Current and former SA hockey greats will be making their way to Stellenbosch these school holidays to provide high-level performance training and mentorship to the Western Cape’s passionate hockey fraternity as part of the Investec Hockey Academy on Friday, 8 and Saturday, 9 July at Bloemhof Hoër Meisieskool.

Travelling to various provinces throughout the year, each time with a new set of coaches, the Investec Hockey Academy provides school-going players and hockey coaches with an opportunity to work on their skills and strategies, stay up-to-date with the latest techniques and learn what it takes to succeed while working closely with international players, coaches and experts involved in the game.

Those attending the July courses can look forward to meeting and learning from the greats of the game. The star-studded, passionate line-up of coaches participating in the Stellenbosch course are national players Wade Paton, Lloyd Norris-Jones and Shelley Russell; national player and Cape Town-local Quanita Bobbs; as well as national coaches Kurt Serfontein (SA women’s assistant coach) and Lindsey Wright (SA under-21 women’s coach).

Important behind the scenes training is also offered by the academy’s experts Ruan Fourie (former Lions and Sharks physiotherapist), Lauren Penny (former national hockey player and psychologist) and Grant van Gelden (vision training expert) who will be providing the young players with a better understanding of all the game’s elements.

National player and general manager of the academy, Shelley Russell, is the driving force behind making sure that the academy’s goals are achieved through her love for the game.

“We try to give young, aspiring hockey stars a glimpse, and start the process, of what is required to fine-tune their skills and abilities. The Investec Hockey Academy is a platform where these passionate hockey players can learn and improve their skills by being exposed to top-level coaching personnel. We hope to create an environment where young players can grow their games,” says Russell.

The academy offers courses for players at all levels; a Fundamental Players’ course (aged 8 to 11), an Intermediate Players’ course (aged 12 to 15), an Advanced Players’ course (aged 16 to 18) and a Coaches course (all levels).

National player and Strandfontein-local, Quanita Bobbs, acknowledges that it is not easy to find the right opportunities to get trained and noticed. She believes that when initiatives like the Investec Hockey Academy arrive, players and coaches should make the most of the experience.

“The academy offers the full hockey experience; it provides the opportunity for the academy-goers to expand their hockey ability but also gives them the necessary information to make them a complete player and coach,” says Bobbs.

The Investec Hockey Academy provides SA hockey players a chance to give back to the sport and pass on their expertise with the hopes of sustaining the future of the sport they love.

“I would love to see the natural-born talent, in abundance in this country, be directed in the correct way so that we can grow the sport nationally and, subsequently, improve our international standing,” said an enthusiastic Russell.

The academy believes in encouraging the youth to play sport and welcomes hockey player, on all levels, to enrol in their courses.

 “I feel that it is important to be out there, taking part in outdoor exercise, from a health and general well-being perspective.

There are so many life lessons to be learned from the discipline of sport, especially fitting into a team dynamic. If we can instil love for sport within the youth, that would be first prize,” says Russell.

“Sport is good for a child's overall development; not only keeping them healthy, but also teaching key life skills such as teamwork, self-discipline, goal setting and how to deal with disappointment or setbacks,” says Bobbs.

The Investec Hockey Academy’s next course will take place on 8 and 9 July at Bloemhof Hoër Meisieskool in Stellenbosch. For more information or to book contact Bernadine on 031 940 5565 or visit www.investechockeyacademy.com