It was a wonderful day of girls supporting girls, teamwork and sporting spirit as the Hockey Mentors joined us on Thursday, 19th September for the official opening of our refurbished Inskips hockey pitch.
Players from Wales, York, and the Wirral joined us for a day of training with Team GB and Framlingham College Head of Hockey, Lisa Letchford, after which College Principal Louise North did the honours of officially opening the pitch with a ribbon–cutting ceremony, followed by a pitch blessing by our Chaplain Rev Canon Brynn Bayman.
The College’s 1st XI girls team then played the Mentors side in the first official match to take place on the new astro.
Captain of the College’s 1st XI team, Emily H said: “The new pitch is amazing, we’ve had a few training sessions on it already and it’s made a huge difference to play. Looking ahead, as a team we are feeling really positive; our pre-season was very good with lots of improvements, so we are very excited for the season.
“Hockey is a great space to be with your friends and do something that you enjoy outside of an academic setting. During pre-season we became a lot closer as a team and I’m honoured to be the Captain this year. It’s wonderful to have such responsibility and be able to embrace the leadership opportunity, support the team and watch the girls grow as individuals.”
1st XI team player, Poppy D-R said: “It’s such a momentous day for the team as we play our first match on the new pitch. The Hockey Mentors are a very good team and hopefully it will be inspiring for those watching to try hockey.”
1st XI team player, Edith D said: “Hockey is a brilliant escape and release from academics. Our coach, Lisa Letchford is so understanding with our school and sport balance. We have three core values: being relentless, being brave and being engaged, which run through the core of our team and we always encourage other, maintain positivity and never give up.”
It was a fantastic match, showcasing incredible teamwork and technique, but it was the Hockey Mentors who took home the victory finishing 6-3.
We wish all our girls the very best of luck for the upcoming season and we look forward to welcoming our friends from the Hockey Mentors back again soon.
