Year 7 Hockey Tour to Nottingham – Independent Schools Hockey Festival

The Year 7 hockey squad travelled to Nottingham to compete in the Independent Schools Hockey Festival, setting off with the minibus packed full of kit bags, suitcases, and plenty of excitement for the trip ahead. A stop en route gave everyone the chance to stretch their legs before arriving at the Igloo Hostel, where the girls settled into their rooms and enjoyed some downtime ahead of two days of high-level hockey competition.

 

After breakfast, the team headed to the National Hockey Centre ready for their opening match at 10:00am. AKS faced a strong line-up of opposition throughout the day, playing against Kirkham Grammar, Dame Allan’s, Kimbolton, King’s Macclesfield, Kingston Grammar and St Teresa’s.

Despite challenging weather conditions and the final game being abandoned due to thunder and lightning, the girls produced some excellent performances. Day one finished with 1 win, 2 draws and 3 narrow defeats, with every match closely contested. Impressively, the team found the back of the net in every game except one, highlighting their attacking intent and creativity throughout the day. After a very wet day on the pitches, the team returned to the hostel to warm up before heading out in the evening to enjoy a well-earned meal together.

 

Thankfully, the weather was a complete contrast on the final day. Although there were some tired legs after the previous day’s efforts, the girls were full of energy and ready to compete once again. Another day of fantastic hockey followed, played to an exceptionally high standard throughout.

The squad dug deep and finished the festival strongly, recording 2 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat. Once again, the girls showed their attacking quality, scoring in all but one game across the entire festival. The tour was a fantastic experience for all involved, with the girls showing great resilience, teamwork and determination throughout whilst representing AKS brilliantly both on and off the pitch.