Why Western is right for your success
Western Districts puts a priority on ALL aspects of a person's hockey journey. So, whatever your story looks like - if you're a player, coach, umpire or want to manage, we're building the support network, pathway and community to find you the opportunities you might feel you're not getting right now
WESTERN IS WHERE HOCKEY MEETS A SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY
The welcoming community, the amazing space and our passion to do better are the extra factors that will make Western the place you can succeed
The Western resurgence is seeing the club recreate the way we treat hockey and the community
Top level hockey will always be the ultimate goal. To help players, coaches and umpires reach their personal ambitions, to provide a programme and environment that won't put limits on progression and to ensure the pathway you see is the one you can reach if you put in the work
The real bonus comes from our clubrooms and community. The benefits a person can find from friends, family and supporters welcomed to the club can be what separates someone content with one who feels they can achieve more - regardless of what area or stage of hockey you're a part of!
If this sounds like a place you can succeed, read on and get in touch!
PLAYERS!
Here's where you can find more hockey opportunities at Western Districts
Benefit from top-level coaching
Western has invested in creating a top-tier coaching program overseen by ex New Zealand coaches, PHL and International coaches and selectors
- Join a programme built with the help of New Zealand hockey and overseen by Terry Evans, ex New Zealand coach and co-ordinator and PHL representative Vic Methven, benefiting from the skills and passion brough by PHL coach and New Zealand Selector Danielle Cranston
- Whether you're playing at a high-performance level or just starting your hockey, feel confident your coaches have progression, fundamental skills and enjoyment front of mind
- As you progress on your individual pathways the coaching will remain largely consistent ensuring you can reach your personal goals within a structure that supports it
- Extra sessions for your stage in hockey, from skills sessions with elite players focused on the fundamentals to special skill development like drag-flicking to help players reach higher levels
Pathway transparency & support
We're dedicated to ensuring your pathway is laid out clearly, and are working to ensure that it's skills and development that carry you forward, not incumbency or nepotism. If you don't think you're making the progress you should be, get in touch!
- Our selection committees and the pre-defined criteria for team selections ensure players new and old know what the expections are so there are no surprises
- With teams in every grade of the Auckland competitions, the only limit to your progress is your ambition
- Indoor training facility available for player use on request to get in the extra sessions on a dreary winter's evening
- Investment in equipment to bring your hockey to the next level like Hockey 5s Boards and dynamic training aids
- Training sessions that invite cusp players to train with teams in higher grades, to better facilitiate their developement
- A commitment to supporting players who truly want to go further ensures anyone who wants to have the conversation about their performances have our backing
- Backing and as much support we can give players who want to apply for and play Auckland representative hockey
- A culture of recognition and support for players (and other achievers) when they reach their goals and milestones
- Players who have 'been there' and 'done that' who can lend their support and experience to others looking to progress their own hockey stories
Culture on top of hockey
As any good hockey player knows, progress is made so much easier with the support of family and friends. Western's clubrooms, our social schedule, events and the way we try and integrate new members means there's much more here than great hockey
- A place to socialise, watch other teams, have post-match functions or just get to know the other members of the club - Western has a clubrooms that welcomes everyone
- Monthly events for teams and players who want to meet people, create bonds and make the most of what our community brings - events like golf tournaments, pub quizzes, clublympics (sports meets Squid Games), massive Derby Weekends, Hockey 5s, Summer hockey, murder mysteries, lawn bowls and everything in-between!
- Mid-season fun for our Junior players over Winter and Summer - like Christmas and Halloween dress-up events and even the occasional Superhero and Star Wars day if it's close enough!
- Out-of-the-box benefits like the ability to promote your business or be part of our volunteer system to pay off your fees by helping out around the club
COACHES & MANAGERS
We're working hard to make coaching accessible and effective - no matter where you start
Enjoy a system built to scale
Western are investing in giving our members the extra boost, however they enjoy our amazing sport. For coaches, that looks like a system that allows them to teach, succeed and enjoy doing it!
- A tiered system helping coaches know when and how to teach the fundamentals
- The ability for coaches to bring their own flavour to a team while ensuring the work they do allows them to express their own experiences and methods into the system
- Investment into the coaching through subsidies of national and international programmes
- Support system allowing our less experienced coaches to learn from and train with our more experienced ones
- Recognition and celebration of our members committed to passing on hockey knowledge and organising the teams we put into the competitions
UMPIRES
Renewed investment for those of us brave enough to oversee hockey games
Celebrating the umpires making our sport great
Committed to defining umpires as the most important people on the field
- Creating a community that supports, encourages and respects the incredible work umpires do for the teams, the games and the competition
- Providing resources to members who take on the umpiring challenge - helping them achieve the goals they set out for themselves where we can
- Working with AHUA to ensure umpires have what they need when supporting Western at our events and games
SUPPORTERS
Western is a club that prioritises community - were no matter your involvement, we hope you can find the friendships, passion and support you're looking for
A culture that transcends the sport
As a supporter, you're the life of the club for those you're supporting and those around them. Teams thrive under the watchful eyes of those who love, support and encourage them - and by being that critical aspect of our community, we want to ensure we look after you as best we can!
- Western has their own space to socialise, watch other teams, have post-match functions or just get to know the other members of the club. Our clubroom welcomes everyone - regardless of their club affiliation - and the drinks are always cold, inexpensive to offset the hot, crispy wedges!
- Monthly events for members who want to meet people, create bonds and make the most of what our community brings - events like golf tournaments, pub quizzes, clublympics (sports meets Squid Games), massive Derby Weekends, Hockey 5s, Summer hockey, murder mysteries, lawn bowls and everything in-between!
- Committee and social members who are determined to promote the social environment. Making it easy to approach and get to know them and by association, the remainder of the club
- We make our volunteers a priority here at Western. If you don't play, coach, manage, umpire or anything in between - even if you've never held a stick in your life - there's a place for you to be an important and integral part of our community
- Take a leaner out to the balcony, get behind your team and you'll find people joining you in no-time
- Finally, the TV is always there in the corner to look after the kids if they can't sit still!
CONTACT US
© Western Districts Hockey Club
