SALM TEAM 
Kingswood College in Makhanda hosted a clinic on Mandela Day for two local primary schools as part of the SPAR Eastern Cape Schoolgirls Hockey Challenge’s new Adopt-a-School programme.
Established schools have used the platform this year to help grow the sport at lower-quintile places of learning by offering training sessions and the use of their facilities as well as donating much-needed hockey equipment.
Kingswood’s first-team hockey girls ran most of the session, where learners from St Mary’s Primary and Grahamstown Primary were introduced to the fundamentals of the game.
The youngsters also received 40 hockey sticks, more than 30 balls and goalkeeping kit from Kingswood.
Head of hockey Jason Maclachlan said the college enjoyed an excellent relationship with both junior schools and had partnered with them on community engagements previously.
“During the clinic I set out the drills to teach the learners the basics – pushing the ball, dribbling, shooting skills, spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination,” he said.
Most of St Mary’s U13 girls have experience of the game thanks to their relationship with the college, while Grahamstown Primary’s hockey programme is still in its infancy.
Kingswood also treated the visiting pupils to platters of sandwiches and biscuits and kept them hydrated with juice.
“It was a fantastic day,” Maclachlan said.
“We were just shy of 40 players in all. They had an awesome time even if it was a bit windy.”
The girls running the session took the learners through their warm-up routine by doing Shakira’s “Waka Waka” dance.
Kingswood had previously donated sticks to the schools but presenting them with newer equipment would help them further their respective programmes, Maclachlan added.
He thanked SPAR EC for funding the event and Kingswood’s players for their dedication to helping others develop their skills.
Keanon Geldenhuys, organiser of the Schoolgirls Hockey Challenge in the province, praised the institutions that had bought into the Adopt-a-School initiative.
“It’s been massive for the transfer of skills. This competition can’t be spoken about enough.”
SPAR EC advertising manager Roseann Shadrach said the programme had laid the foundation to be a legacy project.
“It has the potential to uncover hidden gems in our region that go completely unnoticed due to their lack of exposure to hockey at this level,” she said.
“We anticipate that this initiative will have a snowball effect and that schools will latch on to it even outside the realms of the Hockey Challenge.
She said it had been a “privilege and joy” for SPAR EC to make a meaningful contribution to the sport.
The retailer had been part of the competition for eight years in the province, enriching communities by supporting the development of schoolgirls hockey, she added.
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