Our first Walking Hockey session at Brentwood Hockey Club got the pilot / initiative off to a fantastic start this week, and by any sensible measure it was a real success.

We welcomed 14 players onto the pitch, along with two excellent supporters — Richard Trett and Sue — who came along to cheer us on. Trettie is not yet cleared to pick up a stick after recent surgery, but both he and Sue stepped seamlessly into “ball person” roles and captured some great photos of the evening.

After a quick run-through of the rules and a short stretch, we jumped straight in. It took only minutes for everyone to settle. The game was end to end, with some lovely touches from more experienced players, but just as importantly a constant flow of support and involvement across the pitch. Rustiness disappeared quickly. The key lesson of the night was learned early — let the ball do the work.

“Bibs” went a few goals ahead before the 'drinks and catch-your-breath’ half-time break, but we agreed things felt evenly matched and restarted without overthinking it. The group was right. “Non-Bibs”promptly scored three quick goals and the game levelled out nicely, even if we don’t officially keep score.

There was plenty of banter, good humour and genuine effort throughout. When we finished, the floodlights kindly stayed on just long enough for us to dismantle the goals and pack everything away — a fitting end to a positive first night.

Perhaps the most encouraging statistic of all: of the 14 players who took part, nine are not current Brentwood playing members. That means nine people who either don’t or can’t play the regular format were back on a hockey pitch. Two confided they hadn’t picked up a stick for 30 and 36 years respectively. That alone makes the evening worthwhile.

Interest continues to build. When the “who’s coming next week?” message went out, we quickly exceeded first-week numbers, with 16–17 already confirmed.
Tuesday promises to be lively.

Walking Hockey runs weekly and remains open to anyone who wants to stay connected to the game in a lower-impact, sociable format.

When: Tuesday evenings - Brentwood Prep School
Cost:
– BHC Club members: £2 per session
– Non-members: £6 per session

The initial six sessions will run as a trial, with the aim of becoming cost-neutral and sustainable if interest is there.

To register interest, learn a little more about the format or just watch the conversation you can either:

join the BHC Walking Hockey WhatsApp group (preferred) group by clicking here: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GwHuvHdieifLXtgHMY99Xw
or, if WhatsApp isn’t your thing, drop an line to petersky@sky.com and I’ll keep you appraised of the latest info via mail.