PUBLISHED 23 March 2023
After an impressive hockey season both on the team front and individually the hockey-mad AKS players were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime experience as they attended a Hockey Masterclass led by Olympic Gold Medallist and ex-England & GB Captain Alex Danson – Bennett, held at the school earlier this week.
After presenting the prizes at the last AKS Sports Presentation Evening in July last year, Alex, a prolific goal scorer for England and GB returned to the school to inspire the pupils once again by delivering three coaching sessions to pupils from Year 5 to 11. Once again she was an inspiration. During the sessions the young players were treated to some superb skill demonstrations that saw many mouths drop in admiration. Ways of beating a player, ways of passing the ball and working with another teammate to beat the opposition were covered in the two-hour sessions and all the players from the youngest to the most experienced loved the practices and challenges she set them. Alex also gave the players an insight into what it is like to be an ‘international hockey player’, the practices they do every week and she also highlighted the importance of teamwork.
AKS hockey coach Kelly Ferguson, who organized the whole day, said “Alex has been fantastic. She has such a lovely way with the players and made each and every one of them feel special today. I am sure this will have inspired many of our very talented players to want to follow in her footsteps”.
A parent of a Year 8 pupil said, “What a truly amazing experience. Madeleine was absolutely buzzing tonight and we have had countless demonstrations this evening of what she has learnt.”
After the sessions, all the young players came off the pitch having had quote “a great time” and where they “ learnt new skills, especially ‘the spin’", which no doubt we will see on the pitch in the months ahead!
After the Rio Olympic Games, where Alex and her GB team achieved a lifetime ambition of winning gold, one of the team’s aims was to inspire the next generation of hockey players and Alex certainly did that with her visit to AKS. The school is now looking to continue their association with Alex and hope to organise a summer camp with the Alex Danson Academy in August.