Friday, June 27 – In East Cork, Midleton Hockey Club (MHC) is leading the charge in finding new ways to engage young people with the sport of hockey. In an effort to get more children involved at the club, MHC launched an innovative grassroots focused programme, the National Schools Skills Initiative. What began as a pilot, has further evolved into an inspiring model of school-club collaboration, one that Hockey Ireland is proud to support and spotlight.
The initiative was spearheaded by President of MHC, Mr Clive Seale, whose vision was to introduce hockey to young children during school hours, with the hope of sparking a lifelong love for the game from an early age. This led to the launch of their highly successful pilot programme in early 2024.
The pilot phase began at Midleton Educate Together National School (METNS), where 4th class students received 18 hours of professional coaching. Strong links were then forged with nearby St. John the Baptist NS and led to the area’s first-ever inter-school hockey blitz, made possible through the generous provision of pitch facilities by Dr Edward Gash from Midleton College.
The success of this initial rollout led to a formal expansion in September 2024, where club funding was sourced through the support of Brendan Woods, Munster Regional Development Officer of Hockey Ireland, and Cork Sports sponsorship. At METNS, over 150 children across 3rd and 4th class received structured hockey coaching across 36 hours, with the programme approved to extend to 2nd class students beginning March 2025. At St John the Baptist NS, children from Senior Infants through to 2nd class participated in hockey sessions from September to March, adding another 100 young players to the programme. In its first full year, the initiative has engaged a total of over 250 children, laying a solid foundation for long-term hockey development in the region.
Looking ahead to the 2025/2026 season, Midleton Hockey Club is focused on sustaining and expanding the programme’s reach. Core goals include presenting the initiative as a template for other clubs across Munster and Ireland, growing the number of participating schools, introducing new young coaches, and providing each school with essential equipment such as sticks, balls, and cones to help embed hockey more firmly into school life beyond formal coaching sessions.
Speaking on the initiative, Mr Clive Seale said:
“A great start to the initiative, over 200 kids playing hockey for six weeks. A strong beginning to what we hope will be year one of many to come!”
None of this progress would have been possible without the unwavering support of class teachers Miss Ivers and Mrs Twomey, both school principals, the Midleton Hockey Club Executive Committee, and Brendan Woods, Munster RDO at Hockey Ireland.
Their shared dedication has helped bring a bold vision to life. The initiative’s success to date is a testament to the power of collaboration between the club, its partners, and local sponsors. Midleton Hockey Club stands as a compelling example of how a proactive approach can create meaningful change, ensuring hockey continues to thrive at the grassroots level for years to come.