Hockey in Sydney: The social side of the game

The Sport Lived hockey players in Sydney have been making the most of the
social activities organised by their hockey club. These have included a road
trip to Albury, on the New South Wales/Victoria border, where the players
participated in an Easter Weekend Hockey Tournament featuring teams from
Sydney, Melbourne and Albury.

Other club social events which the players have made the most of have
included a ‘New Players’ Night and a Pub Crawl through Sydney’s effervescent
and world-renowned nightlife.

 

Taran Evans in action for his club

Sport Lived Introductory Drinks in Sydney

Sport Lived recently sent a group of 29 prospective sports men, women and coaches to Sydney. Their tenure is set to last just over five months from 15 March through until 23 August. During their time in Sydney, the group will partake in sports such as hockey, rugby union, football and netball. We managed to get our hands on some of the photos from the ‘Introductory Drinks’ which were held at the Opera Bar in Sydney’s picturesque Circular Quay. Coincidentally, the date fell on St. Patrick’s Day which meant that there were two reasons to celebrate and as we can see the participants had a great night. This evening should be the start of what will be a memorable and thoroughly enjoyable programme for them all in Sydney 2009.

 

Hockey success in Melbourne

Congratulations to Vicky Hewitt whose hockey team in Melbourne won their Grand Final.  Vicky was instrumental in the Grand Final victory saving goals in the final strokes.

Victoria Hewitt with John Hickman in Melbourne

Vicky was so popular as a goalie and a person that when a family bereavement meant that she had to return to the UK during the season, the Women’s division at her club arranged a collection and paid for her airfare back to Melbourne. This was a terrific gesture by the club and very fitting that the investment helped the team to win their competition.

Commenting on the English players who joined the club this year, Women’s President Tom Hudson said “The players were great ambassadors for the UK and fitted in extremely well. The club enjoyed a great season and they were an integral part of our success”.

Hockey Tour to Albury

Over the Easter weekend, Sport Lived participants playing hockey in Sydney went on a pre-season tour with their club to Albury, a small city located on the border between New South Wales and Victoria. 

Hockey match during the Albury Hockey Carnival

During the 4 day trip the club played matches against other teams from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. The tour provided a great opportunity for players to impress before the start of the league season.  It also gave the Sport Lived players an opportunity to let their hair down, have some fun and get to know their new team mates. 

Fancy Dress Party at Albury

All of the players thoroughly enjoyed the trip which provided a great start to their hockey programme.

Representative Hockey Selections in Sydney

Congratulations to Matt Davey and Hannah Baker who were both selected to represent their hockey association at the Men’s and Women’s New South Wales State Championships.  Both players were nominated for the teams after performing well for their club’s first grade team this season.  Matt represented the Sydney Hockey Association whilst Hannah represented MacArthur.

Matt Davey (top row, 3rd from the right)

 

Each hockey association in NSW are represented at the Championships which were held over the long weekend in Sydney (7th/8th June).  The Men’s Championships were held in Grafton whilst the Women’s Championships were held in Tamworth. 

Hannah’s MacArthur team were knocked out at the group stage.  However in the Men’s competition, despite losing 9-3 to Illawarra in the group stage, the Sydney Hockey Association qualified for the semi final where they beat Newcastle.  In the final they got revenge over Illawarra beating them 5-2 to win the Championship. 

Commenting on the event Matt said “It was a thoroughly enjoyable weekend getting the opportunity to play with and against the state’s best players.  The final was great and it was fantastic that we won!”

Well done to Matt and Hannah!

Scotland U21 Selection

Congratulations to Tom Blyth who has been selected for the Scotland U21 Hockey Squad. Tom is currently studying at Loughborough University and went on a Sport Lived Hockey Programme to Sydney between March and August 2007. Looking back on his Sport Lived programme Tom said “I enjoyed a once in a lifetime opportunity to play against some of the best players in the world and also meet some great people during my time in Sydney. My game improved tremendously and I would encourage any young person to play hockey in Australia. It’s great for your hockey and it’s also a lot of fun!”

We wish Tom the best of luck for this Summer’s Euro Nations Tournament being held in Spain and the Celtic Cup taking place in August.

State Hockey Selection – Lucy Barrett

Lucy Barrett, a participant on our 2007 hockey programme to Melbourne, was fortunate enough to be selected for the Victorian U21 hockey squad. During her time in Melbourne Lucy played with one of the top clubs in the city. Prior to her departure she played for Slough Hockey Club and England U18s. We caught up with Lucy towards the end of programme to get her feedback on playing for Victoria and her time playing hockey in Melbourne.

How did you feel when you were selected for the Victorian U21 State Hockey Squad?

“Really really excited….being selected for any representative side is awesome but for it to be in Australia and obviously not your own country makes it that little bit better because it shows your ability can be appreciated in another part of the world! And Australians are pretty awesome internationally so I felt pretty special to be part of it a little bit!”

How did you find the experience of travelling to Adelaide and playing in the National Tournament?

“Travelling to Adelaide was great, because I have a routine in Melbourne and it was cool to go somewhere different and to play at a high level tournament. It was funny at the opening ceremony because they played the Aussie national anthem, I laughed with the girls about it afterwards how odd it was to sort of keep quiet and not sing along!”

Have you enjoyed playing with your club in Melbourne?/p>

“My hockey club been fantastic. The first team manager has been like a surrogate father to us British girls, made us feel at home, and would always be available if we required any help or assistance.  He came with me to all the Victorian state trials which was very kind. The other players are lovely, they are so welcoming and are a great laugh.”

Have you enjoyed living in Melbourne? What has the social scene been like?

“I’ve mainly socialised with other Sport Lived participants and people at the hockey club. Its been great, especially in the last couple of months when I’ve really got to know people.  Before that I was training with club twice a week and state 3 times a week and couldn’t get out much at weekends because I either had a match or training on the Sunday morning at 7am!! But now State has finished I’ve been out a bit more. We mainly went to bars and then we might lead on to a place where there was dancing.”

What has been the best part of your time in Australia?

“The best part of my time in Australia has been playing for Victoria U21’s and also going up to Central Australia for a week to do a bit of the outback, which was absolutely awesome you have to do it. The city centre accommodation provided by Sport Lived has been fantastic, so glad that we lived in the CBD. Melbourne is a great city and I know I’m definitely going to miss it.”

Finally, what would say to other people who are considering going on a Sport Lived Play Sport programme?

“Do it. You’ll have a hell of an experience and you’ll learn how sport in another country is played and it will make you a better player. I’ve enjoyed this experience so much and cannot wait to come back and do it all again after uni.” 

Emma Batten – Hockey in Melbourne

Sport Lived is committed to providing quality programmes for young people who are mad about sport – if you’re after fun in the sun whilst developing your existing skills further then this is the organisation for you!

One of our most popular destinations is the bustling, vibrant city of Melbourne, famous for its sporting prowess and laid-back, Aussie pace of life. As our current participants staying in Melbourne will tell you, it really is a spectacular city.

Emma Batten has been playing hockey in Melbourne and says the experience has far surpassed everything she had expected, “I really am having the best time and was telling my mum just the other day how I want to come and live here now. I think I’m going to find it just as hard leaving here, and all the friends I’ve made, as I found leaving home in the first place!”

Although Emma struggled with a bit of homesickness on her arrival in Oz, it didn’t take her long to settle in with the support of the specially selected clubs, “The Women’s President at my club has been the most welcoming person, he has been like a surrogate father to all of the people on the Sport Lived hockey programme. When we arrived, he took us down to Barwon Heads for the pre-season hockey bonding session. He has us round for dinner most Sundays and cooks us up a big roast so we still feel we’re part of a family, unbelievable person!’ Emma admits that this extra support provided on a Sport Lived programme was a welcome piece of reassurance for her parents back home, ‘They knew I had mentors out here who would be able to help me if I needed anything so it made them a lot happier about me going to the other side of the world on my own!’

 

Sport Lived organises most aspects of your year out so you won’t have to worry about living arrangements, finding a club and organising other tricky aspects of your stay, allowing you to concentrate on playing sport and having fun from the minute you arrive! Emma found this another aspect of Sport Lived’s appeal, “It was exactly what I was looking for as I could play Hockey, had accommodation set up and had people to do it all with. It was ideal.” Emma is living with other Sport Lived participants right in the centre of Melbourne, ‘The city is awesome, there is always stuff going on and it’s small so you can walk just about everywhere. There are so many suburbs close by as well that you can reach by train and plenty of good places to go out. Only now am I starting to discover many of them!” A Sport Lived programme also provides you with an excellent chance to mix with others and join in with the great social scenes at our specially selected clubs, “I’ve made a lot of friends in the team who I regularly go out with. There’s been a few social events planned by the club where loads of the teams turn up, the biggest night has been pub golf where about 40 people turned out! Even if something isn’t planned people will still go out, men’s and women’s teams, so there’s always something to do on a Saturday!”

As well as the fantastic social scene, the hockey club that Emma has been playing for has helped her develop her existing skills further, giving her an experience of the game that other players back home have never had, “They play a very different style of hockey out here so we have had to adapt, but it has meant I’ve learnt new skills and especially new tactics and a new way of thinking. It has definitely been a positive development! I think I will go back to England with a different way of looking at the game which I hope I will be able to pass on to members of my teams at home.”

“For me, this year out has been perfect. I couldn’t have asked for better planning, accommodation and club. It’s all worked out so well, I just wish I didn’t have to go home! I’ve done so many things I never would have done at home and enjoyed being so independent and having so much freedom, but it’s the people I’ve met and the friends I’ve made that have made this trip so awesome. I will be gutted to leave every one of them but I’m already planning my next trip out here!”

Craig McKee – Hockey in Sydney!

With Sport Lived’s fantastic hockey programmes you can experience the thrill of living in an amazing city on the other side of the world whilst playing the sport you love at a sociable, top quality club. This is an experience one of the participants on our hockey programme to Sydney, Craig McKee, will never forget, “Coming away to play hockey was the best experience of my life. I have met some incredible people and seen some amazing sights, and I wouldn’t have wanted to do it any other way.”

Craig played for one of the best clubs in Sydney during his time on the programme, “It has been the most welcoming, friendly and sociable club I have ever played for”, he says, “the standard of Hockey in Sydney is very high and the club as well as your team mates are always pushing you to improve and give 100% at every training and in every game you play. The best part of the hockey in Sydney is getting to play at the Olympic Park which is amazing when you are walking out onto the pitch from a proper dugout and looking up at a stand which is towering above you. Some of the teams in first grade even have Australian international hockey players in them and all of them have state players.”

The standard of hockey in Australia is something that Craig admits he wasn’t used to back home. With experience at school and a Midlands Division 1 club level, Craig decided he wanted to take the next step up and play for an overseas club, “Whilst looking on the internet I came across the Sport Lived website and this gave me everything I was looking for. The programme they enabled me to play hockey in a different country and also gave me the security of always having someone to talk to if I was worried or needed help with anything. This was perfect for me so the motivation to come on the programme came automatically.”

Craig lived with other Sport Lived participants in city centre apartments, “I couldn’t ask for anything more from Sport Lived, our apartments are 2 minutes walk away from the central station and two minutes from all the main backpacker bars. The accommodation is clean and modern with internet connection, TV and DVD player. It is the kind of place I hope to live in when I’m older!” The living arrangements meant Craig was able to socialise and enjoy the awesome nightlife in Sydney from the start with his flatmates as well as his club, “every night out in Sydney turns into something I will be talking about for the rest of my life”, he admits. He even managed to see more of this wonderfully diverse, beautiful country by travelling up the Gold Coast with his room mates during his spare time.

Craig felt welcome at his new club from the moment he arrived, “Every member of the club came and introduced themselves at the first training session and from then on have helped us with everything we’ve needed and made sure we know about every social event that was happening. This made my time in Sydney very easy and allowed me to have as much fun as I could from the start. The people at the club would do anything for you, I have made many lifelong friends here and they became my family whilst I was away from home.” As well as the support network offered by such a welcoming club, Craig was able to enjoy developing his hockey skills further, giving him a really positive sense of development on his return home, “Playing hockey in Sydney has helped me improve my skills dramatically through the excellent coaching and being able to train with the first grade players who help and encourage you through each session.” Of course the social scene has been very important too, “There have been so many different events such as pub crawls, trivia nights, karaoke nights and a pre-season hockey tour to Albury which was amazing”

If you are after a gap year like Craig’s that allows you to develop as a sportsperson as well as an individual, look no further than one of our unique Hockey programmes. We will cater for any ability and ensure you are matched with a club that best suits your needs, as well as providing fantastic accommodation and mentor support, on-hand whenever you need it.