A high-energy hockey day at Faythe School
WITH THE Hockey World Cup fast approaching, kids at St John of God’s Faythe National School got the chance to try their hand at some skill work, under the tutelage of hockey coach Donal Doyle.
School teacher and Wexford Hockey Club stalwart Dara Gahan took on the task of organising the Tricks 4 Sticks programme at the school when she saw that it had a suitable astroturf multi-use games area. Tricks 4 Sticks is a Hockey Ireland initiative, aimed at increasing youth participation in the sport by giving younger kids a taster session.
The Faythe National School is the first school in Wexford to pilot the programme.
Supported by the Irish Sports Council and Women in Sport, Tricks 4 Sticks appointed Donal Doyle as hockey coach for the schoo though there’s no doubt that Dara probably showed off a few of her own pitch skills as well! The fifth and sixth class group, along with the participants from the ‘Girls Games’ after school group got the chance to try out the sport.
Donal delivered a fantastic high energy hockey programme that saw the kids armed with gum-shields, shin guards and hockey sticks, participating a full range of fun skills activities each week. In the final few weeks they played mini matches to put their newly learned skills into practice. The boys showed huge enthusiasm and physical strength while the girls proved to be more tactical but equally as strong as their counterparts.
Dara remarked: ‘We witnessed many precision tackles, well-timed interceptions and, of course, well taken goals! Wexford Hockey Club would be delighted to welcome the new hockey players next season for another introductory session!’