On Sunday, January 27, 2008 the Chicago Field Hockey Club (CFHC) had some very special guests take part in their indoor practice session: 10 students from West Park Academy. The students, 8 boys and 2 girls ranging from 10 to 14 years old, were equipped with brand new hockey sticks, thanks to a grant from the U.S. Field Hockey Association, and a ton of excitement and enthusiasm to watch and learn field hockey from seasoned, adult players.

Ms. Justine Schramke, a teacher at West Park Academy and a member of the Chicago Field Hockey Club, organized the trip for the students. Ms. Schramke started a club field hockey team at her school after being awarded an equipment grant by the U.S. Field Hockey Association. The club has been practicing twice a week since last Fall, and is looking forward to moving outdoors in the Spring. They hope to schedule games with some other area middle school teams for the 2008 season. The children seem to enjoy the game and were excited to learn new hockey skills from watching the grown ups.

Klaus Casper from CFHC organized practice drills for the students, and all of the CFHC players in attendance helped out, teaching new skills to the children. Some parents attended the outing and were very glad to see their children learning a new sport from the adults.

By the end of the practice session, the students had already learnt some new skills and were dribbling and pushing the ball with a lot of confidence and were eager to score goals against CFHC Goal Keeper, Josh Cooper. Ms. Schramke was happy that the students were able to play the game of field hockey with experienced players and hopes that the mentoring from the afternoon will encourage the youngsters to continue playing the game in the future. CFHC players were thankful for the opportunity to be able coach and be an inspiration to the youngsters. The kids hope to come back again in the future to take part in a real game, The Kids vs. the Oldies. Look out CFHC!

Betsy & Faizal