CHAPTER 5
HOCKEY
2023 was a rewarding and enriching year for the Hockey players in all divisions . The year started with the enrolment of new players in both A and C-Divisions , who grew to match the rhythm of current players through the CCA ’ s activities and events .
One of the new initiatives endorsed and supported by the Ministry of Education is the inter-school CCA collaborations . As part of this initiative , Josephians interacted with fellow Hockey players from Northland Secondary School ( NSS ). This new initiative brings together the C-Division teams of both schools every alternate Monday , on Northland ’ s fullsized hockey pitch .
This arrangement has greatly helped to hone the skills of the new and current players . More importantly , it has strengthened camaraderie among the C-Division players . As a result , the C-Division boys were able to perform beyond expectations during the National Schools Games ( NSG ) before they bowed out in the quarter finals .
The B-Division team started their NSG season in February , whereas the A-Division started theirs in March . As this is the last year for some of the senior players , they gave their utmost on the pitch . They also led their juniors in various exercises that helped to improve the players ’ stamina and technical skills . For example , players completed a 4km run before each training session and beep tests were conducted regularly to assess the fitness level of each player .
Gameplay before the match against St Andrew ’ s Secondary School
To further enhance the skills of the players , SJI hockey also participated in the Under-15 and Under-19 Pesta Sukan tournament in August . The A-Division team competed in the Singapore Hockey Federation Division 5 League Team , which also comprised Year 3 players . These players were specially selected from across the A and B-Divisions based on their skills and commitment to the sport . Under the dedicated leadership of Aloysius Ong Pin ( LE509 ) and Toby Foo Leong Sau ( ML512 ), the team played 14 matches from July to October . Even though the standard of Division 5 is much higher than that at the NSG , Josephian players were not at all intimidated . Instead , they improved with every match and have undoubtedly gained much in match exposure and experience .
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