This youth hockey tournament was the first event held at Hamble in over three years due to recent challenges, such as the COVID pandemic and declining interest in club sports. However, Sunday proved that there is still enthusiasm for grassroots hockey thanks to the successes of the England and GB Hockey teams.

After observing a two minutes silence of Remembrance, 14 teams consisting of kids aged from six to eleven, played a round robin of 10-minute matches and scored a whopping 175 goals between them!

Scott Simper, Youth Section Coach, said, “It was an absolute pleasure to host a wonderful tournament full of future hockey stars. After the COVID break, it’s refreshing to see so many kids back enjoying the sport that we all love.”

Hamble Hockey Club, which has been part of the local community since 1958, is purely self-funded but sadly faces a challenging future with mounting costs for replacing the ageing and unreliable floodlights and rundown dugouts. Fundraising has started in earnest, and they are looking for club sponsors, partnerships and donations to help raise the funds urgently needed.

“It was brilliant to see so many members of Hamble Hockey Club giving their time today to provide the hockey stars of tomorrow with such a fantastic under 8s and under 10s tournament! Let’s continue with this enthusiasm to start raising the funds we need to continue the success of our amazing Hamble Hockey Family” Club Captain, Paul Barber.