A couple of weeks ago, our #FridayFocus feature highlighted our Education Committee and educational structure as a whole.
Today, we are doing the same but with our Development Projects Committee! Development has also been part of our features, from #Twinning updates to #ParaHockey. The Committee is headed by Gianni Rossi (ITA) and supported by our Education and Development Manager Norman Hughes.
The Development Projects committee has one aim: to grow and develop hockey across Europe. To do this, we work on increasing the number of players and helping bridge the gap between our highly developed hockey nations and our developing hockey nation.
Increasing the number of players is about getting everyone to play. It’s about #Hockey4All, one of the key initiatives of this committee and of EHF itself. From this initiative, we focus on youth events and youth festivals, like the EHF Caravan which brings hockey to kids around Europe. The committee also has created a Youth Panel, which works to give a voice to young people within our organisation and hockey and supports the committee’s activities. The Youth Panel has just appointed a new leader, Leen Ryckx.
Our Youth Panel in 2015This initiative also covers ParaHockey, which continues to rise in profile and participation numbers and has now been fully integrated into our EuroHockey Championships. Every two years we hold the Euro ParaHockey Championships, and we support and promote several ParaHockey events per year. Hockey4All is really just that: everyone can play the game and is welcome to the Hockey Family!
Germany’s ParaHockey team meeting Germany’s national team at the Unibet EuroHockey Championships in 2015But to develop hockey, you also need equipment. This committee also has a pitches and kit section, where we try to find a home for second hand carpets, so developing nations can have a surface for their players. Our Give and Get programme also facilitates kit donation between nations and clubs.
Last but not least, the committee supports National Associations and Club Development. For National Associations, we share information and resources from other nations and FIH (Links here), as well as provide financial and logistical support when needed, helping with strategic plans and grants. As part of our Club support scheme, we award our EHF Club of the Year prize to highlight clubs who make strides into growth, youth, inclusion and infrastructure.
One of the 2015 EHF Club of the Year winners, Uddingston HCMake sure to follow our #FridayFocus hashtag to follow our Education and Development news and updates!
Do you have any questions? Do you need help starting a ParaHockey team or a youth section? Please contact us!