After a thrilling hockey season this Lent, three of our boys, all at different levels of experience, share their highlights from the Half and what they enjoy most about playing the sport.
Gabriel D (Year 9) had never played hockey before starting at Eton last September. Since joining the club, he began “enjoying hockey more and more” and found training twice a week with a match on Saturdays a great way to spend time with friends.
“It’s really fun because you play with friends and other boys in your House,” he said. “There’s always more to learn and it’s fun to give a good pass, it’s a nice feeling.”
Our Keeper of Hockey and Captain of the 1st XI, Rollo A (Year 13), also finds the bonds forged through team sport to be a highlight of his five seasons.
“One of the strengths of the hockey club that it’s a lot more integrated and connected than many other sports. There’s a lot of mixing of the Blocks in joint sessions and the 1st team is more accessible to the rest of the club.”
Max H (Year 10) trains with Eton’s A team and enjoys hockey so much that there’s only one day a week where he doesn’t play.
“You always have the opportunity here to improve a lot, even if you’re already quite good,” Max said. “We’ve got some great teachers and coaches who are always encouraging and want to help; it’s great.”
As Keeper, Rollo has had the opportunity to develop his leadership skills through training younger boys and assisting the Master-in-Charge with the “tactical and technical coaching of the team”.
Gabriel said: “The coaches are really nice, they give you all the support you need and you can always ask them what you can do better.”
In Lent, he scored his first goal during a home match on the Masters’ pitches. It was a memorable achievement for him, made even more special as his friends were cheering him on.
He said: “Even if you lose, you’re still with your team and you’ve had fun.”
Max also has fond memories of playing on Masters’: “The pitches are really close so if I’ve got 20 minutes free I can go on there with a friend. We’ve got some really great pitches; we’re really lucky.”
The 1st team play up to six days a week on Willowbrook which the boys enjoy as it has a “really modern clubhouse”. Joking that boys should sign up if only to avoid the “muddy” Field Game, Rollo believes “the more you put in, the more you get out” of hockey.
This season, the 1st XI reached the round of 16 of the England School Boys and Independent School Boys National Cups. While proud of their achievement, the enjoyment of playing the sport is more important than winning for Rollo.
Max has also liked competing. A highlight for him was an interschool competition in which his team scored two goals in the last five minutes, winning the match.
“It was such a great moment,” he said. “With hockey, everything can change in a few minutes; it’s so interesting.
“The best thing is the team atmosphere. Going through highs and lows together, having fun and improving as a team.”
He particularly enjoys how the whole House bonds over Ties matches: “There’s always good House spirit for these things, it helps with your team and feeling like you’re all in it together.”
As we head into the Summer Half where rowing and cricket dominate the sporting schedules, will the boys be picking up their hockey sticks next Lent?
“Definitely,” said Gabriel, who plans on making his way up the teams.
Rollo is confident he’ll continue playing hockey after he leaves Eton for university.
And for Max: “I want to continue hockey for as long as I can. I really enjoy it.”
