Youngsters flock to join weekday hockey sessions

Hockey Wanganui is delighted with the increased numbers of youngsters taking part in weekday school competitions.

Small Sticks hockey for primary school teams started last month on Wednesday afternoons and has proved so popular there is not enough room at Gonville Domain, with games also being held at Wanganui Collegiate and Rutherford Intermediate.

Small Sticks is for Year 6 players up, although Hockey Wanganui operations manager Kylie Penn said the odd 4-year-old also played.

Out-of-town squads from Aberfeldy and Waverley are taking part.

Including the Kwik Sticks grade on Monday nights for intermediate schoolchildren, there are now 57 teams compared to 52 last year. "We're still on the increase there," said Penn.

Wednesdays are now the busiest day of the week, due to the number of volunteers needed as umpires and coaches, many of whom have taken part at the coaching programme at Collegiate.

The move away from Saturdays to weekday games in recent seasons had proved the right call, given the intermediate grade had increased from four teams on the weekends to 12 who played on Monday, she said.

"[It] works better than it was because we're not competing with the other codes," said Penn.