Hanging in there
Last weekend saw some good wins for the L1 (4-1 v Chiswick), the M6 (2-1 v Brom Becks) and also for the Kidds with the U12 girls and boys both winning 3 of their matches at the weekend (report below). With leagues coming to a close there are lots of important points to fight for this weekend across the club, please do try and stay to watch the team after you or come earlier before your match to support and be that all important 12th man. As we look ahead there are also some important reminders about EOSD and summer leagues as well as notes on the Women in officiating network, sponsorship and England Hockey Equality, Diversity and Inclusion survey.
Note from the Co-Chairs
As the end of season looms we just want to say a huge thanks to all the players and organisers hanging in there. It’s been a tough year results wise but the support and camaraderie across the club has been nothing short of inspiring. Let’s make the most of our remaining games before doing what we do best: P.A.R.T.Y. Undoubtedly there’ll be team socials left, right and centre - Smithy attending them all - and a cracking End of Season Dinner to wrap it all up, so let’s see the season out in style.
Sponsorship/Partnerships
Looking ahead to next season we’re facing increased running costs so have formed a new sponsorship team to help keep fees low and provide great deals for our members. If your employer has a corporate social responsibility budget that aligns with what we do (Back2Hockey, Kidds, Mental/Physical Health, Sport in Tower Hamlets etc) or know a business who might be interested in sponsoring a team/event please do let us know. Additionally, if there’s a business who provides a product/service that’s of interest to our players (performance/social focused) then let us know so we can reach out to see if we can partner for great deals.
Wapping Kidds weekend review
Last weekend U8, U12s and the U14 girls teams all in action across London.
The U8 squad, coached by lead coach Raj and junior coach Akash, produced an impressive performance and showed huge improvements from their pre-Christmas tournament. The day included lots of goals scored, amazing skills on show, 2 very happy coaches and lots of grinning U8s.
Next the U14 girls were away at Honor Oak. Featuring the ever present 10 year old Leo W, the 7 outfield players won 2, drew 1 and lost 1 against very strong opposition. 3 of their number play in the ladies' sides and the experience they have gained really showed, coach Liv Shears was particularly impressed with the structure and their fearlessness facing short corners with no goal keeper.
Both U12 teams were in the London Plate competition. The U12 girls, away at Blackheath, played 5 matches in the pool, losing the first 2 but getting stronger through the competition to win 2 and draw one, putting them in the playoff for 5/6th place. Losing eventually to a very tall (!) Wayfarers team, the girls came away satisfied that they had put their best into the tournament. Two very happy coaches, Alan D and Sandra A, are confident that this team, most of whom are still U11, have a good base to build on next season.
Finally the U12 boys trekked to Battersea Park for their Plate competition. They were strong from the start, comfortably beating all 5 teams in their group to make the playoff. A very competitive final, for a place in the England Hockey Plate finals ensued, with Wapping conceding a goal in the dying minutes. Coach Grant A notes "Been a while since I’ve coached that group and the talent we have there is very exciting!"
A huge thanks to all who traveled, and particularly to the team managers and umpires Alan D and Alex L who came to Blackheath and Battersea and made everything flow.
Summer leagues sign up
Wapping Hockey Club runs London's biggest corporate summer league, the City and Wharf Hockey League, which is back for 2023! It starts from the last week of April and runs to August, including hog roast/6-a-side tournament and black tie EOSD.
To sign-up to play for one of the Wapping teams, please fill out this form.
Corporate teams frequently need players to fill last-minute holes, and we will be running a ringers' list again. Sign-up for that on the form, and join the WhatsApp group (we promise to keep it focused!) here.
Additionally, If you/your company are thinking about entering a team please email cityandwharfhockeyleague@gmail.com.
Women in Hockey Officiation Network
The Women in Hockey Officiation Network is a pioneering initiative for women in hockey who officiate, whatever level to feel supported as part of a community.
The first event was held on Monday and brought together umpires of all levels across the London network. The session was great and revealed some shocking statistics on how the number of female umpires decreases significantly as you move through the leagues to national league. Unfortunately, some of this decline is due to abuse given to umpires.
The network was shown various hockey incidents including players throwing sticks and reacting to umpiring decisions as well side-line commentary/abuse. In small groups we debated how we would deal with the situation. These responses were shared with the group and we had feedback from international umpires and umpire coaches and assessors on how they would respond or defuse the situation. The most important part I took away from the session was the escalation process and the responsibilities of the captain.
If you would like to sign up to be part of the network click here.
Please remember that we need umpires to play hockey each week. Recently there have been a number of London clubs cited for umpire abuse or misconduct and umpires are being asked to report anything of concern. We are all responsible for treating umpires with respect. We all need to encourage new people into officiating as well as supporting our umpires to progress and achieve their qualifications. We are currently working on a program to increase and support our fabulous umpires, if you would like to find out more please contact Josh Dawson, our ULO.
End of Season Dinner
There are just two weeks left to buy tickets for the EOSD, taking place on the 22nd April. The deadline to buy tickets is the 7th April so make sure you don’t miss out. Tickets can be bought on the website here.
If being the team with the biggest turn out is the competitive nudge you need to buy a ticket then have a look at the graph below to see which teams are currently lagging behind!
Fixtures this week
Lee Valley
10:00 - L5 v Tulse Hill and Dulwich 4 (pitch 1)
11:30 - M3 v Surbiton 3 (pitch 2)
13:00 - M4 v Richmond 2 (pitch 1)
14:30 - L2 v Surbiton 3 (pitch 1)
John Orwell
11:10 - M8 v East London 5
14:00 - M10 v London Royals 2
15:30 - M6 v Tulse Hill & Dulwich 3
Away
10:30 - L4 v Winchmore Hill & Enfield 1
11:30 - L3 v Ashford 1
12:30 - M7 v Wanderers 5
13:00 - M9 v London Royals 3
13:30 - L1 v Wanderers 1
13:30 - M5 v West Herts 2
13:40 - M2 v West Hampstead 1
15:30 - L6 v Tulse Hill and Dulwich 5
Sunday 19th
14:00 - M1 v Indian Gymkhana
Dragon Hockey Discount Codes
Must use THIS LINK and the following codes to receive discounts!
Sticks: 20% off with code WAPPING20
Bags & Accessories: 20% off with code 20CLUBBAGS
Clothing: 10% off with code 10CLUBCLOTHES
