29 May 2008

Hi all mini hockey organisers, coaches and parents,

Waikato Hockey is currently undertaking a review of game timing and venues to ensure the best fit between player needs and the draws.

At present:

Mini Hockey is currently allocated 8 hours of turf time at Gallagher Hockey Centre from 8 a.m. - midday on Saturday mornings.

Most intermediate games are played on Friday nights at GHC, St Pauls and St Peters, with only 3 games at GHC on Saturday lunchtime

Secondary School games are played on Monday - Thursday nights between 4.30 and 9.45 p.m.

Senior Club Hockey (adults) is on Saturday afternoons for Premier grade, with Reserve and Social grades on Sundays between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m.

Since these time blocks were established, work patterns have changed (so many more people work at weekends), families have become busier, petrol cost has become an important consideration, especially for players travelling from outside Hamilton to our central venue.

If scheduling of games is changed for other grades (e.g. an adult social competition is set up on a week night) there may be a flow on effect for the times and venues for mini games. It is possible that parents would prefer mini hockey to be played on week night, to leave the weekends free, or at more local venues to reduce travel.

Possible Scenarios

1) Stick with the status quo; i.e. mini hockey for everybody on Saturday mornings at GHC

2) Have mini hockey competition on week nights from 4 p.m. - 6.30 p.m.
This would need to be spread over two nights to get enough time for all our teams to play

3) Have Mini Hockey competition at St Pauls & Waikato Diocesan on Saturday mornings.
This could free up GHC for Secondary, Intermediate or adult games on a Saturday morning.
You've experienced the facilities at St Pauls and Dio. How would this option go?

4) Have "LOCAL" competitions rather than all coming to a centralised venue.
For example, teams from the north of Hamilton could play at Waikato Diocesan, from the west could play at Fraser High, from the south could play at Melville

5) Play Mini Hockey on a Sunday morning so it does not clash with children's netball, soccer and rugby

These are just a few of the possibilities, and for those of you who play yourselves, or who also have to taxi older children to and from games, you will have different considerations. If you have children involved in other sports or who go to after school swimming or music etc then changes may or may not suit you. Sunday competition is likely to be a No Go for the Christian schools, and for players who get into rep teams.

As they say, you can please some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time!!

I would really like to hear people's comments, requests, likes, dislikes, suggestions and preferences (but if you are going to say what you DONT want, please also offer a positive alternative). If you have children playing in different age groups, play yourself or would like to play but game times don't presently suit, please comment on the bigger picture, and not just mini.

This is a chance to make changes for next year, whether it is just a tweak, or a major overhaul.

Many thanks,

Sharyn Kerr