Thank you to all members of the Maitland hockey community for your understanding and support, as we implement Covid 19 Safety Plan measures at training and matches. These measures are there for our safety. 

It is everyone’s personal responsibility to make sure you are signed in and signed out of the venue, to sanitise or wash hands frequently and to maintain at least 1.5m social distance. 

Keeping the 1.5m distance is vital to reduce the possibility of virus transmission. Please be aware of this, especially near the gates and around high traffic areas. This includes players, spectators and volunteers. Please stand or sit in areas away from the entrances/gates. 

A copy of the Maitland Hockey Covid 19 Safety Plan (approved by Hockey NSW) is available at the gate, if you wish to read it. 

If you have visited or you are living in a “hot spot” and/or if you have symptoms of Covid 19, please do not attend our hockey centre. 

As you would be aware, heavy fines can be issued if we are not following safety protocols, especially everyone keeping 1.5m apart. 

A reminder that hockey training is back, Thursday nights (that’s tonight). We all pay for the turf hire as part of our fees, so get the most out of your $$ and come along to training, who knows you might even learn a new skill or two, or if you’re anything like me, you might learn the importance of warming up and cooling down so you can actually walk the day after playing!

Under 13’s is from 5pm-6pm.

Woman’s is from 6pm-7pm with the lovely Gary Urquhart donating his time and energy to help us with some drills.

Dear Parents and Caregivers,
A warm welcome to all families both new and old. We are looking forward to our Term 3 season of hockey. Please subscribe to our website: maitlandhockey.org.au and to our Facebook page, to receive regular updates and information.

Frequently Asked Questions: Here are some answers to these FAQs!

What grades are in the competition and what times do they play?
Under 6 Wed 5pm – 6pm Commencing 22 July – 23 September 2020 (10 weeks) Term 3
Under 9 Wed 5pm- 6pm Commencing 22 July – 23 September 2020 (10 weeks) Term 3
Under 13 Wed 6pm- 7pm Commencing 22 July – 23 September 2020 (10 weeks) Term 3
High School We are hoping to have enough players interested to run a comp on Saturday mornings
Your child must be registered to play in these competitions. Ages are the age that your child is turning in 2020. eg If your child is turning 9 or under in 2020, they play in Under 9s, etc.

What costs are involved?
All players must register online with Hockey NSW, through the Hunter Hockey Association
website. You may use your NSW Active Kids Voucher (obtainable from Services NSW).

How do I register and pay for my child?
Online, pay by credit card – (https://www.revolutionise.com.au/mhockey/registration/). Email any questions about registration to treasurer@maitlandhockey.org.au

What do the kids do each week?
Under 6s learn skills and have lots of hockey fun. Under 9s begin each week with 15 minutes of
warm-ups and skills followed by mini-games. Under 13s play games against other teams, on half the field. High School (Under 18) play games and practise skills (depending on numbers)

What does my child need to wear/bring with them to hockey?
We will provide a team shirt for your child. For safety, your child must wear long socks with shin pads and a mouthguard to protect their teeth. Please wear shorts and bring a hockey stick and a named water-bottle each week. We sell $35 stick packs (including shin pads and mouthguards) or you can purchase a mouthguard separately ($6 each).

What happens when it is raining or threatening rain?
If it is raining or stormy a decision about whether hockey will go ahead will be made by 4.15pm for
Under 6 and Under 9 and by 5.15pm for Under 13s. Please refer to the website and Facebook for
notifications about cancellations, when the weather is doubtful.

When is training?
Training is for Under 13s and it is on Thursdays from 5pm-6pm.

How can I help?
The Junior teams each need a Team Manager to help organise and encourage the kids each week. You do not need to know anything about Hockey to do this! Please see Sally to find out what is involved and to volunteer! Most teams also have a Coach. If you have skills in this area, and would like to coach a Junior team, please see Sally. We require a valid Working With Children (WWC) number for all coaches and managers. WWC numbers for Volunteers are free and can be obtained from Services NSW.

Please see Sally or any of our volunteers with any questions, we are happy to answer or to find out the answer for you.

Sally Carratt
President Maitland Hockey Inc
(carrotspatch@tpg.com.au)

With the return of our women’s competition only a few short sleeps away, and juniors the week after, here are some reminders about staying covid-safe at hockey.

Women’s comp starts back up next Saturday. The draw can be found here in excel format:

https://maitlandhockey.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2020-AMENDED-MHI-Draw-1.xlsx

Revolutionise has also been updated to reflect the draw

https://www.revolutionise.com.au/mhockey/games/6186/&d=13531

Training is Back this week

 

Training for Women and Juniors will resume this Thursday the 2nd of July and continue through the school holidays. With competitions starting the 18th of July for Women and 22 of July for Juniors

If you have not yet registered for hockey this year please do so first. Registration is here https://www.revolutionise.com.au/mhockey/registration/

If you are a junior please also fill in this google form so that we can put you in teams https://forms.gle/QhQDoKgkcvbEyvN57

We are required to keep attendance for training sessions and games, we are also limited to 20 per half for training. If you intend on coming to training please use the form below to register your intention. Attendance will still be recorded on the day but this will make keeping those records a lot easier.

https://www.revolutionise.com.au/mhockey/classes/

You will need to log into revolutionise, if you do not remember your username click here and enter your email address (the one you receive Hockey NSW emails from) to be emailed your username and reset password.

Exciting news! Covid-19 Safety Plans developed by Maitland Hockey Inc and the Turf Association have been approved by Hockey NSW. This means that we can return to hockey training from Thursday 2 July 2020 and then to competition on Saturday 18 July 2020. (Approval from Maitland City Council is pending)

As part of the plan, Clubs will ensure that all players are aware of both their personal responsibilities and of the on-field and off-field protocols which will be in place to keep us all safe at Maitland Hockey Centre. Your Club organisers will provide you with a Covid-19 Safety Plan Individual Checklist, so you will be aware of all safety considerations.

Covid-19 Safety changes in place at Maitland Hockey Centre will include Attendance Registers, dedicated entrance and exit gates, provision of hand sanitiser, observing social distancing requirements, closure of dug-out areas, maximum of 10 players per quarter field at training, a “Get in, train, get out” training policy and various adjustments to on-field competition such as no hand-shaking, no huddles, no sharing of equipment, etc, minimal physical contact, only one parent/carer supporting juniors, no goalies at juniors (due to sharing of equipment) and some changes to canteen operations.

At our recent MHI meeting, we decided on a revised structure for our competitions. The Women’s competition will commence on Saturday 18 July and will be a 13-week competition, concluding on 26 September. We will follow the current draw structure from Round 3, (since we have already played Rounds 1 and 2) with no finals being played. A revised draw with new dates will be published. Women’s training will commence on Thursday 2 July from 6pm-7pm.

We intend to run a 10-week Junior competition on Wednesday evenings during Term 3, commencing 22 July and concluding on 23 September. Under 6s and Under 9s will play from 5pm-6pm and Under 13s from 7pm-8pm. Junior training will commence on Thursday 2 July 5pm-6pm. Expressions of Interest for an Under 18 competition will be invited, with a plan to run the training/comp on Saturday mornings.

Hockey NSW has been working closely with several stakeholders, including Hockey Australia, the NSW Government and Associations to manage the impact of COVID-19.

Due to the NSW State Government’s current Public Health Order (COVID-19 Restrictions on Gathering and Movement) – which does not expire until the 29th June 2020 – our original proposed resumption date of 2 May became untenable.

As such, it is the strong recommendation of Hockey NSW that the start of all hockey competitions in NSW is delayed until Saturday 18th July 2020.

In determining this date, Hockey NSW has taken into consideration the current Government restrictions, as well as the dates of the NSW July school holidays. This would allow a potential return to training on 1st July 2020 subject to the status of public health restrictions and advice.

As the result of this delay, Hockey NSW has made a decision on 2020 season registration fees: Information about Registration can be found here: https://www.hockeynsw.com.au/latest-news/2020-season-rego-fee-update/

The COVID-19 situation is still constantly changing, as is the advice from State and Federal Governments. We are committed to keeping all our members updated over the next few months to ensure they are kept informed of further changes.

Hockey NSW have now prioritised our energies into planning for the resumption of community hockey competitions around the State. Our staff have already contacted all Associations and are providing them with any assistance they require.
It is hoped that the Adult COD program at Maitland will commence on 1st July 2020 (subject to Guidelines)

We appreciate the patience and support of our entire hockey community throughout this period. We would also like to acknowledge the hard-work and efforts of our volunteers at Clubs and Associations who have been undertaking important tasks to ensure that they remain economically viable and can return to the field as soon as practicable.

If you would like clarification around this guidance: https://www.hockeynsw.com.au/surveys/1387/

If anyone left a Rock Wear grey hoodie (size 10) at the fields in the first couple of rounds and would like it back before winter is upon us, please contact Honey (0410429490) to arrange its collection.

Information and answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the 2020 hockey season are posted below. Please also refer to the Hockey NSW website.

What impact does COVID-19 have on our insurance coverage?

Players, officials, and volunteers registered for the 2020 season will be covered by the National Hockey Insurance Program. The program will provide all registered participants with a minimum level of insurance protection.

Honan are the national insurance broker and details of the insurance cover, the claims portal and certificates of currency can be found on their hockey-specific website – https://hockey.honansport.com.au/

It is very important to note that Personal Accident insurance provides coverage for injuries sustained whilst participating in an activity under the following circumstances;

An official match or training sessions
Traveling to and from an official club activity
Participation in an official club function
Tours or representative matches
Personal Accident insurance does not cover illness, such as Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Club Management and Professional Liability Insurance is provided to all incorporated hockey clubs, affiliations and associations as part of the national insurance scheme and covers for honest mistakes made by directors and officers involved in the management of the affairs for the organisation. However, this coverage would not extend to decisions made which are illegal or in breach of a Government Order.

Will registration fees be refunded?

Hockey Australia and Hockey NSW have not made a decision on refunds at this point in time.

Given the situation with COVID-19 continues to evolve and change rapidly, a decision on registration fees will be made once a full understanding of the impact of COVID-19 is available.

It is important to note that the season has been delayed NOT cancelled.

The patience and understanding of members in the interim as we deal with these unprecedented events is appreciated.

Will the season be extended due to the delayed start?

This will be a decision for each individual club, association and competition body and will depend on individual circumstances. It may be beneficial for Clubs and Associations to start investigating what options are available particularly if you are accessing a local government managed facility.

The Hockey NSW advice has been the result of considerable consultation with relevant expert bodies and places the health and wellbeing of our hockey community and the broader public as the number one priority. Hockey NSW is also very conscious that our sport is a genuine family sport involving multiple generations of players, volunteers and supporters that includes a number of at-risk populations including the elderly.

What is happening with Women’s Masters?

The 2020 Masters Championships, scheduled for July, have been cancelled. 

At this point in time, Hockey NSW will be prioritising our energies into planning for the resumption of community hockey competitions around the State when it becomes safe and practical. We will be in constant contact with our Associations and Clubs over the coming weeks and offering any support we can to ensure we get our hockey community back out onto the field when the appropriate time comes.

How do we stay up-to-date with changes?

Hockey NSW will continue to provide updates as government advice and circumstances change. These updates will be communicated on our website, social media pages and via email.

Further Information can also be sourced from expert organisations at the links on this page below.

Further Information
National Coronavirus Health Information Hotline: 1800 020 080
NSW Department of Health Website: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/
Australian Government Department of Health: https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novelcoronavirus2019-ncov-health-alert
Australian Institute of Sport: https://ais.gov.au/health-wellbeing/covid-19