The Twins learn to play hockey with Hockey Heroes #AD

Hockey Heroes is a new initiative started by Hockey England, which aims to get more young children into hockey. Aimed at children aged 5-8 years, Hockey Heroes is a 6 week programme which teaches children fundamental hockey skills. These hockey skills are broken down into hockey “super powers”, with a new super power being taught each week. This course is a gateway to other hockey clubs for children, which they can go on to join once they’ve mastered the basic hockey skills.

My 7 year old twins, affectionately known as Tiny and Fluffy, enrolled in this course for the Autumn 2019 sessions. I am honestly blown away by how much they have learnt and how well they’ve taken to hockey in just 6 weeks. So much so, that we are going to pay for them to do the second part of the course, which starts in March 2020.

Before the Hockey Heroes training began, the twins were sent a starter kit each. Each starter kit included:

• Two children’s sized hockey sticks (plastic ones, as they are safer for young children to use)
• One lightweight hollow hockey ball (again – safer than a regular hockey ball)
• A high quality Hockey Heroes branded t-shirt, personalised with their names
• Stickers to decorate their sticks

The starter kits got the children excited about learning to play hockey, before they’d even arrived at their first session.

Each Hockey Heroes session is taught by carefully selected “Hockey Champions”. The children all seemed to love the Gloucester Hockey Champions, Kim and Kalena; they were both patient and professional in coaching the heroes their new super powers.

Parents are encouraged to take part at the beginning of each session, where the children have a little free-time with the sticks and balls. There was such a lovely atmosphere as all the parents were helping and cheering on each others children. The children were also taught resilience as play continued in wind, rain, thunder and hail, but just look at those proud happy faces!

Every session is one hour long and focusses on a different skill. At the end of each hour, the children are given a sticker (which goes on their hockey stick) to recognise that they’ve mastered their new hockey super power. The skills that were covered over the first six week course were:

• Dribbling
• Passing
• Teamwork
• Goal scoring
• Inner superpower
• Outer superpower

After each session, parents receive a “Club Spark” email, which talks about what the children have learnt in that lesson. It also gives tips and advice on activities you can do at home with your children, to help them practice their new skills.

I loved the superhero focus of Hockey Heroes as this doubles as positive reinforcement and adds an additional element of fun and empowerment to the sessions.

Hockey is a really inclusive sport, which welcomes children of all shapes, sizes and fitness levels. Hockey Heroes don’t expect children to have any experience as they teach all the necessary skills needed. This sport also allows children to make new friends, outside of their school circle, as well as getting them active and building confidence as they unlock their inner character and physical superhero powers.

I am amazed at how much my twins learnt in just 6 weeks and they thoroughly enjoyed Hockey Heroes. It taught them a whole new skill set to what they’d learn in their existing hobbies. I would absolutely recommend Hockey Heroes to any parent.

Hockey Heroes is a great value, low-commitment opportunity for children to try a new sport. It costs only £32 for the 6-week course and is really easy to register online at www.hockeyheroes.co.uk.