Gav Adair looks back on the Colts’ 2018-2019 season
As the season draws to a close and Easter holidays loom this felt like the right time to summarise another fantastic season at the Colts. We were privileged to host the Lady Mayoress and three of our local councillors at the club on the last day of the season, taking the opportunity to thank them for their support and show them our wonderful new facilities and burgeoning junior section. I particularly enjoyed chatting to Janet, who was with us in her capacity as a councillor last week but previously visited us as Mayor some five years ago when our junior section was in its infancy. Our conversations certainly brought into sharp focus what a long way we have come in such a relatively short space of time. As an aside I was delighted to watch Hannah Garghouti pick up her 11-a-side U-11 player of the year award, remembering fondly days spent trying to entertain one of our then very young founder members!
Some stats and results for the season just gone:
- 500 members at age levels from school year 1 to 11. Many have already graduated to our senior teams and its great to have players representing us at county level at various age groups for both boys and girls. We do have a waiting list, a matter of some personal regret but strongly feel we are better to restrict numbers than let coaching quality or playing time and space suffer.
- 70+ volunteer coaches all of whom have completed safeguarding training and are DBS checked
- Fielded 30 plus teams across various age and gender groups in matches and festivals – U-7s through to U-16s
- Two leagues won – our U14G Tornadoes and U14G Hurricanes. Some hugely respectable results by all teams against good calibre oppositions
- U10 Girls Surrey Cup runners up – now in the regionals the first weekend in May at Surbiton.
- Surrey Cup & Plate Competitions have been tough with penalty shoot outs and close scores knocking us out in latter stages in many other age groups
- Supported a number of our future coaches through their Duke of Edinburgh awards
But none of these stats matter as much as the atmosphere at the club and the palpable enjoyment of the kids in our charge. This is a result of, and a testament to, the attitude and interest of the kids themselves and of course to the support and involvement of their parents and guardians. But more than anything it is thanks to those aforementioned coaches and volunteers, paid and unpaid who commit so much time on and off the pitch to develop a love for hockey and talent for hockey in equal
measure.
Thank you all and forgive me the indulgence of a few specific ‘thank yous’, which in no way undervalue the efforts of those not Individually listed. In no particular order
- Thank you to Emma Robinson, our admin and fixtures secretary who has supported the committee for several seasons. It’s not easy to support a volunteer committee – I can at least speak for the Chair in saying reminders are needed on occasion! – but she has done it with patience and good humour and helped us make significant strides forward in our organisation and processes. Emma is stepping down next season so if you may be interested in this supporting role please do let me know, albeit a separate email will be coming out to our email distribution list with this and other roles we are recruiting for next year
- Thanks too to Emma Lynn who runs our kit desk at the club for hours every week. It’s in no small part to her that we usually win the best dressed club award wherever we go!
- Next up, thank you to our Director of Hockey, George Pettit who has implemented a new overarching structure with further changes to come next year. Much of the credit for the improved consistency of structure of our play must go to him
- Thanks too the to the redoubtable Kate Tanner who has added club treasurer responsibilities to her existing role as Colts treasurer. A lady for whom a job description is difficult, and who would always do more than whatever that job description said
- Talking of no job description, a huge thanks to Cato. He does a bit of everything and always has, having been there from pretty much day one
- And last but not least, thanks to our wonderful Club Captain Helen. As if she doesn’t have enough to do, she has taken on a safeguarding supporting role and ‘chairs the chairman’ [I’m surprised she didn’t write this for me to be honest].
That’s more than enough looking back and patting ourselves on the back. Next up, summer leagues with details to follow shortly, summer hockey camps, and of course preparations for next season Feedback always welcome, offers of sponsorship or to volunteer even more so!
Thanks for reading all the way through. Here’s to a great season just gone and another great season to come.
