Coaches, umpires and players descended upon the Theodosia Okoh Hockey Stadium in Ghana at the beginning of June to make yet more giant steps forward in the development of hockey in West Africa.
The week long training sessions and workshops were led by International Hockey Federation (FIH) Coach and Umpire Educators as part of the Targeted Assistance Programme (TAP) but the concentration of the players, coaches and umpires was momentarily broken at the sight of a container of equipment that turned up too.
With the TAP two years into its four-year lifespan, the delivery of a further 2,000 sticks and other hockey equipment to West African countries involved in the project was just one of the highlights of a recent trip by the TAP delivery team of Darren Cheeseman, Mark Jarvis, Michel Kinnen and Siegfreid Elkman.
Coaches from Ghana, Togo, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Nigeria have all been working to develop the sport in clubs, schools and regions and the arrival of a heap of equipment was just the boost the coaches needed.
The equipment has been collected from clubs and schools across the UK over the past few months thanks to support from FIH, UK Sport and England Hockey. It had been stored in a warehouse provided by hockey equipment specialist Barrington Sports and was transported to West Africa by logistics giant DHL.
High Performance Coach and Coach Educator Darren Cheeseman has been involved in the project from the outset. He said: “I was last here in Accra a year ago and it is really encouraging to see the development of the coaches, the players and the umpires. You always wonder whether people benefit from the work you do but it’s clear that TAP in West Africa is doing well.”
Cheeseman, himself a former international with England and Great Britain, has been working with coaches and players from Ghana for the past two years.
During that time the team has risen up the rankings to 31st in the world as well as finishing second to South Africa in the African Championships.
The emphasis of the programme has been on developing coaching and umpiring talent within West Africa so that hockey becomes sustainable when the TAP project ends in 2018.
As part of the drive for sustainability, umpires from the region are also receiving training and coaching. This is being led by FIH Umpire and Coach Educator Mark Jarvis. He said: “It is fantastic to see some very happy coaches receiving sticks and other equipment to take back to their respective countries to aid the development of hockey throughout those countries and beyond.”
Under the TAP project there are plans for further equipment deliveries; the creation of umpiring and coaching pathways to recruit and train more officials and coaches; support for elite players; and enabling Ghana hockey to host world level events.
The FIH Targeted Assistance Programme (TAP) is the FIH's global initiative to support Continental Federations and National Associations in the development of long-term sustainable development projects or programmes.
It was created to drive an increase in high performing sport which falls under the FIH's 10-year Hockey Revolution strategy aimed at making hockey a global game that inspires the next generation, specifically in relation to Key Initiative 5. For more information on Targeted Assistance Programme, click here.
#GlobalProjects
#Hockey
