Indoor Hockey takes off at John Beddoes School
A lunchtime 5 a side Indoor Hockey league has been set up for pupils in years 7 and 8 at John Beddoes High School, Presteigne. The league has been played on Tuesday lunchtimes, with two 15 minute fixtures played each week. Indoor Hockey sticks and balls were purchased with funding from the 5x60 programme, fixtures and a league table were put up on the 5x60 information board and PE Teacher Debbie Evans was recruited as the leagues umpire. Teams signed up at the beginning of the Spring Term and came up with their own unique names. The teams involved in the spring term league were the Runners Up, The Waffles, USJ, Cool Shots, The Legends and the Red Dragons. All teams played each other once and the eventual winners were the unbeaten ‘RUNNERS UP’ a team of year 8 boys most of whom had never picked up a hockey stick before their first fixture. The team were crowned the John Beddoes/5x60 indoor Hockey League Champions and were presented with the League Shield in a full school assembly at the end of term.
The league has since begun again with two new entries, 30 pupils took part in the Spring Term League, 14 of them being boys. Currently over 40 pupils are taking part in the Summer outdoor League. The leagues were relatively easy to set up and have raised the profile of hockey amongst boys and girls in the school. The eventual aim is to get enough boys interested to form the schools first boys hockey team. A hockey organisers course was set up for some 12 of the schools year 11 and 6th form pupils and it is hoped that they will take a more active role in the hockey league upon their return to school in September.
Report provided by Owain Harpwood, John Beddoes School 5x60 Officer