America (USA); Coca Cola; Dublin--Republic of Ireland; Great Britain; McDonalds; Muhammad Ali/Cassius Clay; Netherlands; Olympics/Olympic Games; Penalty Stroke; Schedule; Sue Slocombe; Television; World Cup

Subjects: Administration & Finances--International; Commercialism & Sponsorship; Olympic Games--1996 Atlanta; Recollection of Others--Celebrity; Recollection of Others--Coach & Manager; Recollection of Others--Non-hockey Athlete; Rules; Teams--Women--International; Tournaments--International; World Cup--Women--1994 Dublin

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: And then you carried on playing after that?
SIXSMITH: Yeah, carried on playing to Sydney.

Segment Synopsis: Sixsmith recalls her experiences of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. She reflects favourably on the decision to include the hockey stadium within the Olympic Park for the first time and recalls her pain at Great Britain Women's on-the-field performances.

Keywords: Argentina; Australia; Germany; Gold Medal; Great Britain; Jon Royce; Netherlands; Olympic Park; Olympics/Olympic Games; Psychology; Schedule; Silver Medal; Suspension; Sydney--Australia

Subjects: Olympic Games--1988 Seoul; Olympic Games--1992 Barcelona; Olympic Games--1996 Atlanta; Olympic Games--2000 Sydney; Recollection of Others--Coach & Manager; Teams--Women--International; Tournaments--International

Partial Transcript: SIXSMITH: ...Erm.
SOMERVILLE: So, did you carry on playing international level after that or?
SIXSMITH: No, I retired after Sydney.

Segment Synopsis: Sixsmith discusses her retirement from international hockey following the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. She recalls the positive changes brought about by the introduction of Lottery Funding and goes on to talk about her current career as an organiser of school sports tournaments and events.

Keywords: Bisham Abbey; Cheerleading; Commonwealth Games; Football (Soccer); Gymnastics; Kuala Lumpar--Malaysia; Lilleshall Hall National Sports Centre; Local Council; Lottery Funding; Manchester--United Kingdom (UK); Olympics/Olympic Games; Rugby; School; Silver Medal; Swimming; Tennis

Subjects: Administration & Finances--Grants & Funding; Administration & Finances--International; Amateurism & Professionalism; Hockey Homes, Venues & Stadia; Life Outside of Hockey--Career; Life Outside of Hockey--Retirement; Olympic Games--2000 Sydney; Teams--Women--International; Tournaments--International; Tournaments--Junior; Training & Conditioning--International

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: You still get to watch the, er, the hockey when you can?
SIXSMITH: Yeah, yeah, oh yeah. It's always great to come down to Olympic Park.

Segment Synopsis: Sixsmith discusses the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic Games and the continued use of the Olympic Park for sporting events.

Keywords: Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre; Legacy; Olympic Park; Olympic Stadium; Olympics/Olympic Games; Rugby; Swimming; Westfield Stratford City Shopping Centre

Subjects: Hockey Homes, Venues & Stadia; Olympic Games--2012 London

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: Jane, you scored an, a lot of goals ...
SIXSMITH: [laughs]
SOMERVILLE: ...In your career, does any one of them stand out as being really special?

Segment Synopsis: Asked about her most memorable goal, Sixsmith recounts her match-winning finish in the bronze medal match at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games. She contextualises the retelling by recalling the situation of her club and international teammate, Lisa Bayliss who provided the assist.

Keywords: Barcelona--Spain; Bronze Medal; Dennis Hay; Goal; Goalkeeper; Lisa Bayliss; Olympics/Olympic Games; Penalty Corner; South Korea; Substitute

Subjects: Olympic Games--1992 Barcelona; Recollection of Others--Coach & Manager; Recollection of Others--Player; Rules; Tournaments--International

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: Jane, I've got to ask you, do you, do you like the changes that, that've been made to hockey?

Segment Synopsis: Sixsmith reflects favourably on the rule changes and evolution in hockey over recent years and she discusses continuing to play for Sutton Coldfield Hockey Club and coaching the Club's junior section.

Keywords: Australia; Netherlands; Pre-season; Quarters; Sutton Coldfield Hockey Club

Subjects: Amateurism & Professionalism; Coaching & Management--Club; Fitness & Injury; Life Outside of Hockey--Family--Adulthood; Rules; Teams--Women--Club; Teams--Women--International