Posted on: 24 October 2023
Whether you are looking to fuel your competitive spirit or find a friendly, sociable environment to get active in; hockey clubs provide a wide variety of activities that will match your aspirations, experiences, and lifestyle. Here you will find a concise overview of the range of programmes on offer for adults and juniors in hockey and the basic equipment you will need to get going.
We understand that a whole hockey kit can cost a lot especially if you are a new starter to the game. Often clubs or individual players carry spare sticks, so to get started you don’t need to break the bank on a full kit. However, we would advise you purchase your own set of shin pads and gum shield. Having the proper PPE is key to your safety whilst playing which will allow you to get the most enjoyable possible out of a session. Outside of these essentials, purchasing your own additional protection like a left-hand glove and specific hockey footwear would also be advised.
Obviously, a stick is an essential part of your hockey equipment once you have decided to continue playing this great game and if you are looking to purchase a new stick, we would suggest reading our guide to finding the right stick.
Adult Hockey
Every club is unique, and we would advise contacting a club prior to attending a session. When contacting a club it is important to gauge what programmes they offer, the equipment they can provide (especially for new/returning players) and other aspect that may be important to you like; social events and membership options.
You can use England Hockey’s Find a Club search, to help you find your local club.
Vitality Back to Hockey
Back to hockey sessions are aimed at those who have never played hockey before or haven’t played for many years. The sessions are fun, social and informal and take place in a friendly and relaxed environment. If you are a little apprehensive or worried about starting a new sport, the back to hockey coaches with offer a gentle guide through a series of fun and interactive sessions aimed at developing individual skills and small sided friendly games. Many clubs run Back to Hockey sessions to meet up and socialise and some even offer coffee and cakes afterwards.
You can find your local Back to Hockey session here.
Walking Hockey
These sessions provide a less physically demanding form of the sport we all love. Walking hockey is perfect for players who are still looking to stay physically active no matter their age, health or ability and be involved in the team and social element that provides..
If you think Walking Hockey is right for you, you can find sessions in your area here.
Junior Hockey
Many schools run hockey within their curriculum, and this can be a fantastic introduction to the sport. However, if you do not have hockey available through your school, clubs also run junior training in many different forms and for many different abilities.
There are many variations of junior hockey, but most clubs develop the skills of the game through small-sided games and competitions. Quicksticks and In2Hockey are two forms of this, where juniors compete in 4-a-side and 6-a-side games and competitions, building up towards their first taste of 11-a-side hockey. Often referred to as Badger or Vixens, some clubs offer the opportunity for juniors to play 11-a-side competitive hockey in teams mainly made up of mixed of boys and girls under the age of 16 with up to two senior players to help support the team whilst coaching important skills and aiding the group to become effective team players.
Like in senior hockey, each club is unique and will set up their junior programmes in a way that best suits the resources they have, regarding members, equipment, coaches, and session time. We would again recommend that you contact any club prior to attending session, to find out what is on offer for junior players at their club.
Hockey Heroes
This programme is another form of junior hockey on offer. Hockey Heroes is an eight-week programme intended for beginners in the 5-8 age range. The programme doesn’t just focus on developing hockey skills such as dribbling, passing, and finishing but also look at developing teamwork, communication, and respect; in a fun environment created to make the kids feel like heroes.
When you book onto your first course you will get a hockey heroes equipment pack with everything you will need for the sessions.
You can find the next Hockey Heroes course here.
Disability Inclusive Hockey – Flyerz
Flyerz Hockey is the name given to all disability Inclusive Hockey across the UK and concentrates on having fun, learning new skills, making friends and living a healthy lifestyle. Flyerz started in 2012 alongside the London Paralympic Games with support from access sport, England hockey and UK deaf sport. Flyerz is a continually growing format of the game and to find your local session. Use the England Hockey ‘Find a Club’ page above to locate your local club running Flyerz sessions.
Using these tips will help you kick start your hockey journey and we hope to see you in-store soon. In the meantime, why not check in on the new products on our website?
