A golden era for women’s hockey begins today with the start of the new national and regional league seasons.
Whether you are playing for a top 10 Women’s Hockey League Premier Division side – like Bristol’s brilliant Clifton Robinsons – one of 10 amazing Women’s Conference West teams or just about to start your first game in the West Clubs Women’s Hockey League these are glorious gilt-edged days for your chosen sport.
Great Britain women’s Rio Olympics hockey success – finishing above the best sides in the world – has catapulted women’s hockey into new golden territory.
For the first time one of the country’s top women’s sports teams claimed a peak-time viewing spot on national terrestrial television – as well as topping the podium in Brazil.
Blinking heck just last night Maddie Hinch and Sam Quek – not just one but two members of the gold-medal winning GB women’s hockey squad – were star guests on BBC’s prime time Question of Sport.
With her match-winning penalty-saving final exploits Hinch has become a sporting household name and catapulted ‘keeping to new levels and making “minding the goal” super cool for cats.
Believe me – as an enthusiastic but very poor player for over 40 years and a hockey correspondent for nearly as many – that is probably as big an achievement as the girls’ team winning gold.
Even the traditionally slow wheels of hockey have turned a little faster since GB women’s success, the key is now helping them race up-to-speed.
Weaving that golden Team GB thread through the domestic game, encouraging more females – young or old – to simply play hockey or return to a game they loved.
Women’s football, cricket, rugby union and that other great traditional women’s team sport, netball, are already ahead of the game.
Domestically women’s hockey is, unfortunately, playing catch-up after stumbling into the golden glare of the nation’s sporting spotlight.
Over a year ago I was telling committees of established local sports clubs they needed to ride on the crest of a wave: the clamour to play women’s sport, in some cases hockey.
I didn’t have a crystal ball – or a golden one – but what I do see, sadly, is the widespread inability of so many sports clubs to make the most of opportunity.
In my privileged position I see it every day: local sports clubs chasing their tails rather than opening their eyes, and arms, wider.
Hockey is a top team sport. No argument. It has also crossed the gender divide for longer than any other sport I can think of off the top of my head.
Little did I imagine the “opportunity” I spoke of would become a golden one.
Little did I realise a sport that I have dedicated a large part of my life promoting would achieve a truly momentous ground-breaking goal on the other side of the world.
The trick now is to repeat that success, on a broader scale, across the country, across the region, across the board.
It’s up to hockey to pick up the stick, play ball and weave some more magic…
Game on!
