Wanderers duo test their skills at hockey
As part of the Premier League 4 Sport programme, Bolton Wanderers Community Trust now work in partnership with England Hockey and Bolton Hockey Club to support the delivery of hockey Bolton.
To promote hockey Bolton Wanderers Community Trust and Bolton Hockey Club have been working in partnership with local high school ESSA Academy for the past 6 weeks. Coaches have been working with the school PE department to support hockey within the curriculum. As a result of this, over 150 young girls have gained experience. The girls have been taught basic hockey skills such as dribbling, passing, shooting and now have the confidence to play the game.
To end the successful 6 week programme the coaches and school PE staff put on a hockey festival where the girls could showcase their skills to Bolton Wanderers first team duo David Wheater and Adam Bogdan. The pair took part in the festival and tried out a number of different drills such as the gauntlet and the v-drag. After the festival Wheater and Bogdan took part in a question and answer session with the year 7 students who asked them their life as Premier League Footballers.
Through the school’s great technology, the students showcased a film of Wheater and Bogdan taking part in the hockey action just minutes earlier. This was a fantastic way to show the players how they had developed their skills within the drills. To finish off the day, the student presented trophies to Wheater and Bogdan for their improved ability within hockey.
The Premier League 4 Sport initiative has been successfully running since 2009 and has engaged with 2089 local young people and with recent funding success the project will now run until 2013. The project is a participation initiative that offers young people aged 11 - 19 the chance to experience Olympic disciplines of judo, badminton, table tennis and hockey, all as part of its 2012 legacy plans. It also attempts to address the drop off rate in sports participation when young people leave secondary school.
Thanks to the partnership with England Hockey, Bolton Hockey Club and local schools, Bolton Wanderers Community Trust have engaged with 271 young girls since September 2011.
For more information regarding this news feature please contact Premier League 4 Sport Manager Nicol Meredith on nmeredith@bwct.org.uk alternatively call 01204 673790.