This year ABC has run four youth teams: two boys and two girls teams for year 7-10s ABC Yellow play in the A grade and ABC Black in the B grade. Games are on a Monday night and each team has an experienced adult providing on-field structure, coaching and mentoring. This is a great introduction to club hockey and also gives an opportunity for mothers and daughters, and fathers and sons to play together.
The ABC Yellow Girls team is coached by Karen Croft. Karen is a legend at ABC as player, coach, committee member and mother. She is pictured here with daughter Zoe who has been at the turf since she was a toddler and now they have the opportunity to play together.
Carey Wessels is the ABC Black Girls' team coach. Carey is relatively new to ABC having moved to New Zealand several years ago. She has already made an impact at ABC and is picture here with daughter Katie.
Garry Bishop and Andy Worrall coach the ABC Yellow Boys team. Wozza helps coach the Division 1 Men and was recently recognised with a NZ Hockey Silver Award for 20 years' service for club and province. He is pictured here with son, Toby.
Tobin Blathwayt coaches the ABC Black boys' team. His son Tom played in 2012 and 2013 coached by DJ and then Neil Ulrich and then went on to play adult hockey. This team includes J-P Badenhorst, whose father Chris won MVP for Division 2 Black in 2020.
Other families involved are brothers Liam and Shea Corrigan-McKay, siblings Matthew and Katherine Hoyte following in older brother Finbar (who plays for D2 Maroon), Summer Bonneywell whose Dad, John, and brother Jack play for D2 Yellow - these families are pictured below, father William and son Reuben D'Souza who both play for D2 Yellow, brothers Alex and Campbell Sim, and Sam and Alex Hui.
The teams will be seen practicing on a Sunday morning - working on skills for half an hour followed by an 11-a-side game where some weekend warrior parents dust off their skills.
