Junior After School Hockey Ermerges Once More in the Musselburgh Cluster
A long time ago hockey was prevalent in the Musselburgh cluster. There was a strong junior and senior club called Waverley Inveresk, which played at Pinkie Playing Fields. It was a thriving club with at least four men and women’s’ teams and a healthy junior section. Then Waverley Inveresk merged with an Edinburgh club called Trinity and became Waverley Inveresk Trinity (WIT).
For a short period, training was held at Pnkie and in Edinburgh but it was only a matter of time before the venues merged as well and training eventually moved to Edinburgh leaving a big hole in Musselburgh for hockey.
It has taken a very long time to build up hockey once again in the community. Junior clubs and after schools clubs have formed and collapsed due to lack of coaches and with only half a dozen children interested in playing.
However the persistence of the Hockey Development Officer, invaluable support from the Active Schools Coordinator and an enthusiastic hockey coach has finally paid off and the latest blocks of after school club training at Musselburgh Burgh Primary School is bringing in 16 youngsters from schools in the cluster. The mini club has even taken part in a couple of PTS (Primary Team Sports) festivals.
This is such a huge achievement for the cluster and there are now plans to hold more hockey festivals between schools and continue work on expanding the junior club. These are tiny steps but positive steps nonetheless. And steps in the right direction!
