BUDE Hockey Club’s two senior teams have enjoyed an excellent start to the 2018/19 season, writes Andy Davis.

It was very much all change at the beginning of the season with new captains and coaches across all sections of the club; these enforced changes were unsettling to begin with but the positive effects are now beginning to materialise and all teams are making steady and good progress.

The men’s team, who play in the ten-team Southern Two of the Verde Recreo Hockey League, got off to an excellent start with four wins from the first five games but have struggled to find consistent form since then with mixed results seeing them drop into mid-table; but a strong finish and win with the last game saw them jump back to a respectable fourth place at the halfway stage.

However the league is finely poised with just eight points separating third to tenth place and the perilous drop zone. This, combined with knowledge that four teams get relegated at the end of the season, means the men will need to keep themselves ahead of the chasing pack at every opportunity if they want to avoid another nailbiting finish like last season.

The ladies team under the studious coaching of David Pipe have had a yo-yo first half to the season having won every home game yet only picking up one point on their travels in the South Division of the West Clubs Women’s Hockey League.

Like the men, they find themselves also in fourth place and just seven points off the relegation teams but with such strong home form they should feel confident they can make themselves safe early into the new year.

The real bonus for the ladies is they have some strong young junior players stepping up to the senior league for the first time this season and they are coping very well.

This season’s experiences will put the whole team in a stronger position come next year with promotion being a real possibility or based on the great numbers at training, they are considering the longer term option of bringing in a second team, either way the ladies have a great platform to build from.

The junior section saw the most changes with not only a new training slot but a whole new coaching set-up as the hockey guru Alan Muller was finally able to hang up his coaching kit. The club are so grateful for his dedication over the many years and virtually every player within the whole club have benefited from his knowledge, coaching and experience at some point.

The new team of myself, Kristof Saunders and Claire James had a tough act to follow but we are doing an excellent job ensuring the sessions remain safe and fun yet challenging for all those that attend; there are some really encouraging signs of even better things to come as the team steadily develops. The numbers have grown slightly but we are really keen for both more under 12s and more boys of any age to start coming forward to maintain a healthy supply of skilled players to eventually bolster the senior teams.

The juniors are blessed to have an excellent parent set-up and support network that enables five different junior teams to play a small selection of games and tournaments throughout the season. This plays a pivotal role in their development and gives them so much enjoyment that is hard to replicate in training.

As the whole club looks forward to next year, the continued theme across all sections is the desire to grow and develop as a club, so no matter what your age or ability you will find a warm welcome awaiting you at Bude Hockey Club. All training takes place on Wednesday’s on the astroturf pitch at Budehaven Sports Centre.

To find out more about the club, visit www.budehockey.org.uk or call Andy Davis on 07729029561.