BASINGSTOKE Hockey Club, will hold its annual season opener welcoming for returning players and newcomers on Saturday September 2, with the ladies from 10am and men from 1pm with a barbecue in between.

Youth training starts on Monday September 4 from 7pm for under-14 to under-16s, whilst their very popular mini’s coaching will begin on the weekend of September 9 and 10.

Although it has been summer ‘closed’ season, Basingstoke players have been far from idle, participating in Ladies and Mixed summer tournaments and even fielding a men’s cricket side in a evening league.

Their development team have got in some friendlies against Fleet and Eweshot as well.

Fitness started in earnest in July, with pre-season training running throughout August.

Sarah Mainprise of the ladies second team has been gathering yet more gold medals whilst on England duties again at the Over-55s European Championship held at Tilburg, in the Netherlands. England beating Ireland convincingly 4-1 in the final.

Down Grange, has also been very busy, as it hosted the Over-60s Regional Tournament (run by Miranda Smith and Sarah Mainprise), with one of our own players Sue Pett in the winning South Ladies side (coached by Mark Smith).

They also welcomed goalkeepers from right across the south for a goalkeeping training weekend, run by some of the best goalie coaches in the country.

The club also ran another successful Back2Hockey program with Sarah Mainprise and Clare Keenan, which saw 15 new players that wanted to try hockey for the first time or come back to the sport after a break.

Basingstoke Hockey Club is a family friendly and very social hockey club that always welcomes new players and volunteers of all abilities.

Please check out their website Basingstoke-hockey.com for more information on what’s on or to get in touch.