Sideline Support
- As parents we ask your sideline support (and the car ride home) to be “Encouragement not Instruction”. The coach of the team will be asking the players to try certain things during the game, giving instructions from the sideline has been proven to distract the player, make it harder for them to make their own decision and causes confusion. So please ENCOURAGE, ENCOURAGE, ENCOURAGE and the players will benefit. Last season a number of people commented that they actually enjoyed supporting more when they were encouraging, so while it can be a challenge, it can also be rewarding for you, as well as the players.
Foster Park Turf Rules
- Water bottles only on the turf, no other food/drink.
- Players, coaches, managers on the turf.
- All spectators outside the fence at both Foster Park turfs.
- Sneakers only, no boots sprigs.
What shoes do players wear?
- Sneakers with good grip are worn on the turf. A player should not slip on the turf, if your child is slipping then to prevent injury we would recommend purchasing a ‘gripper’ pair of shoes. ‘Off road’ or ‘trail’ sneakers are available in most brands if you prefer a specific hockey/turf shoes which have good grip and more toe protection we recommend www.justhockey.co.nz they have shoes that start from $60.
What are the training times?
- Training times will be determined as coaches are appointed, most likely Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays. Team training times dependent on coach availability.
What are the Season Dates?
- These vary from year to year but for Senior teams usually the start of April and for Platinum & Juniors it is usually the start of May. Please see the Club Calendar for details.
Why do we play 7-aside for Juniors?
- Please see the document from CHA at the bottom of this page.
Why are teams graded?
- There are over 230 teams that participate in the Canterbury Hockey Junior Program. Canterbury Hockey wish for the competitions to be meaningful, this means that games are competitive and even, nothing is gained when the games have a large goal difference.
- The competition structure is graded, therefore, if the teams are also graded the chances of even games is more likely. Every 5 weeks, the team results and grades are reviewed, which can result in your team changing grade and even venue. Canterbury Hockey accepts feedback from the Club Secretaries with regards to how teams are tracking, so we will ask the coaches for feedback on how the team is going.
Competition Draw?
- CHA run the competition and publish the draw. CHA are also responsible for venue and time scheduling, this is not something the Club controls.
What size field do they play on?
- Yr 3/4 - Quarter Turf (that is equivalent to playing across half of the sand turf at Foster Park)
- Yr 5/6 - Half Turf (that is equivalent to playing on all of the Foster Park sand turf or half of the water turf.)
- Yr 7 - 7 aside 6 field + Keeper, Half Turf (that is equivalent to playing on all of Foster Park sand turf or half of the water turf.)
- Yr 8 - 11 aside Full Turf
- Platinum, Mid Week Open, Sunday League and above - 11 aside Full Turf
Do all teams have Goalies?
- Yr 3/4 - no Goalies
- Yr 5/6 - Goalies Compulsory (Div 1-5), Each team in Div 1-5 will be issued with a set of goalie gear,
- Yr 7 - 7 aside Goalies compulsary
- Yr 8 - 11 aside including compulsory Goalie
- 11 aside team Goalies are compulsory
Uniforms Policy?
- Please see the download at the bottom of the Play Hockey! page
- Club owned uniform not returned at the end of the season or returned damaged will be invoiced out to the player at replacement cost.
What equipment do the players need to provide?
- Your own shinpads and mouthguard are compulsory, the player provides their own stick and must wear the club socks.
Supporters Gear
- We will have supporters gear available for purchase soon, this is optional and will be able to be purchased though the website shop.
When are the fees due?
- Fees are due 5 days before the first game, if not paid there may be a penalty.
What if i cannot afford to pay the fees?
- Please email the treasurer to arrange a payment plan to pay the fee by the end of the season membership@waikirikiri.co.nz
- Please make an application to www.makeithappen.kiwi.nz
Measures of Success
- As a club, we are passionate about the opportunity for participation and growth & development of players. While we expect players to be competitive, we do not see winning games as a measure of success.
- Please have a chat with your child and discuss how you can measure the success of their season without using the score or the results of the game? What will be their personal measures of a successful season
Where are the venues?
- Junior 6 aside Games will be played at various turfs around Christchurch. Venues include Cathedral Grammer, Medbury, Rangi Ruru, Rangiora, St Andrew's, St Margaret's, Sydenham, Wycola & Foster Park
- 11 Aside & 7 aside Games are played at Nunweek Park, Nga Puna Wai, St Bedes, Rangiora and foster park
Venue Closures & Cancellations
- From time to time, the situation may exist where playing conditions deteriorate by the venue start time or part-way through the day’s games. Hockey is a winter sport and most competitions are played on an artificial surface so it would be only in conditions where the health and safety of the players are compromised or the venues become unplayable that games would be called off.
- Notifications are posted to the CHA Facebook Page
Valid conditions for postponement are:
- The overhead conditions mean the full field cannot be seen from one end to the other e.g.: fog or smoke
- The overhead conditions present a strong possibility of exposure. Players must take a reasonable level of responsibility to ensure they are 'suitably attired' to withstand cold temperatures.
- The ground conditions are deemed 'unplayable' due to flooding or surface water. Recommend guideline is if more than 20% of the field is affected, including goal mouths or the distribution of flooded area is unfair bias to one team, then the surface is unplayable.
- The ground conditions are deemed 'unplayable' due to ice. If ice exists at any part of the field a match should not proceed. If a thaw is highly likely then the match may be deferred for a short time without unduly disrupting the schedule.
Who can I contact if I have a complaint?
- We hope that you do not have a bad experience but if there is something that you wish to notify the club about or make a complaint about please email complaints@waikirikirihockey.co.nz . The complaints procedure and complaints form can be found on the bottom of our club page
