Footscray Hockey Club

Best wishes to the 40+ children that will be representing FHC at Western Wildcats trials over the next two Sunday mornings. Those children that make the Wildcats squads will be competing in the Victorian Junior Hockey Championships at the State Hockey Centre during the first week of the second term school holidays (June 30 to July 6). For those that don’t make it, keep in mind that each year the competition for these places varies. If you’re unsuccessful this year, then next year could be your year.

In coming weeks our coaches will be making decisions on who will start the season in the ‘first eleven’ in each age group. Our coaches have again be asked to consider longer-term development as a key part of this process, reflecting on which scenario will best enhance children’s longer term development. It does a child no favors to be tacked on to the end of a first-eleven squad when a more dominant presence in the lower graded team would offer them far greater potential for strong involvement and skill development.

Many children that we believe can be first eleven players in 2009 or later are best served by being a key player in an easier grade this coming season, thereby utilizing a less pressured environment in which their skills might blossom. What might appear to be disappointing news to some may well be very smart thinking by our selection teams. Trust their judgement!

Don’t forget that for every paid-up junior recruit that you bring into the Club this season you will receive: $25.00 for a new U9 player, and $80 for an U11 – U17 player. It’s worth taking the time to think about who you could try to recruit. What about those kids next door, down the street, or at school??

We have had mixed fortunes with the Hockey Victoria grading process in recent weeks. Our top U11 ‘mixed’ team has been granted ‘A’ grade status, but our application for similar in U13 mixed has just missed out. Mind you, HockeyVictoria will monitor the results of the first three or four rounds to see whether a late change is warranted. Go for it in U13 Penn ‘A’ kids!

I am very excited to announce the appointment of former Victorian player Sharon Ruyg as coach of our U15 girls ‘A’ grade squad for 2008. Sharon played for Victoria from junior levels right through to a lengthy period in the senior Vic team, and was also vice-captain of the Australian Country team after returning to regional hockey in her latter hockey playing years. Sharon has terrific junior coaching experience also, coaching at all junior age groups, principally with the West Vic Academy (association rep teams from Ballarat).

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The 13th Annual Hockey 7′s round robin competition has been run once again and has once again been a roaring success. This competition has become the traditional start of the Club’s junior recruitment program feeding in to the Junior Summer “Come & Try” hockey program running over the next 3 Wednesday’s with kids then being invited to take part in the Junior summer program.

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The gradings have just been announced and due to lack of team numbers, all of the grades have been condensed into two competitions.

• Friday night – mixed competition (all teams will be a mixture of U/15 boys, U/17 boys and U/17 girls). There is no separate grade for U/15boys, U/17 girls or U/17 boys. Eligible U/15 girls will now play on Saturday as below.
• Saturday afternoon – mixed competition (all teams will be a mixture of U/13girls, U/15 girls and U/13 boys). There is no separate grades for U/13 girls, U/15 girls or U/13 boys.

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We have been able to secure the services of Steve Willer (Victorian Indoor coach and Indoor DVD creator) for a one off training session at Westbourne on Sunday 28th October at 4:00 pm. It is asked that in order to get the full use of the hour on the courts that we arrive at 3:45 pm. One important criterion from the school is that players’ footwear must have non marking soles, otherwise you will not be able to use the gymnasium.
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