ENGLAND & GB HOCKEY RENEW AGREEMENT WITH NOTTS SPORT AS OFFICIAL FACILITIES PARTNER UNTIL 2023

England Hockey & GB Hockey renew partnership with Notts Sport

Leading synthetic surfacing supplier Notts Sport will continue its ongoing support for hockey by extending its successful relationship with England & GB Hockey as the organisation’s Official Facilities Partner.

The renewed partnership, which will run until 2023, means Notts Sport continues their fantastic work, ensuring that clubs, schools and local authorities can deliver the best new and refurbished hockey facilities to help grow the game in communities up and down the country.

The announcement comes eight years after Notts Sport began working with England & GB Hockey, offering Facility Design, Advice & Funding opportunities. The extension of the partnership provides an emphatic endorsement of the quality of service the company provides.

As well as the renewal of the Official Facilities Partner of England & GB Hockey, Notts Sport are also proud to announce their continuation as Title Partner of the Schools Championships for Boys. Notts Sport has supported this event, which runs annually, to grow participation levels at schools around the country. In the extended partnership, the company will carry on working alongside the Facilities Team to award Club of the Year at our annual Awards Dinner plus supporting our Development Team in providing exceptional support to our Hockey Family across the country.

Notts Sport Managing Director Duncan Bennett says: “We are delighted to be renewing our partnership with England Hockey which began back in 2012 with an audit of various hockey pitches to support a wider piece of work the Facilities Team were working on at the time.  Almost a decade later, we have been fortunate enough to provide hundreds of clubs across England with valuable support, information and advice that assisted them with their hockey pitch schemes and as a result, delivered many projects. 

We are extremely excited to continue the relationship with England & GB Hockey because the changes we are seeing both in pitch and turf technology and for sport in general will drive innovation and improvements. Our partnership is a key relationship to Notts Sport, and we look forward to supporting the Hockey Family via new ways to educate and inform discussions around these changes and how we can all embrace the best options provided.”

England & GB Hockey CEO Nick Pink “We are delighted to have extended our partnership with Notts Sport through to 2023. The market-leading work they undertake with our clubs and schools is critical to the facility provision for hockey and the support they provide our initiatives. We look forward to working with Duncan and his team as hockey continues to make positive strides on and off the pitch.” 

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England Hockey OFFICIAL PARTNERS

ENGLAND HOCKEY RENEW AGREEMENT WITH NOTTS SPORT AS OFFICIAL FACILITIES PARTNER UNTIL 2021

Leading synthetic surfacing supplier Notts Sport will continue its ongoing support for hockey by extending its successful relationship with England Hockey as the organisation’s Official Facilities Partner.

The renewed partnership, which will run until 2021, means Notts Sport continue their fantastic work in collaboration with England Hockey, ensuring that clubs, schools and local authorities can deliver the best new and refurbished hockey facilities to help grow the game in communities up and down the country.

The announcement comes four years after Notts Sport began working with England Hockey, offering Facility Design, Advice & Supply. The extension of the partnership provides an emphatic endorsement of the quality of service the company provides.

As well as the renewal of the Official Facilities Partnership, England Hockey and Notts Sport are also proud to announce their continuation as Official HockeyFest Partner. With Notts Sport’s help and the uplift in exposure hockey has received following the Olympics campaign, the 2016 HockeyFest initiative was successful in inspiring young and old alike to pick up a stick. Notts Sport has supported this fantastic nationwide event, which runs annually, to grow participation levels at hockey clubs around the country. In the extended partnership, the company will carry on working alongside England Hockey to encourage people to give the sport a try whilst enhancing the relationship between clubs and their communities.

Not only will Notts Sport continue with both these partnerships, the company has also announced that it is extending its investment within hockey. From the 2017, Notts Sport is proud to become Title Partner of the Schools Championships for Boys and the England Hockey Schools Conference. This will help to extend the reach of hockey even further giving more opportunities for children to play and be involved in hockey.

England Hockey Commercial Director Jon Cockcroft says: “We are delighted to have extended our partnership with Notts Sport through to 2021.  The market-leading work they undertake with our clubs and schools is critical to the facility provision for hockey and the support they provide our initiatives, such as HockeyFest, enhances the experience for existing and new players alike.  We look forward to working with Duncan and his team as hockey continues to make positive strides on and off the pitch.”

Notts Sport Managing Director Duncan Bennett says: “We care passionately about hockey and our partnership with England Hockey goes far beyond a pitch. We are equally as proud of HockeyFest and our involvement in supporting hockey as a sport, as we are the ongoing delivery of high-quality hockey pitches throughout England.

“We are extremely proud of the continued success of our relationship with England Hockey since we began in 2012 and look forward to an exciting period for the sport, building from the success of Rio 2016 with ambitious plans for the future development of the game.”

 

HOCKEY WALES BEGIN PARTNERSHIP WITH NOTTS SPORT AS OFFICIAL FACILITIES PARTNER

Leading synthetic surfacing supplier Notts Sport have taken their support for grassroots hockey to a whole new level, after being chosen as Hockey Wales’ Official Facilities Partner.

The new partnership will see Notts Sport work closely with Hockey Wales to ensure that clubs, schools and local authorities can deliver the best facilities to help grow the game in communities throughout Wales.

The announcement comes two years after Notts Sport became Official Partner to England Hockey, and is the latest step towards ensuring a strong foundation for the sport across the whole of Great Britain.

Since Team GB’s Olympic gold medal win in Rio 2016, hockey participation levels have risen dramatically, with record numbers taking up the sport and joining clubs across the UK. Notts Sport are committed to ensure that as the sport grows and improves, so too do the standard of facilities available, to guarantee that players of all abilities are able to benefit from the use of a good quality hockey pitch.

Notts Sport have recently completed a number of high quality hockey facilities in Wales, including at Stanwell School, where Penarth Hockey Club are now able to train. Membership across this club has almost doubled in size since its completion, with the men’s and ladies’ teams demonstrating an improvement in collaborative working, sharing umpires and coaches and providing coaching to schools in the community.

Stanwell School, Penarth, Wales

This alliance will see the important continued development of specialised sand filled, sand dressed and water based hockey pitches of an international standard in Wales, necessary to further the success of players and teams in the region.

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Notts Sport’s Managing Director Duncan Bennett says:

“We are excited by the opportunity to work in partnership with Hockey Wales, establishing us as the leading hockey provider in the UK.

As a company we have a strong history of delivering hockey pitches throughout Wales since the late 1980s with over 50 Notts Sport pitches completed since that time.

This heritage, coupled with our knowledge and expertise of hockey facilities, means we believe it is a perfect opportunity to partner with Hockey Wales and help their team achieve their facility strategy over the coming years.”

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David Phenis, Chief Executive to Hockey Wales adds:

“We are delighted to have Notts Sport on side in our continued efforts to ensure more quality playing surfaces in Wales.

The effects of their work with Penarth Hockey Club at Stanwell School are already being felt across the region and the prospect of further collaborations, such as this, is very exciting.

The expertise available through this new partnership will be invaluable over the coming years, and I believe will help us realise our vision of thriving hockey communities across Wales.”

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The leading sports surfacing brand are looking forward to offering their expertise in both new build hockey pitches and facility refurbishments to clubs, schools and local authorities throughout Wales, at the requisition of the governing body.

Further information about Notts Sport’s range of pitches and systems for hockey is available at www.nottssport.com.

[Action photos by SmifSports Photography]

Maddie Hinch Celebrates HockeyFest

With HockeyFest in full swing in the wake of Team GB’s Olympic gold medal success, we visited the grand opening of the new Bromley & Beckenham HC facility to join in the party. The nation’s new favourite goalie, Maddie Hinch, came along to test out the new pitch, coach the team and give some advice to the club’s young players…

We spoke to Maddie in the middle of her whirlwind fortnight since returning from Rio, making appearances on The One Show, Sunday Brunch, Radio 2, Sky Sports and The Johnathan Ross Show. Despite her new showbiz calendar, she told the crowd that it was the grass roots, local community events such as HockeyFest that she had been looking forward to most since winning a gold medal:

“To think that we’ve inspired a generation through the Olympic success is massive to us – it’s actually the main thing we want to do more than anything: to inspire the future and get hockey on the map, to get more people picking up sticks is really important, and the medal is just a bonus.” Maddie Hinch

What is HockeyFest?

HockeyFest is a series of events at hockey clubs all over the country during August and September. These social sports days, hosted by Great Britain Hockey in partnership with Notts Sport, are designed to encourage players of all ages and experiences to get involved, pick up a stick, and join in the hockey community. Everyone from pros to newbies are welcome to try something new and have a bit of fun in friendly atmosphere, with clubs organising BBQs, bake offs, off-pitch challenges, fancy dress and games.

“My favourite thing about HockeyFest is the fact that there’s people here picking up a stick for the very first time. It’s an easy opportunity for people to just come down and experience hockey without having to sign up for anything. You can just literally get down here and enjoy it and there’s a bit of a party atmosphere which makes it all the better!” Maddie Hinch

How can I get involved?

The easiest way to get involved is to come along to a HockeyFest near you, and give the sport a go for free.

“For hockey newcomers I would just recommend getting down there and make sure you try all the different positions. Don’t just focus on being a defender, goalie or forward, try it all, because you never know what you might suit!” Maddie Hinch

Find out where your nearest event is here, and join in the fun!

 

Sam Ward counts down to the Olympics

We spoke to our Hockey Ambassador, Sam Ward, ahead of his first Olympic Games to see how he and Team GB are preparing for their summer in Rio…

1. Team GB…

Q: What is your favourite memory from previous Olympics?

A: I remember watching 2012 and saying ’I want to be at the next Olympics’. Now it has become true it is the one memory which really sticks in my head.

2. Career…

Q: If you weren’t an international hockey player, what career would you have chosen?

A: If I could have chosen a career I would have been a cricketer. If I couldn’t be that though I would be a car salesman.

3. Music…

Q: What music helps you get into zone before a match?

A: Anything with a strong beat/rhythm tends to get me going.

 

4. Diet & Training…

Q: Does your diet or routine change when building up to a major international tournament?

A: It doesn’t really differ at all throughout the year. We stick to what food helps you to perform at the best of your ability, apart from pre tournaments we maybe focus more on tactical elements.

5. Tour Life…

Q: Which country did you enjoy touring the most?

A: My favourite place we have been recently is Australia.

6. Travel Essentials…

Q: What are your top five travel essentials you couldn’t live without?

A:  My hockey stick, trainers, phone, Ipad, and a travel adapter!

7. Globetrotting…

Q: How do you overcome jetlag when playing in different countries?

A: We have very good support staff who advise when is best to sleep and not to sleep to help recover from it as fast as possible.

8. Rest…

Q: When touring abroad do you get time soak up the local culture?

A: Not very often as the main thing is to perform as well as we can on the pitch, so rest is the main priotiry in down time.

9. Climates and Altitudes…

Q: Do different climates and altitudes affect you the way in which you prepare for a match?

A: On game day it does not affect what we do. But for a tournament for example we may do acclimatisation training before we leave in preparation.

10.  Memory Lane…

Q: What is your earliest sporting memory?

A: I remember scoring for my school hockey team when I was 6!

11.  Advice…

Q: What would your top tip be to any young and aspiring Hockey player?

A: Never give up, if you believe then you can definitely achieve.

12. Rio 16…

Q: How does it feel to be chosen as part of the Great Britain Olympic team?

A: I can’t put into words how amazing it feels. It was always a childhood dream. But it’s not about just being selected, it’s about performing and winning a medal.

 

 

Drone Diary

The Notts Sport team have been getting to grips with the latest development in photographic technology: The DJI Phantom 3 Drone. We asked our Twitter followers to choose its name, and ‘The Drone Ranger’ won in a landslide victory!

This month The Drone Ranger has been all over the country, photographing  completed facilities at Etone College; Holyrood Academy; Gillingham Anchorians HC; Holcombe HC; Hackney’s Mabley Green Park; and Oundle School. This fantastic bit of kit enables us to take bird’s-eye-view images and videos at a height of 500m, allowing us to capture the entirety of our pitches and playgrounds from the sky for the first time.

Keep a lookout on social media using the tag #DroneDiary to see where in the UK The Drone Ranger will pop up next.

Holcombe Hockey Club, Chatham

Holyrood Academy, Somerset

Oundle School, Northamptonshire

Mabley Green Park, Hackney

Gillingham Anchorians, Kent

England Hockey Selects Notts Sport As First Ever Official Facilities Partner

Leading synthetic surfacing supplier Notts Sport has taken its support for grassroots hockey to a whole new level – after being chosen as England Hockey’s Official Facilities Partner.

The new partnership will see Notts Sport work closely with England Hockey to ensure that clubs, schools and local authorities can deliver the best new and refurbished hockey facilities to help grow the game in communities up and down the country.

The announcement comes just two years after Notts Sport became Approved Supplier to England Hockey for Facility Design, Advice & Supply, and provides an emphatic endorsement of the quality of service the company provides.

As well as Official Facilities Partner, Notts Sport is also proud to announce it is the Official Club Weekend Partner of England Hockey from 2015. This fantastic nationwide event runs annually each September, providing a series of events at hockey clubs around the country which encourages people to give the sport a try and enhance the relationship between clubs and their communities.

Notts Sport Sales Director Duncan Bennett says: “As proud supporters of the grassroots game, we’re absolutely delighted to have been selected as England Hockey’s first ever Official Facilities Partner.

“During our two years as an England Hockey approved supplier, we have provided our unrivalled service to deliver high-quality hockey facilities to more clubs, schools and local authorities than ever before – and it’s a tremendous honour to have our work recognised with the award of Official Partner status.”

Jonathan Cockcroft, Commercial & Membership Director for England Hockey, adds: “We are delighted that Notts Sports has become both our Official Club Weekend and Official Facilities Partner. Having worked together to improve hockey facility provision over the past two years, we have been impressed by their extensive knowledge and collaborative approach.”

Further details can be found by clicking here: England Hockey Partnership