Children at St Nicholas at Wade CE Primary are bullying off as they get to grips with a new sport.
Pupils in Year 4 and Year 5 are enjoying playing hockey and are gaining the benefit of training with some of the area’s most experienced players.
Two coaches from the long-established successful Cliftonville Hockey Club are visiting the school regularly as part of their community outreach commitment, with the sessions co-ordinated by PE lead Sara Patterson.
The young players are doing very well with their dribbling skills, ball control and stick technique as they get to grips with the basics of the sport.
Head Teacher Taralee Kennedy said: “This is a great opportunity for our pupils to learn from such skilled sportspeople.
“As well as developing new skills they are also improving their balance, stamina and spatial awareness.
“We believe in offering as many different sports as possible for our pupils to enjoy and the hockey sessions are proving popular. We can’t thank Cliftonville Hockey Club enough for their support and enthusiasm with this latest initiative.
“Our children enjoy a range of sporting opportunities and we are always seeking out more options for them to explore – for example, in the last year we developed our own nine hole mini golf course in our grounds and that has become such a popular sport during PE lessons and at break and lunch times.”
Cliftonville Men’s Hockey Club was originally formed in 1926 by Sidney Glenn and has continued to play within Thanet, celebrating its centenary next year. Over the years it has become the only hockey club in the district, having merged with other sides.
Its outreach programme aims to introduce and coach hockey in as many Thanet schools as possible to ensure there is more young people engaged with the sport.
The club has produced many internationals over the years, most notably Sean Kerly who won an Olympic gold medal with the Great Britain and Northern Ireland squad in Seoul in1988.
To find out more go online to www.cliftonvillehockey.co.uk
