Ex National League player settles in

BECKY HUBBARD was an obvious choice as Guernsey's first hockey development officer. Her love of the sport coupled with her impressive CV made her a natural for the job and the timing of her family's arrival in the island was the icing on the cake.

Having been in Guernsey for a little under a year now, the Hubbards came to these shores just before the job was advertised.

'When we moved over here I saw the advert and thought: ?I have got to have a go for that?,' Hubbard said. 'I have got quite a lot of experience coaching, playing and in administration so that stood me in good stead.

Hubbard took up the position in the middle of November, which she admitted was not the best time to start as it was in the middle of the season, but she is steadily finding her feet, helped by development coach Phil Roussel. Their projects are aided by sponsorship from Collins Stewart and Pricewater-houseCoopers.

The aims they have set for this season include establishing a communication network as well as under-13 development sessions and taster sessions for school Years 5 and 6. There is also a focus on the inaugural Guernsey Sports Commission Youth Games sponsored by Specsavers.

All these initial projects are part of Hubbard's mandate: 'To promote hockey in areas where it is lacking and improve the quality and quantity of hockey available to those people.'

The key word that the development officer regularly refers to is 'opportunities'.

Her colleague Roussel is doing important foundation work with the junior school children, giving youngsters a start in the sport.

'It is a start. Phil is going in doing all the basics and the ones that are interested will pick it up fairly quickly,' Hubbard said.

The under-13 programme has seen secondary schools asked to nominate two girls and two boys to attend the Friday afternoon sessions.

'We are trying to increase participation where we feel there are shortfalls rather than initially taking the cream of the crop, who already get a lot of hockey, and striving for excellence,' said Hubbard.

However, in the future they will look to link into the England international set-up, which gives the opportunity for juniors to be assessed by top coaches in the hope of finding and developing future internationals.

Next season there is the possibly of zone hockey, a version of the game for those with disabilities, being introduced to the island. Hubbard has experience of the initiative from when she worked for England Hockey.

'Hopefully next season we can try and create some networks there. They are perhaps one of the groups that miss out on playing hockey.'

Also in the pipeline is a level two coaching award course, which Hubbard is looking to hold next autumn.

It holds a major significance because those people with a level one coaching award will be entitled to be only an assistant coach from 2007 meaning that they may not lead any hockey sessions unless accompanied by a level two coach or higher.

This is all part of the plan to create a coach database. Hubbard is very eager to progress those who already have qualifications and encouraging others who have yet to complete an award.

'At the Sunday morning sessions that are open to anyone up to 14 years old, we have a lot of parents who volunteer to help out and that's great. If we can progress some of them through the coach education scheme, then that's even better,' she said.

Hubbard emphasised, though, that her role was not about inducing wholesale changes and taking over control of all activities that are currently in place concerning hockey development.

'We do not want to fix something that's not broken. We just want to expand on the great work that has been done so far.'