By Amy Filippone, Dept. of Parks & Recreation
Fall is right around the corner, and registration has begun for girls’ field hockey leagues and clinics. Most will take place at the beautiful turf fields at Wesley Bishop Park off of North Church Street.
Field hockey is a fast-paced sport and is a great way to develop coordination and mental acuity. It’s a good cardiovascular workout, and tracking the fast motion of the ball requires rapid reflexes and agility. Team building is a great experience for young people to develop sportsmanship and interpersonal skills.
A clinic for girls in second through fourth grades will run concurrently with leagues. It is designed to help improve stick skills in preparation for games played on Sundays. Sticks will be provided. Mouth guards, shin guards, field hockey approved goggles and sneakers or rubber cleats are mandatory for all leagues and clinics. Disposable bottles and food are not allowed on the turf fields. Clinics are held every Wednesday beginning Sept. 16 through Oct. 21 from 5 to 6 p.m.
Girls’ field hockey leagues for the two younger age groups; first and second grades and third and fourth grades will be on Sundays beginning Sept. 20 through Oct. 25 from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Team assignments will be announced the first Sunday, Sept. 20 when the first game is held. No prior knowledge of field hockey is required.
For girls in fifth and sixth grade there is higher commitment requirement. This is a limited travel league that participates in the South Jersey Youth Field Hockey League. Teams will have practices on Wednesdays and Thursdays and one or two games per week on Sundays. Games will be held in various locations such as Medford, Gloucester, and Collingswood and can be scheduled anytime between noon to 7 p.m. Players must attend practices in order to be rostered for games. Early practices may start in August with the first game on Sept. 13.
For girls entering seventh and eighth grades, there will be at least one team participating in the South Jersey Youth Field Hockey League. This is also a travel team with games at various locations, also on Sundays beginning Sept. 13. Previous field hockey experience is required. No in-season weekday practices since the expectation is the players will be on the middle school field hockey team.
Please visit www.moorestownrec.com to register and for full details on the leagues and clinic.
