Hockey proving popular in schools

New Zealand Black Sticks in action at this year's Festival of Hockey. The event has helped boost interest in the sport in Hawke's Bay. Photo/Warren Buckland

Hockey is becoming a popular sport among primary and intermediate schools, says Hawke's Bay Hockey general manager Don Clark.

Mr Clark said figures showed hockey had shown a significant growth for the 2014 winter season, with total playing numbers growing from 2184 in 2013 to 2373, an increase of 8.7 per cent.

"The most significant growth is in primary schools, 83 and intermediate schools, 75 with the remaining increase over secondary schools and clubs," Mr Clark said.

Hockey has maintained a high profile in Hawke's Bay with the recent Festival of Hockey and the significant work in primary schools in the past two years with the Active Post Small Sticks programme.

In the past two years the growth had been at primary school level only but now the increase was being sustained with the flow through to intermediate schools with an additional five teams for this season, Mr Clark said.

"A similar picture is showing in the numbers attending our Hockey Academy programmes.

"Both the Fantasticks Holiday programme and the Complete Paints A Plus programme have shown increases this year with a number of first-time participants."

He said they were able to cater for the increase due to the addition of the Unison Hockey Stadium in Hawke's Bay.

"The use of this facility means that school-age players are not playing to 9pm and our rep teams no longer have to train at 6am through the winter."

Hawke's Bay Hockey would host the National Under 18 Tournament at Park Island from July 6 to 12, which would be a great spectacle of top-age group hockey, Mr Clark said.

Planning is now under way for the National Masters tournament involving more than 60 teams.

It will be held at Park Island and the Unison Hockey Stadium from March 1-7 next year.