Hooking into hockey

Feb 25, 2022

Hockey is back: GVHA action is heating up. Photo by Holly Daniel

Hockey action is looming large on the horizon once more — and excitement is building across the region.

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McEwen Reserve’s unmissable expanses of ‘Smurf Turf’ have hosted plenty of big hockey matches over the years, but the most important clashes are those that happen every weekend.

Junior hockey games are the building blocks upon which the association stands, and once again plenty of time and effort is being put in behind the scenes to make them happen smoothly.

“Being able to see the kids go out there and have fun after the last couple of years of stop-start sport is really rewarding,” Goulburn Valley Hockey Association president Cameron Druitt said.

“Building on participation at all levels is a huge part of the puzzle when it comes to regional sporting associations, and ours is no different.”

The GVHA has introduced indoor hockey as a new offering and is currently running ‘come and try’ sessions on Monday nights at the Visy Community Centre through to the end of March.

Plenty of Hookin2Hockey sessions with local school groups have also been hosted in the early stages of the year, helping introduce new players to the sport.

“It’s important to get kids into the sport who have never played before,” Cameron said.

“We have lots of families who have been playing for generations, but kids who haven’t picked up a stick before love it just as much as those who have had one since they could walk.”

The GVHA offers a safe pathway into the sport at a local level, and prides itself on keeping fees as low as possible.

And once players have gotten the hang of the action, the sky is the limit — highlighted by the recent induction of association stalwarts Mathew Higgins and Connor Holland into the Greater Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame.

“The association can help with equipment to get kids started, and we feel we offer competitive fees when compared with other sports,” Cameron said.

“Representative hockey, especially at the junior level, gives kids such a confidence boost and there’s plenty of opportunities to experience that across the season.”