This weekend saw the Surrey Spartans Ladies 1st XI continue their perfect start to the 2013/14 season with a confident 3-0 win over local rivals Cranleigh. The victory means they keep their 100% record which takes them to the top of the table. With 33 goals scored in the 6 games played so far and conceding less than a goal a game on average, the Ladies 1st XI have shown that they are strong title contenders. The battle for league title and promotion is not going to be an easy one as the challenge looks to be coming from another local outfit, Camberley and Farnborough. Guildford based Surrey Spartans are making the most of the growth in player numbers that they have seen over the past 12 months.
This uptake in participation has not happened by accident. Surrey Spartans Hockey Club has been very active in encouraging both new players to have a go at the sport and former players to return to the game they once loved. The club has worked hard to make hockey as affordable and accessible as possible, offering activities throughout the year ranging from free taster sessions through to discounted beginner and refresher courses. These activities have seen the number of ladies regularly playing competitively or socially with the club rise from 13 to over 40 in the past couple of years.
With GB securing bronze at last year’s Olympics and major international hockey tournaments taking place in the UK over the next 5 years culminating in the Women’s World Cup in 2018, it really is a bright era for Ladies Hockey!
The Surrey Spartans are continually looking to find ways of bringing the sport to more people in Guildford and is pleased to support the “Back to Hockey” initiative that encourages mums to get active by offering light-hearted pay&play hockey sessions suitable for the complete novice or social player. The club is currently delivering these sessions at the Surrey Sports Park in Guildford on Wednesday mornings from 10.30-11.30am. These supplement the normal club training sessions that take place on a Thursday evening so whether you are looking to play competitively, socially or just wanting to add something active to your week there are plenty of opportunities.
To find out more about the various ways you can have a go at playing hockey for Surrey Spartans, have a look at our dedicated ‘Get Into Hockey’ page on our website HERE.
Lowell Lewis