Brighton & Hove's Maelona Rees has been selected for the England Hockey Futures Cup next month, from which the national under-16 and under-18 girls squads are chosen.

Maelona is 15 and goes to Blatchington Mill School. She plays for Brighton & Hove women's 1s and the under-16s Cormorants. She also plays for Sussex and has been selected to attend the Guildford Performance Centre for the Futures Cup.

She plays in the defensive line for BHHC's under-16 team and in the adults has played both in defence and midfield.

The Futures Cup is one of the biggest hockey competitions in Britain, involving four English teams, one Scottish and one Welsh. Maelona has been selected to play for one of the four English teams - Saxon Tigers.

The Futures Cup is a high intensity tournament held in August. Players attend a training day with their squads to prepare for the tournament. The Futures Cup which follows runs over four days and sees the six squads battle it out to be crowned winners. The National Age Group Coaches attend the tournament to select for the England under-16 and under-18 squads.

Maelona is over the moon to be selected and is determined to be the best that she can be. "I know this is another step up and I am positive that I will learn and grow from this experience," she says. "Thanks to all those coaches at BHHC who nurtured and allowed me to develop since I was five years old."

One of those BHHC coaches, Wendy Russell, says Maelona's key attributes are her resilience and hard work both on and off the pitch. She always wants to learn and takes on board any advice.

Everyone at Brighton & Hove Hockey Club wishes Maelona the best at the Futures Cup and congratulates her on her achievements so far.