By Hockey EXCO ’24
ONE TEAM! RAFFLES! Game face on.
Push, sweep, hit; score, celebrate.
You may be wondering, what is Hockey? Is it floorball on a field? Or ice hockey, minus the ice? Being a lesser-known sport, hockey may seem daunting at first. Such apprehension increases when one catches a glimpse of players decked out in their full protective gear, shin guards and gloves galore.
However, hockey is not as intimidating as it seems. The goal of the game is simple: two opposing teams of 11 players each use sticks to hit a ball into the opponent’s goal to score a point.
Needless to say, there has always been an indescribable beauty in the dynamics of a game of hockey—the unspoken chemistry, the seamless tiki-taka, the moments of silence as the ball zips across the surface of the turf; but nothing truly beats the warm fuzzy feeling from the sense of camaraderie—all amalgamating into what can only be described as “teamwork makes the dream work”.
More than just a sport, Hockey has evolved way beyond the fundamental technical skills and tactics involved. It is a game of passion, of perseverance, of pure grit. Through both wins and losses, the sport really demonstrates what it means to have no “I” in “Team”—that no one is bigger than the team, and a team is where players come together and play as one.
Train as a team, win as a team, lose as a team, grow as a team and most importantly, make memories as a team. Friendships for life will be forged when you join hockey.
What would an average training session look like?
Training sessions are conducted three times a week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday) during competition season, and two times a week (Tuesday, Thursday) during examination season, with each session lasting from 5-7pm at our school pitch or external pitches.
We usually begin our training sessions with a short jog followed by dynamic stretching for our warmups. This is followed by stick work for the vast majority of the training session and we end off with an intra-CCA friendly. For certain training sessions, we would engage in physical training, to condition our bodies to be able to withstand the tough fast-paced conditions of the match and ensure we are able to continue fighting till the last second.
There will definitely be times when it gets difficult. Of course, learning a new sport in a short period of time is no easy feat. However, here at Raffles Hockey, you will be guided by our talented and experienced coaches, Coach Bakri and Coach Priscilla, as well as your friendly and approachable seniors and teachers-in-charge who will always be there for you!
Seeing everyone give it their all and encouraging one another, we are able to push through. Training sessions are something to look forward to as we are a very close-knit community where everyone goes home with a full heart. After most training sessions, we have batch dinners to foster closer bonding within the batch.
Every year, both the boys’ and girls’ teams take part in the National School Games (NSG) that take place from March to May.
In 2023, the boys emerged as champions in the ‘A’ Division NSG Hockey Championship. With most of them forging friendships and developing greater understanding of one another over 5 years (from Y1-5), they played seamlessly and beautifully with one another. It is therefore no surprise that across four decades, the boys have only conceded the title on 7 occasions.
Despite most of the girls being totally new to the sport, coming from both sports and non-sports CCAs, they have consistently been amongst the top four teams. They took it one step at a time, becoming familiar with each other’s playing styles.
As the saying goes, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going”, they did not lose hope and persevered through hardships together. In the end, they managed to win against experienced teams with determination and teamwork, clinching the 2nd runners-up trophy in 2023.
So what are you waiting for? Give HOCKEY a shot!
Although hockey is not something that immediately comes to mind when you think of conventional sports CCAs, it has the tactical intricacy of football, combined with the dazzling stick work of floorball, driven by the heart and desire of every other sporting CCA. Joining hockey is not just joining a CCA; it is joining a family, and everyone will be a part of our community.
Coming from different backgrounds wanting to achieve,
We learn and grow together with the same belief.
Helping each other not leaving anyone behind,
We are all committed to the grind.
Little by little we grow,
In the competitions our hard work shows.
Together we win and lose as a team,
making memories and fulfilling the same dream.
Auspicium Melioris Aevi
