DESPERATE to land a proper foothold in the local sporting landscape, the Jamaica Hockey Federation (JHF) is eyeing a greater focus on the youth.
“In order for us to be competitive… we have to have our students playing hockey like they do cricket, football, netball and participate in track and field,” said the JHF’s vice-president of women’s affairs Nicole Grant-Brown at a recent Jamaica Observer Sports Club forum at the company’s Beechwood Avenue offices.Others from the JHF in attendance were president Leon Mitchell, vice-president of men’s affairs Richard Wisdom, director of international affairs and facilities manager Richard Shaw and general secretary Denise Wisdom.“We have introduced it a little bit to the prep schools… and there are some coaches in the primary schools who have introduced it there.“In every single sport, no matter where in the world you are, development starts from the base…from the babies, right up. In Argentina they have little ones, two-year-olds and three-year-olds (playing hockey), so in order for us to be competitive we have to start there,” Grant-Brown stressed.Richard Wisdom threw attention on the “need to get hockey taught at the PE (physical education) level” in schools, a thrust to “encourage girls to play the sport”, and a major aim of the JHF in guiding development “from the Under-14s and work upwards”.The JHF officials argued that introducing a downsized version of the sport similar to six-a-side football scrimmage could also spark more interest among young prospects.Grant-Brown cited lack of funding as a restrictive element to the development programmes outlined for the primary and secondary level. She said that of concern was the apparent disinterest shown by some girls.“We have been working on a programme to get more of the high schools involved in hockey because we find that for the women not many (are playing). There are some co-ed schools out there, but mostly the boys are playing.“Funding is always an issue… Development is always (dependent on funding),” she said.Wisdom added that recent moves by the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) have widened the door for greater numbers to participate.“The schools have to be registered with ISSA to play high school hockey (but) ISSA has opened up a bit, so even if you are a private high school, just register and you can play all the competitions,” he said.Still, he explained that the cost of providing hockey gear as opposed to other sports is unfavourable.“Hockey is open to all schools under ISSA, but a major issue is the cost of equipment. You need a hockey stick for at least 11 players and one hockey stick ranges from $4,500 to $20,000… and there is goalkeeping equipment,” he said.In the meantime, Grant-Brown shared that students have scholarship opportunities — an option the JHF will be more actively advertising in a bid to mirror what takes place in Trinidad & Tobago and in Barbados.“We have scholarships here, but it is not visible and we have to push it out there. Once they are committed we are willing to work with them in order to garner scholarships. The last scholarship for someone in the United States was in 2002,” she said.However, the JFH administrators said the GC Foster College offers full local scholarships for student athletes, while the University of Technology provides part scholarships or grants.HOUSE RULES
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Local hockey administrators target the young
