Hockey returns to Mile End stadium after Covid in search of young ‘stars of tomorrow’

A programme to get more youngsters involved in outdoor sport is being started at Mile End stadium in the search for “the hockey stars of tomorrow”.

It is being run by the East London hockey club after the Covid emergency offering the first “return to play” session free in the 2020-21 season.

The club has appointed a Covid officer and is following guidance to make sure it’s safe for players and coaches to get back in the game.

It has also recruited a new coaching team led by Simon Capper with ambitions for the future of the youth section.

“We want to provide an inclusive club for anybody and everybody to thrive,” he says. “The senior club has seen unprecedented success in recent years—now it’s time to see how we develop the stars of tomorrow.”

The club is back at the stadium on Sunday, November 1, to welcome returning players and encourage more juniors to get involved. It is holding training sessions every Sunday morning for youngsters of all abilities aged five to 16, whether they have played for another club or never picked up a hockey stick before.

The club was set up in 1990 as a field team from the Met Police and was the first in Tower Hamlets to establish a youth section. It has experienced a surge in interest since the 2012 Olympics and Team GB’s success in hockey in recent years, while its Ladies First team has now been promoted to the England Hockey national conference league.