Successful first year for Karratha junior hockey

The inaugural season of junior hockey in Karratha has wrapped up for 2019 but is set to return next year after proving to be a hit with children.

About 90 primary school-aged students got involved in the Karratha Hockey Association’s first junior hockey season this year, building their skills and competing in weekly games over term 2 and half of term 3.

Karratha Hockey Association juniors co-ordinator Mark Saunders said participants had developed as hockey players and had a lot of fun throughout the first season.

“The skill level change from the beginning of the year to the end has been enormous,” he said.

“I’m definitely confident it will come back again next year, and I think given the skill that we’re seeing now, we’ll start at a much higher level next year.”

Karratha junior hockey kicked off at the beginning of term 2 following a series of come-and-try skills clinics, and has involved games across three age divisions each Friday evening on the Leisureplex oval.

Several teams worth of players from Roebourne have also taken part, travelling into Karratha by bus each week.

Fixtures finished on August 16 and participants wound-up the season the following week with skills challenges and presentations.

Mr Saunders said the competition had been confirmed to return next year, citing the level of enthusiasm from both children and their parents for the sport.

“It doesn’t really matter your physique, size or shape, hockey provides a pretty even playing field and compared to some other sports it comes down a little bit more to actual practice,” he said.

“A lot of kids can walk up to soccer or footy and just do it, but hockey takes that little bit more effort, so I think a lot of the kids love the challenge and the better they get, the more they feel the rewards.”