DML Sports & Social Primary Mixed 6-a-side festival 2007Current England U21 International Hockey stars Nick Page and Matthew Woods will be in the City to help coach and support this years Primary Mixed Hockey festival which is being staged at the College of St Mark & St John (Marjon) on Thursday 7 and Friday 8 of June with nearly 500 young players competing over the two days.
The annual Primary Mixed Hockey festival held in the city is now in its sixth year and continues to be as popular as ever. The event has certainly become one of the finest junior sporting events in the area and the largest of its kind in the country. The two day event will see 48 teams from across Plymouth, East Cornwall and West Devon compete in the festival for three different titles. Alongside the matches players will receive coaching from Matthew Woods and Nick Page who are both from the South West and aspiring 2012 Olympians. Joining Woods and Page is the cities own rising star Rhys Hart from Plymstock School who currently plays for England U16s. For Hart it will bring back memories of his first competitive Hockey experience when he played in the first ever DML Mixed Hockey Festival for Elburton Primary in 2002. Plymouth Hockey Group Chairman said “we are very proud of this event as it gives every player a chance to gain something from the festival. It is more than just a tournament with so much else going on over the two days”. Organised by Simon Fenwick the PHDG School & Community Development Officer the Festival is the pinnacle to another busy year in which the group has coached over 4,000 youngsters in over 65 schools from across the City and surrounding districts. Alongside the games and coaching players will have the chance to test their skills in the hockey zone and compete in the schools skills challenge. This year the group will be promoting healthy eating with the help of one of the festival sponsors Sainsbury’s. Adey Hutchins from Sainsbury’s is delighted to be able to support the Hockey Festival by providing fruit smoothies for the children. “It is so important that children learn the value of eating healthily, especially the inclusion of lots of fruit and vegetables, to support the recommended increase in sports and physical activities” PHDG Chairman Jamie Oxley said “ The festival is a fantastic occasion for all those involved especially the primary pupils. It is a wonderful way to end a busy year for everyone involved in developing the game in the city. The special appearance of Page & Woods is excellent as I know they will be a big hit with the young players. I have no doubt that we will unearth new talent with the potential to emulate local lad Hart who has helped to raise the bar for Hockey in the city” The whole event is a big team affair with support from all the local hockey clubs and in particular Students from Marjon and pupils from Plymouth Schools. Over 40 volunteers will be supporting this year’s festival from umpires as young at 13 through to parents and members from city clubs illustrating the true family nature of the sport.