The value of team work, innovation within sport, championing diversity, celebrating the sport's international dimension – hockey is going into hyperdrive on 23 June in the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague.
The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Olympic Day is a world-wide initiative that aims to promote the values of the Olympic movement, as well as get people active and help them discover new sports. The day is underpinned by three pillars central to the Olympic ideals: to move, learn and discover. And, through the work of our continental federations and national associations, hockey is a sport that has embraced Olympic Day wholeheartedly.
The national hockey association in the Czech Republic is pulling out all the stops to celebrate Olympic Day and its values as it encourages children and their parents to get involved in a host of hockey-related activities.
Schools from all over the Czech Republic have been invited to join in a massive hockey tournament in Prague. There are competitions for all ages, including for the parents who come along to support their children.
The idea behind the celebrations is to demonstrate that hockey is for everyone, there are no gender, economic or age barriers to getting involved in the sport.
Running alongside the main tournament, there will be a Beach Hockey tournament. This represents innovation within the sport. The message: you don’t need a state-of-art artificial turf to play hockey, a pitch marked out on the beach can be equally fun and exciting.
The Czech Republic Hockey Association is also using the occasion to showcase the diversity and global nature of hockey. International schools will be competing in a tournament, running alongside the schools competition.
“We are including the International schools as a way of introducing the sport to the kids and their parents living here. Firstly, it allows the students to experience hockey but it also helps them to find an activity that can help them to settle down and make new friends through sport. We will be running games, activities and "funky hockey" to really engage with these students.”
While the focus will be on the hockey, there will also be a host of other events, fun games and activities on the beach and around the schools tournament. Adding a soundtrack to the day will be a DJ, belting out tunes as people of all ages discover the universal appeal of hockey.
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