Get hooked on hockey

With the Goulburn Valley Hockey Association season currently at full tilt, planning is already under way for the 2023 junior season at McEwen Reserve’s beloved ‘Smurf Turf’.

The GVHA is largely built upon a budding junior participation, and the club is preparing for a busy term four when its ‘Hookin2Hockey’ program kicks off again.

The program will run on Wednesday nights for six weeks, starting on October 5 at the regional hockey centre.

It aims to provide a platform for all kids who are keen to give hockey a crack, regardless of skill level, before they make the transition to team-based competitive games.

And with a new game format potentially on the cards next season, GVHA president Cameron Druitt said there was a lot to look forward to in the months to come.

“Planning is under way for junior hockey leading into next year’s winter season,” Cameron said.

“We’re working with our regional hockey coordinator and Hockey Victoria in looking to incorporate a modified version of hockey called Hockey 5s into our junior season.”

Hockey 5s offers juniors a simpler approach to the sport through its five-a-side format, before youngsters step up to more competitive 12-a-side games.

With a successful competition currently under way in Darwin, Cameron said a lot of hype had been building around the new competition as it was rolled out in hockey clubs across the country.

“It’s a five-a-side team competition that is starting to get a lot of traction at national and international level,” he said.

“It’s been adopted by a few regional associations for their junior hockey competitions; what it will enable us to do is create more targeted competitions based on abilities, age and experience.”

The GVHA offers a safe pathway into the sport for kids of all ages, and prides itself on keeping the fees as low as possible.

For anyone interested in giving hockey a go, jump onto http://gvhockey.com.au/ for more info, or check them out on Facebook.