Hi Everyone in the Southland Hockey Community

We hope this update finds you all safe and well and your bubble is finding creative ways to keep busy (with some hockey too!).

Covid-19 Impacts for Hockey Southland

The immediate impact for Hockey in Southland has been the cancellation of our coaching programmes notably at Year 5 & 6, U13, U15 and U18 level, holiday programmes, our small sticks deliveries in schools and our U18 Rep Trial’s.

The focus for Hockey Southland is around the Alert levels and what can be delivered, competitions and what these might look like, the safe use of facilities and sustainable financial operations. We are also helping the Invercargill Turf Trust to look at how their turf project can be moved forward in the current situation and into the future.

National Hockey Response

Hockey is working closely together throughout the country holding regular meetings and collective discussions at various levels to make sure we can respond in a sustainable and meaningful fashion. There are still a lot of unknowns so we will all need to be patient while we work through this situation.

Hockey in NZ has initially dealt with the more crisis management issues that Covid-19 presented and is now moving forward with the unique challenges around what our sport will look like post Covid-19. This situation is ever changing so a little history and the information below should provide some clarity.

On the 18^th of March Hockey NZ along with all the associations came to the decision that ALL hockey activity would be postponed until the 2^nd May. This start date has now been reviewed and it is unlikely that it will be possible to start then. A potential new start date has not been set as the situation changes too rapidly. What we do know however is that Community Club Hockey will be the focus.

The Alert levels describe what kind of hockey activities can take place. Hockey NZ along with Sport NZ and various government officials are working to produce a document outlining what each of the Alert levels mean specifically for hockey. At Alert level 3 nothing changes for hockey and we will not be able to get started when we move to there. More will come out about these levels soon.

Hockey Southland is working on formats and competition structures we could put in place depending on the length of the season we might have. In conjunction with Sport Southland and the other sports codes we are working on how the summer and winter codes can work together to allow the winter codes to have some sort of season. We are also formulating how we will be able to use both the turfs and pavilions at the lower Alert levels when it will be safer to get back to hockey.

We will be reaching out to members to get your thoughts on what a meaningful hockey activity would look like for you and urge everyone to stay in touch with their clubs especially through some social media antics and banter.

Working differently and growing from this situation will be key. Hockey NZ was already working on online tools and resources for coaches and umpires and we look forward to sharing these with you when they are released. Hockey Southland is also looking at what we can do differently in this space as well.

Representative Hockey

The cancellation of all rep hockey for 2020 would have been a huge disappointment to a lot of you and it was not a decision made lightly by Hockey NZ and the associations. This cancellation was based on the premise that Club hockey should be the focus for the year with as many people getting back to playing as possible. As rep hockey is quite a financial undertaking for associations and players this decision takes pressure off disposable incomes post Covid-19.

The U18 and NHC tournaments are to be held at the same scheduled venues in 2021. The U13 and U15 tournaments have now finished at a national level. Hockey Southland is working with other southern associations to see what might be possible in the way of regional rep hockey for 2020.

A decision around Secondary School hockey tournaments to be held during tournament week is expected in early May.

#hockeyfamily

We miss hockey as much as you do along with all the benefits and enjoyment that it brings us.

We look forward to seeing you all, so stay safe, be kind and follow the rules so that we can all meet up and play again as soon as we can!!

Article added: Friday 17 April 2020