Since the Active After-school Communities (AASC) hockey program was first introduced to the Torres Strait Islands in August 2010, it has experienced great success in training local hockey coaches and attracting enthusiastic junior players.

AASC Regional Coordinator, Chris Conlon, was determined to introduce a program that encouraged both children and adults increase their physical activity and “try a new sport”. Working closely with Hockey Queensland and Dave Bell, a local Sport Officer from Tagai in Torres Strait Island, he developed an ongoing annual program which has enjoyed the solid support of local council, education officials, local media and Sport and Recreation personnel.

By training more than 50 coaches in a hockey-specific Community Coach Training Program and introducing over 400 children to the sport, the initiative established hockey as a sustainable junior sport in the region. A total of six islands participated, involving nine communities.

The standard of skill acquisition was so high that participating children were given the opportunity to compete in the annual regional inter-island carnival known as Migi Kokan.

Julie McNeil, manager of Hockey Queensland, has been encouraged by the positive and enthusiastic response of local children and their parents. “We were delighted to have the opportunity to reach so many communities,” she commented. “I was thrilled with the numbers of coaches accredited and the subsequent standard of hockey played later in the year at the Migi Kokan carnival on Thursday Island.”

At the carnival 20 children were identified and given the opportunity to attend a clinic on Thursday Island. From this group, a team were chosen to compete in Cairns at the Hockey Queensland Youth Indigenous and Remote Communities Championship.