Over 4 Monday Summer Nights in June, 48 Mums & Chums /Dads & Lads gave Hockey a Go at Sion Hill. Of these, just under 40% were trying it for the first time ever with the balance split evenly between those returning to the sport after a long absence and those who were more recent returnees. While the Mums & Chums significantly outnumbered the Dads & Lads everyone thoroughly enjoyed the mix of skill sessions and small sided games sandwiched between Emma Meirs’s warm-up and cool down program. On the 4th and final night 3 mixed ability teams (Whites, Blacks and Reds) played short 11-a-side games with Senior Men’s Keepers Conor Murphy and Sebastian Perciavalle as the last lines of defence under the expert eye of Club members & EY umpires Stevie Jenkins and Peter Agnew. On the field all three matches were close with two 1-1 draws (Blacks vs Whites and Black vs Reds ) and a 1-0 win (Reds vs Whites). Gina Meagher, Julian Moroney, Isobel Curtin, Michelle Ritchie and Lisa McCarthy scoring goals and Player of the Match performances from Gina Meagher, Emily Delahunty, Eimear Walsh and Ben Deverall. Off the field a BBQ provided by Patricia Martin & Ian Wilkie’s Catering team was enjoyed by all in the evening sunshine.
This is the 3rd year Avoca has run the Give Hockey a Go programme and has helped form new Men’s 4s and Men’s 5s teams and a 2nd Ladies’ Vets team from those who have decided to keep playing. So far more than half of this year’s group have said they intend to keep playing and we look forward to them wearing the Avoca colours next season.
This year’s programme would not have been possible without the voluntary effort of the following :
Paul Cronin for his creative posts, Coaches: Herbie Hudson Fowler, Sophie Kavanagh, Emmet Lande, Oisin O’Sullivan and Emma Meir under the guidance of Director of Hockey Rudi Wortmann. Managers Naomi Murphy, Sandra Boyle and Tiggy Hudson. Catering team of Patricia Martin, Ian Wilkie, Isobel Martin and Megan Geoghegan.
Dennis O’Connor