Over eighty young people from seven special schools around Suffolk attended a Zone Hockey Festival in the County recently.  

 

The event was sponsored by Touchline Sports who are a locally based sports suppliers in Stowmarket. Touchline supplied every player with a T-shirt and a medal to take home as a momentum of their great day. The event took place at the Mid Suffolk Sports and Leisure Centre in Stowmarket and was a real hit with players, teachers, parents and spectators alike.

 

The festival was a joint initiative organized by Hockey Development Officer Sapphire Cutting who works for the Suffolk Sports Partnership in conjunction with Chloe McMorran Sports Development Officer with Mid Suffolk Development Team.

 

A group of sports leaders from Stowmarket High School were also involved in the festival, they offered team support, umpired matches and designed certificates.

 

Zone Hockey is an adapted version of hockey that can include players of all abilities. It is ideal for players with special needs, and offers opportunities for integration with able bodied players.  A five a side game, it can be played both outside on a hard surface or as an indoor sport. It is suitable for wheelchair users, manual wheelchair users, ambulant and semi-ambulant players as well as able bodied youngsters. The game is high scoring, fast moving and fun!              

 

 

Pupils from Heathside, Beacon Hill and Thomas Wolsey School in Ipswich joined Riverwalk and Priory School from Bury St Edmunds, Hillside School in Sudbury and Warren School from Lowestoft and the youngsters were supported by an army of teachers and class room assistants. All the teams played the game in a competitive manner with goals flying in from all directions and the young people played the game with a great sprit throughout.

 

 

 

Sapphire Cutting, Suffolks Hockey Development Officer was delighted with the enthusiasm showed by all and said that all the organization that had gone into the day was well worth the effort when she saw the pride and excitement showed by the participants.

 

All the players were a real credit to their schools, and all those involved in arranging the festival were impressed by the skills on show and the sporting behavior of all the teams, they were a credit to their schools, it was wonderful to see the children enjoying themselves playing a team sport. I am grateful to all the support provided by Chloe McMorran (Mid Suffolk) and Karen Howell (PE teacher) and her team of sports leaders from Stowmarket High school who were brilliant! Special thanks must go out to our sponsors Touchline Sports, their support has been tremendous and without them the day would not have been so special for so many children.

 

 

                                                                                     Jamie Warner, Director of Touchline Sports said "Touchline Sports are very proud to be sponsoring the Zone Hockey event. To see over 80 children taking part in hockey games involving lots of movement, communication, playing together as a team and the smiles and laughter that this generated was fantastic. Each and every child was able to take part and the teams were recognised by their colourful Touchline Sports t-shirts. It was an absolute pleasure to present the children with a medal to remember the day and we look forward to seeing all the children next year. I would like to also congratulate and thank Sapphire Cutting and her team for organising and running a smooth and fun packed day and the students from Stowmarket High School who helped throughout the morning were a credit to their school and families".

 

 

Hockey Development Officer Sapphire Cutting organized a Zone Hockey Coaching Course in January, we had twelve participants on the course from various backgrounds including School Sport coordinators, Community Hockey Coaches and local coaches. The course was delivered by Zone Hockey coach Charlie Farrow. This allowed us to then offer in school coaching to the schools that were to be invited to take part in the festival.

 

Community Hockey Coaches, Jerry Herod and Glen Parker along with Sapphire delivered coaching in six out of the seven schools that attended, giving the players an opportunity to learn new skills and practice before the big day.