Hockey SA

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (15:39): I rise to speak about Hockey SA, the principal governing body for hockey in South Australia, which acts on behalf of its members to grow and progress the sport through espousing excellence on and off the field. Hockey SA endeavours to promote good sportsmanship, integrity and transparency, financial responsibility and sustainability, ethical leadership and innovation in the game, and inclusivity to encourage the involvement of South Australians of all backgrounds and abilities.

I had the privilege of representing the Premier and the Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing at its recent 2019 awards night, which recognised the outstanding achievements and services to hockey within South Australia by individuals, clubs and regional associations. At this prestigious event, the hockey community gathered together for the presentation of numerous awards including Club of the Year, Coach of the Year, Outstanding Service to Hockey, Regional Association of the Year, Hockey SA Volunteer of the Year, the Female and Male Rising Stars of the Year, and the Best and Fairest of the Men's Premier League and the Women's Premier League.

For members who are not familiar with the history of Hockey SA, it was formed in 1903 to support players after the sport was introduced into South Australia by predominantly naval personnel. Significantly, hockey was initially played predominantly by women, with men's competitions only commencing at the turn of the century. I was surprised to learn it is currently the third largest participant sport in the world, after soccer and cricket, with two billion people competing at some level and involved in the game.

In South Australia, there are over 8,000 registered participants, comprising approximately 50 per cent men and 50 per cent women, with half of these players being members of one of our 23 metropolitan clubs and the other half belonging to one of the 11 associations in regional areas. The age of these players range from just six years old right through to about 70. At the elite level, we have one South Australian player on the men's national field hockey team, the Kookaburras, which are presently ranked number one in the world, and four South Australians on the women's national field hockey team, the Hockeyroos, who are ranked third in the world. Hockey SA proudly invests its time and resources into ensuring South Australia's best players have the opportunity to participate in numerous international competitions, including the Olympics, the World Cup, the Champions Trophy and the Four Nation Tournaments.

One of Hockey SA's primary mandates is, of course, to encourage greater participation in the sport. In 2018, it expanded the delivery of its Sporting Schools program to raise the profile of hockey throughout South Australian schools, with 3,000 children choosing to be involved. This marked the biggest increase in engagement in the sport through this particular initiative. A two-year funding grant from the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing to promote inclusion in the game also enabled Hockey SA to facilitate over 50 come-and-try sessions for women, where females with little or no experience were able to try the sport in a safe and friendly environment.

It was also able to introduce a new competition for males over 50, utilising a modified game format to offer men in this age group a chance to keep active, to keep competitive and to be social. These unique and innovative pursuits are just a few of the very commendable activities Hockey SA has established for the benefit of a whole cross-section of the community.

At Hockey SA's awards ceremony, I had the privilege of presenting the Female Rising Star of the Year and Male Rising Star of the Year awards. These are annually presented to participants aged between 16 and 21 who exhibit a high level of player performance for the year, including enthusiasm and commitment to the sport; a willingness to improve their knowledge and ability; superior individual skill, discipline and potential; traits of team spirit, fairness and sportsmanship; and characteristics of being a worthy role model to their peers.

The 2019 recipients were Hattie Shand and Fred Gray, both members of the Adelaide Hockey Club. I take this opportunity to once again congratulate them on their significant achievements and to wish them well in their future sporting careers, which certainly appear to be very promising. Indeed, I congratulate all of this year's award winners for their accomplishments and I have no doubt Hockey SA will continue its important work to ensure they each continue to fulfil their potential.