Happy New Year!
Click the link below to read the Spring Newsletter - I couldn’t work out how to embed it!
Robbie
Saturday 24th August 2024 saw over 100 hockey players from ages 7 - 70 take to Kinross Astro in the KHC Club Day.
The Kobras kick-started the day with some techinical hockey challenges before some hotly contested games. A big well done to all our new starts and we can’t wait to see you again.
The Men’s and Women’s teams then competed in some intra-club matches. There were no injuries and everyone is still talking to each other so it bodes well for the start of the season.
The headline event was the former members walking hockey match. Players from the past 50 years of Kinross Hockey joined back together in this slightly more sedentary but seemingly far more competitive version of hockey. There were some contested versions of what contitutes walking but great fun was had by all. So much so, keep an eye out for future walking hockey events!
A big thank you to all club members past and present for turning up, providing baking, umpiring and tombola. The day would not have been possible without the continued support of our army of parent helpers.
The start of the season is now fast approaching!
Fancy becoming the next Sarah Robertson, Lee Morton or Maddie Hinch?
Watched the GB teams at the Olympics? Looking to start or get back into hockey?
Come have a go at the Kinross Hockey Club Club Day - Saturday 24th August @ KGV Playing Fields.
The sessions will run from 1100 to 1230 but please arrive slightly early so we can kit you out.
If you’re interested please sign up below. For more information about what to wear/bring please visit https://www.kinrosshockey.org/comingtokobras
There will be a BBQ and cake stand to refuel afterwards. Sessions for all ages (7+) so whole families can attend - hockey is a great opportunity to take up a new sport together. The adult teams have had many father/son and mother/daughter combinations in recent years!
Kinross Hockey offers juniors and adults the chance to play hockey locally and regionally. We are proud to have produced several players who have represented Scotland and played hockey internationally.
Kinross hockey club awards 2023-24
Your time starts…now!
The Kinross Hockey Club Men and Women joined forces for a Taskmaster themed awards night last Saturday. After a delicious buffet from Heaven Scent, the teams celebrated the individual and team successes of the 2023-24 season. In addition to the usual awards, the Club recognised the achievements of members who have represented Scotland as well as those who have gone above and beyond to inspire others.
The party then split into teams to compete for the inaugural KHC Taskmaster Challenge: tables were climbed, ducks were hidden and cone towers were controversial. All the information was on the task. Nobody lost an eye and there were no jaffa cakes left so we can chalk that one up as a success.
Congratulations to all our award winners and a big thank you to the players for such an excellent turnout.
Roll on next season!
Award Winners
President’s Award: Dougie Ogilvie
Women’s
1st XI Most Valuable Player: Philippa Orr
1st XI Players’ Player: Sarah Collins
1st XI Top Gun: Gail Nelson
2nd XI Most Valuable Player: Heidi Nelson
2nd XI Players’ Player: Lucy Sweeney
2nd XI Top Gun: Eva Kenyon
Women’s Young Player of the Year: Alice Taylor
Women’s Most Improved: Caitlin Fenna
Men’s
1st XI Most Valuable Player: David Leslie
1st XI Players’ Player: Robbie Huxtable
1st XI Top Gun: Robbie Huxtable
2nd XI Most Valuable Player: Calum Johnston
2nd XI Players’ Player: Ryan Harley
2nd XI Top Gun: Fraser Henry
Men’s Young Player of the Year: Michael Jack
Men’s Most Improved: Ryan Harley
The road from Kinross Hockey Club to the ranks of the hockey elite is not a well-trodden one, but it is one that has recently been tested by former Kobra Alex Wilson, who is now plying his trade as a professional with Grossflottbek in the German First Division.
The picture shows Alex in action against Harvestehude, one of the top sides in the country, which gave Alex a chance to test his mettle against legendary players like Tobias Hauke (pictured in black).
Alex, pictured in mid air, seems to have been overwhelmed by the occasion, having apparently thrown himself at the great man’s feet, and missed.
Still, a worthy effort.
With the annual dinner having been missed this year, we decided we just go ahead and award some prizes for the 2019-20 season for the Ladies 3s anyway. And with the go-ahead spirit seizing us, we decided we’d just hand out the gongs at pitchside after training.
So in this, the L3s inaugural year, the winners were:
Most improved player: Niamh Chumley
Top scorer: Iona Sands
Player of the year: Olivia Jones
Well done to them all.
Roll on the 2020-21 season.
The younger members were of the Girls Dev Squad were in Dundee today for the Midland S3 indoor tournament. Never having put a team in for this competition before, we didn’t know what to expect, but we needn’t have worried. The girls put in some storming performances and came a very creditable second (equal), just pipped to the post by the hosts, High School of Dundee.
And more importantly, every single member of the squad is young enough to play again next season, so if we can do it again next year, who knows where me might end up.
Point forward for next time is to stop giving opposing teams a two-goal head start before we get going. Apart from that it was all good.
So congratulations to everyone who took part, particularly Niamh who stepped up to play in goal, to Stuart Neave for his work in coaching the girls, and to all the parents (and Millie and Beth) who turned up to support.
Cor! Another Kobra hitting the heights! The pic is of Amy during her last run out for the juniors, a stepping stone along the way to today's selection for Scotland U18s.
Each year, the membership starts a bit lower than it ends the previous season and people move on. Then it builds up over the season as Kobras join up. As a result, we only know how well we are doing on membership in June.
The end of the Kobras season is now just a week or so away, and paid-up membership today reached 208, a new record for the club. There are also a dozen trialists about.
So we decided we’d run the Dads and Lads sessions again this year, and it’s fair to say that things got off to a slow start with only and handful of hardy souls turning up in the damp weather at the end of May. But as the weather has picked up, more and more people have been testing the waters, and we are now basically accommodating anyone who fancies a run around on a Sunday afternoon.
Seriously good fun.
Highlight of this week was undoubtedly Kenny Little, now into his fourth week as a hockey player, who, in the middle of a game, decided he’d attempt a tomahawk.
On the run. From a crazy angle.
And pulled it off!
A few of the old hands looked a bit crestfallen to me, although they’d cheered up by the time we took this photo.
Last season marked the end of an era for the ladies section, as David Parry stepped down from umpiring after many years of service to the club. Apparently it all started with a bit of pressganging (from unnamed parties), after which he never looked back and the ladies section was blessed with knowing that they would always have one umpire available.
David (or ‘Mr Parry’, as he was deferentially known by the ladies section, always keen to stay the right side of an umpire) was back at KGV on Tuesday for a short ceremony to thank him for everything he has done for the club and the handing over of a small token of our appreciation.
We wish him all the best
The O35s Interdistrict Ladies Tournament was held at Kilgraston last Saturday. Spirits were high despite rather dismal weather, however the Midland squad (comprising an Olympic Bronze medallist, a few current Scottish Masters players and 7 Kinross players) was unfortunately unable to retain the trophy. Lots of money raised for charity, and with any luck some new Midland strips!!
