Hockey goalies given encouragement

While most sports are setting goals for the forthcoming winter season, Marlborough Hockey have been focused on learning how to stop goals.

On Sunday the local association ran a “Goalie Give It A Go” day at College Park, with Black Sticks goalkeeper Georgia Barnett and long-serving Canterbury custodian Kirsty Nation in attendance.

They worked with four groups throughout the day, attracting seven young female players and six primary school boys to the morning sessions before passing on their knowledge to secondary school and club goalkeepers in the afternoon.

Junior development manager Emma Sorenson-Brown says Marlborough Hockey are focused on attracting more female goalies, especially with all under-13 games now being six-a-side, thus requiring more specialist keepers. She was happy with the turnout on Sunday, especially since the girls in the first session were “mostly first timers”.