MINI HOCKEY GAMES – VENUES AND TIMING

A summary of email and verbal feedback June 2008

The idea was floated that mini hockey might be played on a week night, or continue to be played on a Saturday morning but at venues other than Gallagher Hockey Centre. This would allow more flexibility for the timing of junior (intermediate & secondary) and senior (adult) games.

21 people sent in written responses and a number of others gave verbal feedback on the timing and venues for Mini hockey.

All respondents except one were in favour of keeping all Mini Hockey at Gallagher Hockey Centre on Saturday mornings.

The ” Gallagher Centre”  is a busy fun place with lots of families and  kids all playing hockey it feels exciting and it is great atmosphere for our mini hockey kids starting their first sport

I like the present system we have now with games being held at GHC on Saturday mornings. I feel it is more centralised for everyone and as 6 and 8 aside games are all at the one venue it has created a great atmosphere for mini hockey

With two children playing in the six aside and both parents either coaching or managing each team the dynamics of kids playing at different turfs would mean we would not be able to continue these roles (if it was not at the one venue)

I think that it is a KIWI tradition that kids sport is played on a Saturday morning.  I know that we are up against Soccer, Netball and Rugby on a Saturday morning but believe that we would be up against a lot more on a week night,

Keep the "family, festive and fun " atmosphere at Mini on a Sat morning.

It means many parents and especially dads can come to support their children

What I am finding at school is that a number of families have multiple children playing hockey i.e. brother and sisters playing 6 a-side & 8 a-side so having it in the same venue on the same day is very convenient for families. They tend to hang around until their next game is on.  So this is very good for hockey and busy families.

Comments about using a different venue on a Saturday morning

Dio and St Pauls are not suitable....parking is difficult and the toilet situation is not great

St Pauls would need to have better toilet facilities available

It would be difficult to supervise all those games and provide support for the umpires etc.

Comments on the option of having games based at more ‘local’ turfs.

.If we had localised areas it would cut down the number of teams that played against each other and you would get the same teams playing together a lot.

I wouldn't object to having to play at different venues each week but like the one competition. Think when grading teams the larger the group the better so you can better match teams so the games are always competitive

What is the outcome for our littlies who don’t play ‘real’ hockey, but get a kick out of the training sessions at 9.30am?

Comments on the option of games on week nights after school

By the time the little ones get home from school they are stuffed and I would not like to have to take them out in the cold like that - I love Sat morns – the kids are fresh, the atmosphere is something special too!

As a coach & parent I would find it difficult to make games that were played late in the afternoon and probably therefore would not coach

If you choose to change to a week night, that is likely to impact on practice evenings for a lot of teams.  Also we could loose some players to other sports; netball for example is played on a Thursday afternoon after school as well as Saturday

3 of our  children play hockey on a Friday night at St Peters, this is just so 
they can do both hockey and Saturday sport, but to be honest I think 
that's too much.  Next year I'll be making them decide on 1 sport to play

My children have swimming, dancing and my fourteen year old daughter is a premier netball player for Hamilton Girls High. Therefore it would be very difficult for me to find the time to coach hockey and have the children play on a week night, as well as be available for my older daughter when required

Keeping Mini Hockey to weekends suit us best as my children would be unable to play as both my husband and myself work until 5.30 week nights

Would be played over the time when a lot of families are having or preparing dinner, older kids can wait for their dinner, primary kids and their younger siblings aren't so happy to.

Would have the kids playing in the dark, with the potential that it is wet and cold as well.  At least on a Saturday morning it is only wet and cold, thou I guess sometimes it is in the fog!