President's Update - March '25

It's been a couple of months since my last update and we've been busy in the committee organising teams, making sure you have all the resources you need and ensuring our planning for the hockey and social sides of this amazing club are running smoothly. I personally want to thank the committee for their incredible work through this hectic time - there's a great deal going on behind the scenes and without this group of incredible volunteers there would be utter chaos!

Anyway, without further ado, here are a few updates already executed or coming up soon.

WEBSITE UPDATES - EVENTS & SCHEDULES

We're excited to share that the schedules for all your games (we hope - more on that in a second) will now appear right on the Western homepage. You'll no longer need to log into PlayHQ every time you want to see the upcoming schedule - all the information will now automatically update to our homepage, further engraining westernhockey.co.nz as the best place to stay up-to-date with all the info you'll need as a member of the club.

Please note, that the information is taken from PlayHQ, not AltiusRT, so if there's a delay between those systems, it's the current PlayHQ data that will be displayed. Premier Men, Women and Reserve Women are currently online!

Adding to this, the events and news sections are also going to be regularly updated. If you need to know what or when things are coming up at Western - check there first! No more scrolling through social media to find the relevant post. And with that, we'd love to introduce our new, recurring initiative, the Double-header Social Days!

DOUBLE-HEADER SOCIAL DAYS

Double-header Social Days are a new initiative the social team are implementing to ensure the community feel that our club is so proud of continues, while simultaneously ensuring our major teams get the support they deserve! Every time the Prems have a home double-header, we're brining out the BBQ, putting up the gazebos and putting on some small games and raffles so you can win some money, bottles of tipple and if they want, the kids can come along and meet some of the Prems!

NEXT WEEKEND (22nd of March) is the first of these Social Days! It's still the pre-season for all our Division teams, so please come on down with your team for some beers on the balcony under the shade! The Prem games are at 4 and 5.30pm.

• Draw a goal-scorer out of a hat. First goalscorer for Western wins all the money in the pot! If there are none, the pot jackpots to the following game - even across double-header weekends.
• Play a carnival-type game, win a bottle! We'll put some bottles or baskets on the line with some small challenges. Couple of dollars gets you an entry - best result by the end of the day wins the bottle! What's not to love?
• BBQ and beers. We'll get the BBQ going and have the beers nice and cold so you can brag about your most recent goal with friends - even making some new ones along the way!
• Bring the kids to meet some prems. Don't be shy, kids. Come along and be part of the atmosphere - and when the prems come up after their game, say hello - maybe get a couple of tips for the days when you're up in the top leagues.

WESTIES, THIS DEPENDS ON YOU. We can provide the location, the games, the atmosphere and the opportunity, but it's only social if you're social. So after your games, come down to the club for you - to build the spirit and pride I know we all have for the club! As a special treat, this will lead straight into our first official social event of the year...

BLACKBEARD'S SALVATION - A PUBBLE

For those of you unaware, the first social event of 2025 is happening on the 22nd of March from 7pm! A Pubble is essentially an adventure pub-quiz with the trivia replaced by puzzles and some social activites (think an in-pub escape room). Gone are the days of clocking out during sports rounds because you weren't alive during the 1952 Summer Olympics - now you can use your lateral thinking and problem solving skills to get ahead!

Details for the Pubble can be found within our events, or click here to go straight to the details and to register! Limited tables, teams of 4-6 so get in early!

THE NEW SEASON IS RIGHT ON US!

Please, make sure you're registered on ClubHub, and that you've followed the link provided by your managers to register with the team on PlayHQ! It's really important we get all your smiling faces onto each of these systems so that we can make your season as stress-free as possible.

Also think about fees this year! With outstanding fees piling up over the last few years, we've made the decision to restrict players who haven't paid or set up a payment plan from the start of the season. We don't need everything up-front (though sorting that out means you can play hassle free from day 1), but we do need to pay Auckland Hockey for the running of these competitions, and if we don't have enough money, we have to pay penalties. 

GET PAID TO COACH HOCKEY AT AVCOL

Join Avondale College as a Hockey Academy Coach - $30/hr and no game commitments, just Academy

Are you passionate about hockey and committed to helping young athletes develop their skills? Avondale College are looking for a dedicated Hockey Academy Coach to guide their Year 9 students in honing their hockey abilities and understanding the game.

For more information, you can find all the details here!

FINALLY, THE AUCKLAND 5s

Finishing off this update, I wanted to send a massive shout-out to all the incredible volunteers, umpires and helpers who made the 5s possible last weekend! Without your help setting up, running the bar, the games, the teams and packing down none of this would have been possible. You're all incredible people and what make the community so great!

Also, a massive congratulations to ongratulations to our inaugural winners, and to all the incredible players who showed amazing spirit and skill over the weekend. Thanks again all for being a part of something new and exciting - here's to next year!

That's it from me. Have an incredible weekend and I'll see you down at the club