Training plan continues to expand

THE Collins Stewart Schools Outreach Programme is proving to be a roaring success. The brainchild of the Guernsey hockey development team, the scheme has been growing steadily since it began in January last year.

Originally only four schools were involved, but now 12 have joined up this season and more than 500 Year 5 and Year 6 children have benefited from the coaching of Phil Roussel and Sally Bushell.

They go out to the schools where the sessions are designed to teach the basics and to give the children a taste of hockey.

It was Vale Junior who finished on top of the autumn outreach programme tournament.

The scheme goes hand in hand with

the Sunday morning one at the Guernsey Hockey Club at Foote's Lane.

'It's going really well,' said the island's hockey development officer, Becky Hubbard.

'We're now getting more kids coming down on Sundays. Last year we were getting 80 and now we're getting more than 120 kids, which can't be bad.

'It is an impressive sight to see the children stringing a series of passes together, when only weeks earlier many had never even picked up a hockey stick.'

For information, call the hockey development office on 259553.