Coaches from around the district have spent the off-season planning how to make the programme bigger and better for the coming year, and more accessible for children.

Hockey is the third highest participation sport worldwide, and the developers and coaches in Mudgee are looking to tap into that rich interest in the sport as they roll into 2017.

The main changes that they have already implemented are a switch of venue for training, and the timing of practice sessions.

Junior hockey is now planned to be held at the Mudgee tennis courts, with one session already out of the way and reports coming out that the practice run had gone smoothly.

Jo Ioane, one of the main advocates of hockey in the town, is aware that the field may be a bit odd at first glance.

“The courts may seem unusual for hockey, but the tennis court surface is practically identical to the sand based artificial hockey fields,” she explained.

“It is hoped that children will enjoy learning the basic skills of hockey on a superior playing surface and so will have experience on turf when they play representative games.”

Those representative games could come in the form of school challenges, or in matches against clubs like Lithgow and Dubbo, and the preparation by the Mudgee club shows that they are already embracing progress towards the future.

If you want to get involved in the junior hockey scene, there are two free ‘Come and Try Hockey’ days that are played on Fridays, March 24 and 31, and all that hockey-hopefuls need to bring are shinpads and mouthguards.