HOCKEY PROGRAM

Our aim is to develop young players in the South-West region and teach skills, strategies, and game sense to maximise enjoyment of the hockey experience and prepare the players for senior hockey and/or participation in representative teams.

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The initial program was incredibly promising, with talent from across the region training fortnightly across the Summer season at Ballarat, Warrnambool, and Hamilton. 18 athletes were selected for the program, which emphasised development of technical skills, decision making and strategies to manipulate the opponent to create more manageable situations on the field.

Over the duration of the program the coaching staff saw an encouraging improvement across the group in all areas. The training sessions were tough, with the group often battling the heat and learning new concepts under fatigue and in a competitive environment. 

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We are eagerly awaiting the second year of our program and, after Covid-19 cancelled the winter hockey season, we know the group will be raring to go and determined to build on the initial foundations completed in our first year. In the meantime SWAS has implemented a bridging program for emerging hockey athletes, see below for further details. 

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Program Delivery 

The 2022 program has been designed to work around the winter season of hockey, supporting athletes in the lead up to major tournaments  and dates including state championships, national tournament selections and draft camps ran by Hockey Victoria's high performance team. 

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All players must meet the following criteria to be eligible for the 2022 program.

• Me a Hockey Victoria member affiliated with a club in the South West of Victoria 

• Have a positive attitude and a willingness to learn

• Be competing in Hockey Victoria competition and seasons 

• Posses a desire to progress along the HV junior pathway, which can be found here

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Benefits to Athletes

• Access to practical coaching and education sessions ran by the head of HV's High Perfomance team 

• All sessions are developed by the head of HV's High Perfomance team to shape player qualities and skills to what current elite and high level coaches seek within state and national squads 

• Improved levels of coach knowledge and delivery in regional settings

• Musculoskeletal screening – conducted by qualified Exercise Physiologists to guide S&C programming and sports specific training 

• Access to strength and conditioning sessions in a facility in the athlete’s shire over the course of the program, sessions are ran by qualified strength and conditioning coaches 

• Education sessions delivered by industry professionals- including injury prevention, recovery, nutrition, sports psychology and specific much more 

• Sports psychology sessions with a qualified sports psychologist

• Skill development and planning with accredited coaches 

• Sports science fitness testing used to inform S&C and sports specific training over the course of the program 

• Practical and online sessions that develop the “whole of an athlete’ both in and out of competition – a sport/school/life balance, leadership, goal setting, development of support structures and systems

• SWAS will support state and national athletes for travel and accomodation to tournaments subject to funding from the Victorian Government Pathway Travel Grant