Why 5-a-side hockey?
FOREWORD
Nelson Mandela once said:
“Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair.”
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At Bredasdorp High School we are committed to invest in the lives of our learners. One of the ways we do it, is through sport. This is where hockey comes into play…
Hockey has evolved as a sport and are nowadays played mostly on Astro turf. At our school we still play on grass although many schools that we compete against have Astro turf surfaces. The game of hockey is changing and to stay competitive in the sport, giving our players the best skill development for the game, we need to change with it!
This is why we need you to invest in this awesome project: A 5-a-side Astro for uplifting our players, our game and our sport that we are so passionate about!
BACKGROUND
Bredasdorp High School is the Southernmost High School in Africa. We are situated close to the tip of Africa in Bredasdorp, Western Cape. Our school is characterised by its socio-economic, multi-cultural and geographic diversity. We provide opportunities in academics, culture and sport to a wide range of learners of which 40% are from previously disadvantaged backgrounds.
What makes our school one of the best in the Overberg region is the ability to provide learners from all backgrounds with quality education and to equip them to excel beyond the barriers or limitations of their backgrounds. Bredasdorp High School ensures that school fees are within the reach of ordinary families wanting an excellent education. Families that cannot afford school fees are assisted through fees exception.
The demographic profile of our learners is: Coloured – 52,11% (284); Black/ African – 7,9%(43); Indian – 0,37%(2); white – 38,72%(211) and other 0,92%(5). Total number of learners is 545.
Our school maintains an excellent academic record each year, achieving 99 -100% pass rate over the years. The high-quality results of achieving more than 80% Bachelor’s Degree entrance rate, is something we are extremely proud of. The University of Stellenbosch rates Bredasdorp High School as one of its top feeder schools. It is important for us to produce well-balanced learners that excel in all areas between curricular and extra-curricular activities, of which hockey is an important part.
From the headmaster
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At Bredasdorp High School we encourage learners to participate in as many activities as possible. Field hockey is a very popular sport and it is growing in our Overberg region and the Western Cape.
A lot of schools have built astro turf hockey fields. We, however cannot afford it, but would like to construct a mini astro surface for the following reasons:
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To prepare players for matches which they will play on astroturf.
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To develop their hockey skills.
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Encourage more learners to play hockey as the surface is exciting to play on.
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Use it for fundraising projects by organising 5-a-side tournaments.
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It is an excellent prospect for team-building sessions by inviting other sports codes to participate in social matches.
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Learners from other segments of the community can be uplifted by giving them coaching sessions and exposing them to new sport codes.
I can, therefore, without hesitation encourage possible investors to invest in this mini Astro project.
Müller Retief
At Bredasdorp High school we are proud to be part of hockey as a school sport and would love to contribute even more to the sport, so that kids living in the “ platteland” can really compete at the same level as their rival schools in their league and beyond.
It is always a challenge in the more rural areas of our country to keep learners motivated to participate in sport due to a lack of funding and resources. We want to give our best players opportunities right here on their doorstep to be able to develop excellent players on club, provincial, and even national levels.
It is our opinion that in the long run, to keep this exciting sport growing in our rural areas we need to keep up with the changes in the hockey environment. If we can achieve this dream of getting our own astro turf, we do not doubt that we will take the sport to higher levels, not only for our school but for our community as well. This will surely help to expose players to a whole new level of hockey and also bring this incredible sport to potential players from less privileged communities and backgrounds.
We want school hockey players who are:
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passionate about hockey
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excelling and growing in their sport
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always striving to reach the highest level
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and who are proud ambassadors of the sport
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We are sure that our goal of getting a mini Astro hockey turf for our school will be a tremendous value for BHS hockey. What an awesome project to be a part of!
We are looking forward to start this journey and invite you to become part of it!
From the 1st team coaches
Elza Olivier
Hockey co-ordinator & Head coach Boys' 1 st team
Corné Retief
Assistant coach Boys' 1 st team
Nuwie van der Walt
Head coach Girls' 1 st team
Stefan Fourie
Chairman
Josias De Kock
Vice chairman
Wesley Williamson
Sport
From BHS Governing Body
We, as BHS Governing Body believe that Bredasdorp High School’s proud achievements on the hockey field will improve further when we have our own astro turf. This will enable us to play in the same league as bigger schools and to be victorious!
We fully support this project and believe that this dream of getting our own mini astroturf will come to reality with the help of projects done for this purpose, as well as financial assistance of our community, businesses, local and abroad.
Marnél Retief
1 st team player and head girl
From a 1st team player
Our junior and senior players will have exposure on astro turf, shaping and increasing our hockey skills and talent as players who will excel in the sport we all love to play!
Ewald Schlebusch
old boys 1 st team player
Lee Ann van Staden
old girls 1 st team player,
Boland & Univ. of Stellenbosch player
From old boys & girls
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Astro turf will give our hockey players of BHS more opportunities to develop and to be competitive at trials for provincial colours.
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The players will be able to play on their home ground and do not need to go away to other schools with astro fields to participate at a level the players are not used to.
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This 5-a-side astro will motivate and encourage the players to excel in hockey as a sport!