Despite the Oceania Cup being over, Taranaki Hockey is excited by the legacy they hope the event has left the sport. Whilst the usual winter hockey season is still a few months away, Taranaki Hockey are bringing the junior participation programme 'Fun Sticks' to as many areas in Taranaki as possible. Hockey development officer, Mark Lyes says he is still incredibly busy as hockey, like many other winter sports, is no longer just a winter sport and organisations such as Taranaki Hockey now work all year round to engage participants in the sport.
For Taranaki Hockey, summer hockey is still being played and whilst the formats of the game may differ between winter and summer the enthusiasm for hockey this summer has remained.
Tracy Collier, operations manager for Taranaki Hockey says that the current level of interest in hockey is thanks to Oceania Cup. "Usually when the winter season comes to an end we don't see our members again until spring but this year it has definitely been different," she says. As well as the summer hockey being played, Tracy says there has also been a new 'development academy', which she says is to "further the skills of our potential elite players". Coming soon is a junior version of this academy aimed at the under 13s. Another exciting development for hockey in the area is the fun sticks programme starting in early February. Tracy says they are always popular, adding "we may even find a future Black Sticks amongst them".
The Fun Sticks programme will run at the hockey turf at the TET Stadium from February 13. Sessions are open to four to six-year-olds and start at 4pm.