Knighthawks attracting new players as field hockey continues to grow

Local youth got a chance to try out a sport they may have never played before.

On Monday, April 17, the Nepean Knighthawks hosted a special Try-it Night at the Nepean Sportsplex Minto Field. Youth were required to preregister, but the evening was free. They had to bring only running shoes, shin pads and water bottles.

The program was intended to introduce the sport of field hockey to boys and girls aged 8-14 in the community. The club provided sticks, and players were taught the basic skills of field hockey by experienced players and coaches.

The Knighthawks are running youth programs for boys and girls from U10 through U18:

U10, U12 Co-ed: The program will run for 12 weeks from April until the end of June. Sessions will be Sunday afternoons and Tuesday evenings. This program includes the Nepean Junior Fest Tournament. Any additional tournaments will require an extra fee.

U14, U16, U18 Girls, and

Junior Boys: The program will run for 12 weeks from April until the end of June. Sessions Sunday afternoons and Tuesday or Thursday evenings. This program includes the Nepean Youth Fest Tournament. Any additional tournaments will require an extra fee.

The club also has a Stick Together Program, which includes free programming for both Indigenous and newcom- er youth. Athletes will have the opportunity to participate in the above listed programs barrier free.

Training Group 1 (TG1) is a competitive training program for Junior Nighthawk athletes to excel in competition. This program is supplementary to regular club training and will include hockey training, fitness, and sport-psychology preparation. For the 2023 sea-