Some may say that the devastation of last year’s floods was a blessing in disguise for the Warwick Hockey Association as it now has the same quality field as the one that will be used in this year’s London Olympics.
Liaison officer for the flood recovery committee Sheryl Windle said 2011 was an extremely tough year for the local association that had to deal with its newly-laid surface being destroyed by floodwaters.
But with hockey being such an important part of Warwick’s fabric, members were not going to let the disaster destroy the sport’s future in the area.
“This year is a very exciting and positive year for Warwick hockey as, not only is it our rebuilding year after the devastation of the floods, but it also coincides with the London Olympics,” Ms Windle said.
“Our new field is the same as the field which will be used in the Olympics and we are the first centre on the East Coast to have this type of playing facility,” she said.
“It will be exciting for our members to have this opportunity to play on such a high quality surface and will be the envy of other centres, particularly within the South East corner.
“Although our junior players have started this year’s fixture season on the grass field, they will be playing their games on the new field as soon as construction of the fencing and dugouts has been completed.
“The juniors along with the seniors are very excited about this and eagerly await completion.
“We have already seen an influx of new members joining and are expecting a lot more.”
Ms Windle said between 250 and 300 players aged from five-years-old to 60 were expected to use the new field, which should be completed next month.
She said the hockey association had already been able to secure hosting rights for the Under 13 Boys State Championships, which could see about 20 teams converging on Warwick in June.
Local members also want to be able to host national championships in the Rose City.
Ms Windle said the association had discussed relocating the fields to a flood-free zone, however, due to the cost, members decided to rebuild on the existing grounds and hoped the new levy bank would stop any future flood damage.
She said the community had been tremendously supportive, both monetary and physically, which showed the confidence people had in the association.
Story: Rebecca Brown
