Hockey youngsters can’t wait to get out there!

Kids have been cooped up inside for far too long, be it in their homes during lockdown or in their classrooms all day. Moments of actively playing outside were few and far between. Though certain sports have returned to schools albeit with restrictions, there’s still a lot to make up for.

This is where Khosa’s after-school club sport comes in, filling that gap left in sport-craving children’s lives.

This year, Khosa Mini and Junior Hockey have taken great strides to reshape their club in many ways to bring Krugersdorp hockey to the next level. They’ve recently appointed new coaches for almost all their teams, and various executive committee members to steer the club in a new direction.

Deon du Toit has been at the helm for about 18 years and has helped to make the club what it is today, but feels it’s time to hand over the reins to someone who could bring fresh ideas to the table. Joze Mestre will be the chairperson for both the mini and junior divisions, bringing with him years of hockey experience.

“We’re now suddenly allowed to play and have seen that there is a massive need among the kids who want to get out and play,” Deon explained.

They’re jumping in head-first, working hard to fill their teams, which means taking in a whole lot of new players. Hockey players from all schools in the area are welcome to join, play alongside new teammates and pick up on some skills they might not get a chance to learn in their school’s hockey team. Khosa’s goal is to teach world-class methods while keeping the game relaxed and fun to participate in.

Things are bound to change, though. Where they usually played multiple round-robin tournaments with about 1 500 players participating on a given day, they’re now looking to have only 200 players spread out over large areas on the field for derby-style hockey games. They’ll also be reducing the number of players on the field, with teams of only five or six players per side.

A few weeks ago they’ve held a round-robin over a period of four weeks, which was a big success. Teams were kept small, kids were placed in teams at random to spread the social aspect of the game, and Krugersdorp High School, Monument High School and Hoërskool Noordheuwel each had an input in running the games.

Khosa Hockey held its open day on Saturday, 27 March and training is set to start soon. Practice for the mini side, that is the U/5 to U/11 players, is every Saturday, and junior players, from U/13 to U/17 will train on Tuesdays or Wednesdays.

Players will be divided into different teams at random every week. “It’s more fun hockey than competitive. We want to develop the inter-social aspect of the game,” Joze said.

For more information, visit www.minihockey.co.za.