Royal Russell Hockey: Yrs 5&6 Boys
Hockey’s one of those winter sports that is rarely called off in bad weather, so I for one, was absolutely delighted with the glorious sunshine Royal Russell ordered this afternoon!
Taking 33 boys to play hockey on a Thursday afternoon was a big task, but with the help of Luke and some generous parents who gave up their afternoon to escort your sons and support them; some of Honeywell’s Yr 5&6 boys had a wonderful afternoon playing hockey on full sized astro pitches. We split into four teams, playing the Red & Green teams first. These boys have played a fair amount of hockey both in and out of school, and it showed, with the Red Team winning 4-1, some beautiful passes across the pitch from Jack down the wings, straight into the D’s and goals from Max (2), Matthieu and Sam B.
The Greens also dominated to take the win 5-0, with goals from Will (2), Mathis, Fred, Edward, and showcased great communication and defence, not allowing Royal Russell to take the ball far in the attacking D. What was beautiful to see was that these boys warmed up together, leading themselves as a team and working out their formations, based on the hockey knowledge they have. They took a moment at half time to follow the suggestions made by their team mates, and generally ran the fixture themselves – great work boys!
Not only that but when our Pink and Blue teams took to the pitch to play, Max and Noah coached the Pinks, giving them clear direction on where to stand, how to pass, and encouraging them to continue, even though Royal Russell dominated the goal scoring, Honeywell’s Team improved in the second half, with more balls being passed towards the goal, although none quite hitting the target.
Our Blue Team was coached by Rhett and Tom, who took to encouraging them and giving them a clear team talk at half time, which ensured that in the second half Ellis & Philip scored two goals, to bring the scoreline to a respectable 2-4.
Moments of pride today came from:
- hockey taught in lessons and at squad training, coming to the forefront on the enormous pitch (and for those new to hockey, football formations being put into play with sticks and a smaller ball)!
- the excellent behaviour that the boys demonstrated whilst travelling on public transport
- the leadership showed by a number of the boys who stepped up to lead their respective teams (off their own initiative) explaining what each boy was responsible for in their role - even those who haven't played much hockey took parallels from football, and gathered their teams in for a quick briefing pre-match
- the manners shown when thanking Royal Russell for their match 'tea' and at the end of the day, when being dispatched to parents, the boys came over to thank us for taking them.
Steve Jones, parent and Wayfarers HC Coach, took the opportunity to ensure our players who had finished their matches, were kept busy with some great mini hockey games, and all the boys agreed that this was a great chance to learn, and for some demonstrate exceptional Sports Leadership qualities, topped off with some fine cake, biscuits and squash!
