Greetings all and hope you all had a wonderful Xmas/New Year period. As we resume regular hockey service this month, it’s an opportune time to update you all on a few things going on around the club.

Sit down and grab a cuppa, there's a lot to cover...

THE PITCH
After a poor run of weather and drain blockages pre-Xmas, the pitch was looking in a pretty sad state. Pleased to say the school has performed some maintenance and it's looking much better. Regular attention will stretch the life of the pitch a little longer before it is replaced, hopefully during next season depending on school budgets.

CLUB EQUIPMENT
Equipment reminder - look after your stuff! Not only is it important to collect your own kit at the end of each match or training session (every week there seem to be messages flying around for sticks, tops, shin pads, boots..) but also club gear as well. Over the break a couple of avid walkers in Nonsuch Park found 10 balls which had strayed over the fence. These cost the club money we don't need to waste - if you put it over the fence, please go fetch it!

Has anyone seen the Crazy Catch? It's an important piece of training kit for goalkeepers. Someone will have picked it up from senior practice, probably to look after it for until the next session as we can't store it on site...and then forgotten about it. If you might have given it a lift home, please check your boot/garage/shed.

PERSONAL SAFETY
We had an unfortunate incident on the weekend where one of our senior men copped a stick to the mouth. Thankfully he was wearing a gum shield which saved his teeth. Hockey can be a dangerous sport - please ensure all players wear one, teeth are too important to lose. Get well soon Jonty, hope it doesn't ruin your wedding photos!

CLUB EVENTS
Over at the Sports Club, we have a problem with teas for the next few weeks as the catering contract has ended. Teams will need to improvise until the vacancy is filled.

Senior Club Social Events - put these dates in your diaries.

Quiz Night - Sat Feb 2
End of Season Function - Sat April 6.

Dates for junior events will be finalised soon.

WE NEED YOU
Planning Ahead - if you're interested in getting more involved in the club, we'd love to hear from you. Coaching, Umpiring, joining the Exec Committee or helping out in some other way - there are lots of ways to help out and now is the time to start thinking for next season.

In particular, there will be a swathe of coaching courses around Surrey in April and they will fill up fast. As a club, we need to continually keep upgrading our coaches with formal qualifications and we will support everyone who is willing to do the courses. Parents who coach often only last as long as their kids are still juniors - would you like to get involved in mentoring our next generation of players? You might be a parent who wants to get more involved with developing your child or a player who wants to earn some money out of coaching in the future. You do not have to play the sport to coach or umpire it - it might help but sometimes it's better not to have bad habits already!

There are a wide range of courses available (introduction to coaching through to elite coaching pathway) and the club will assist you to gain the formal qualifications and the experience to back it up. Similarly for umpiring, there are regular courses in our area and for some people, it might be the chance to exert more influence on the match than they can by playing!

CLUB GEAR
Playing kit - the club have bought back all our remaining stock from the OnlineSportsStore, now it's time to sell it off by the end of the season. Bargains galore as all stock must go! Click here for details - https://secure.pitchero.com/clubs/cheamhockeyclub/payments/category/teamwear

FEES
And last but not least - membership fees. The club stays afloat by members paying their annual membership and match fees. There is no magic money tree. When players don't pay, that means we have less money to spend on pitch hire, coaches, equipment, insurance etc.. And it's unfair for those who pay their way to be subsidising those who don't. For anyone who has yet to pay this season, take this as a final warning. We will soon start refusing match selection or training for players yet to pay. The deadline was the end of October, there's been plenty of time. (Naturally, new recruits get a bit of leeway but please contact the Membership Secretary).

That's enough for now, see you down at the pitch!

Cheers
Scott