One of Avoca’s most inspirational figures sadly passed away last Friday. John (James ) Sharpe was a terrific hockey player and represented the school and club at all levels .
Having won two consecutive Minor Cups, followed by Junior and Senior honours he will be remembered for scoring many goals by diving headlong on the old grassy surface at Newpark.
His bright and jovial outlook, combined with a passion for life was an inspiration to all that were lucky enough to know and enjoy his company. Sadly we have lost another truly committed Avoca man.
It is with great excitement that we announce the return to hockey for our senior players from Thursday 13th May.
Sign up via Clubzap. Pre-booking is essential as numbers are limited.
The COVID form must be completed before your first session. We must stay in pods of 15 for the duration of the evening and can enjoy 7-a-side training matches within the pod of 15. No crossovers with other pods.
‘Social Mixed Hockey’ in Sion Hill is for players from 3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th teams in both men’s and ladies’ sections.
Arrive with mask on and only remove when you are on the pitch. Hand sanitiser is still being used at entry and departure.
Entry to Newpark remains via the basketball courts and exit via the sports centre. Please note, Trojan swimming club are on the astro from 6-7pm on Tuesday and Thursday.
For entry to Sion Hill, please wait until the pitch has been vacated.
There are no toilet facilities at either venue!!
For insurance purposes, all players must have completed their membership and can do so here. If you are unsure of your membership status, get in touch with Al on clubsecretary@avocahockeyclub.ie
More bookings may appear depending on interest so keep an eye on Clubzap!
Avoca Hockey Club’s AGM takes place on Monday 31st May at 8pm via Zoom and it is open to all Members, Life Members and Parents of our Junior section. Email Club Secretary Al Robinson to request a link to access the meeting; registration is essential. All members have been emailed documents to review prior to the AGM, it may be in your spam if it’s not in your inbox. Get in touch with Al if you have any issues.
Dún Laoghaire Rathdown are delighted to partner up Colette Burke to roll out a 6 week Zumba Gold programme for adults over the age of 55 years.
These are free online classes which take place through zoom and can be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home. This class is an easy-to-follow program that lets you move to the beat at your own speed. System is the total-body wellness program that feels like a party while it revitalizes your mind and body.
As spring has arrived why not put a spring in your step why not embrace Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Sports Partnerships new CouchTo3K programme. It is a free walk to jog 6-week programme for adults starting the week of Monday 12th of April 2021.
What is a Couch to 3K?
Whether you have never jogged before or if you just want to get more active, Couch to 3K is an easy way of getting more energy and feeling healthier. This programme is for everyone, who would like to get from walking to jogging, but might be a little unsure on how to get started. The programme works because it is not just focused on running, it starts with a mix of walking and jogging to gradually build up your fitness & stamina. It is aimed at beginners and based on your time and ability to participate.
We will then contact you by email outlining all you need to know. Each week you will be sent the Training Plan, Warm Up, Cool Down exercises as well as other helpful and motivational tips. You will invited to a WhatsApp group to help keep you motivated and guide you through the programme. We will also check in with you to see how you are getting on and we are always available to answer any queries you have throughout the 6-week programme.
What is the Training Plan?
The plan involves 3 sessions of mixing brisk walking with jogging each week, with a day of rest in between. There is a different schedule each week building up your fitness and stamina to complete the end goal of reaching a 3K as per the plan. We will send that on to you every week with exactly what you will have to do.
What are the Benefits?
There are plenty of benefits from getting into jogging. For starters, It is an easy way of improving your physical health. It requires little equipment, but a good pair of runners will help improve comfort and foot support.
Jogging regularly will improve the health of your heart and lungs. It can also help you lose weight, especially if combined with a healthy diet. There’s evidence it may help increase bone density in some people, which can protect against bone diseases like osteoporosis. There are also mental benefits of exercising outdoors. Taking on the challenge of Couch to 3K can help boost your confidence and self-belief, as you prove to yourself that you can set yourself a target and achieve a goal. Exercising regularly through activities like jogging can also be a great stress reliever and has even been shown to help combat depression.
*If returning to exercise or have any concerns about your health, please contact your GP before starting this programme.
*Please ensure to keep to within your local area and social distancing is always adhered to.
Sport Ireland has introduced a new Women in Sport Broadcast Training opportunity. Pictured is Cliodhna Sargent who covered the Olympic Qualifier in 2019 and more recently the SoftCo series v GB.
The duration of the programme is expected to last approximately six months. The training programme will be tailored to suit the availability of candidates. The programme will take place in four stages:
Punditry and Media Skills Boot Camp
Speaker & Mentor Day
Studio Experience
On-Going Mentorship Programme
For more information, have a look at Sport Ireland’s page here.
It would be great to see someone from Avoca Hockey Club feature on this.
Cliodhna Sargent at the Olympic Qualifier between Ireland and Canada in November 2019. Pic: Alwyn Robinson
I hope you and your family are well since our last contact, I know the last few weeks have been difficult for everyone especially for those who have been taking part in home schooling. I hope the family keep fit classes and the content available through the website and social media have provided a fun outlet for you all.
We have not yet been given any guidance from Hockey Ireland or Leinster Hockey as to what may happen when restrictions are hopefully eased by the government however at this point we think it is safe to assume there won’t be any competitive hockey until the 2021-22 season. Given the current restrictions are in force until the 1st week of April we will not be running Easter camps however we do hope to be in a position to run camps over the summer holidays. The details for these proposed camps will be circulated when they are finalised.
The committee are looking at a number of options of how to provide fun and safe hockey for both our junior and senior members once we are allowed. How this will look is unclear but we presume training in pods of 15 like before Christmas will be necessary.
Depending on government restrictions we plan to run Sunday training for our junior members in lieu of the training sessions that have been missed so the season will not finish at the end of March as normal but this is all still to be finalised. For our senior members some form of social hockey in the evenings or on Saturdays are some of the options being considered. As soon as we get guidance on what is allowed we will get our plans out to you all.
There is lots of work going on in the background as always, we have submitted a grant application for sports capital funding for training and technical equipment which will benefit all teams. Our YouTube channel is live and content is being added all the time.
For our junior members a skills and exercise session on zoom has been set up on a Sunday morning. If you are interested please log in to Clubzap and find the chat group for skills and activity.
For the month of February, we set a challenge to any club member who wanted to be involved; to walk, run or cycle 125km this could be done alone or as a family. Our aim was to raise €12,500 to be split between LauraLynn and Enable Ireland. We were delighted to surpass our target and be able to support 2 very worthy charities.
We hope to be in touch very soon with plans for the resumption of hockey but until then keep well.
I am absolutely delighted to be able to present, the new Hockey Ireland Strategy 2021-2024, ‘Change the Game’ to you. This strategy document is the culmination of months of hard work by volunteers and staff across the entire Hockey family.
I would like to thank each and every one of you for your contribution in setting out our ambitions for the next four years, particularly during what has been a very difficult period due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Strategically, our focus will be on the following:
Safeguarding our sports future through developing a financially secure and commercially focused organisation.
Broadening and growing our Hockey community by providing leadership and direction to ensure the enhancement of member services to all of our clubs.
Maximising our potential as a High-Performance sport.
Leading our sport by ensuring that we are operating to the highest standards at all levels throughout the organisation.
Engaging professionally with all of our stakeholders to build meaningful, positive and collaborative relationships.
Establishing Hockey Ireland as a nationally respected sports brand.
As you read through the document you will see that there are key actions and delivery goals linked to the achievement of our objectives in each of the six strategic pillars.
One of the pillars, ‘Leading our Sport’, has the following key action, ‘to provide national leadership on key structures, models, processes and pathways’
The delivery goal on this action is to ‘conduct a root and branch review of the national operating, financial and governance model and implement recommendations.
It is my intention to immediately begin the implementation of this review process by engaging an external consultancy firm to carry out the work on our behalf. The review will examine every part of the organisation but will particularly focus on the current structures and resources employed at Board, Branch and Office level. The aim will be to evaluate whether they are fit for purpose and consider how well they integrate under a single agreed operating, financial and governance model.
We will, over the coming days, be in contact with you to provide further information regarding the specifics of the review.
As soon as it is possible to meet face to face, I will visit each of the provinces and meet with you to discuss how we all work together to ‘Change the Game’. Both our Women’s and Men’s teams have achieved extraordinary success over the past number of years through their dedication, commitment and singular focus to succeed. I have no doubt that as an organisation we can also excel by working as one team to achieve our goals as we emerge from this very difficult period.
