Hockey NSW is proud to annouce the establishment of a new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement program. The program aims to identify new and potential members in what has been an under-represented demographic in our sport. We hope to introduce new indigenous players, coaches and officials to hockey across the State through our targeted initiatives and events.

The program - which will be youth led - will aim to create lifelong well-being values, positive relationships with community members, and expand the knowledge and skills of young indigenious players. It is also hoped that the program will assist with a sense of belonging in the community by creating meaningiful engagment opportunities at a local level. The program will be implemented across the eleven regions established by Hockey NSW for the Centre of Development program. 

The state-wide project will incorporate a youth Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advisory group and accredit young people with the skills to plan and deliver hockey programs to young community groups in their local district.

PROGRAM ARTWORK

The indigenous artwork used to create the logo and graphic assets for our Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Program was designed by Kelly & Lillianah Williams, local hockey players from the NSW Mid-North Coast. Kelly and Lillianah have also volunteered their time as a Community Ambassador and Youth Panelist respectively. 

The mother-daughter duo have also created a special indigenous version of the Hockey NSW logo which features the famous Waratah flower of NSW and has a deep link with the history of hockey in the State. Kelly explains the artisitic process and story behind creating the indigenous Hockey NSW logo below.

"The Waratah is a native flower whose name comes from it’s vibrant red colouring and dates back to volcanoes. It is an emblem of Hockey NSW, so we wanted to create a logo that looks like it’s always belonged rather than a massive change that makes it unrecognisable, so inclusive of all. This leaves room for our culture to hopefully one day be represented on things like uniforms without looking out of place.

In some Dreamtime stories, the leaves of the Waratah can protect one from the fire & great heat. Aboriginal people would also sip the dew in the early morning and its essence is believed to bring courage especially when ill, courage which is used by every NSW player that represents their state. The nectar was also ingested as a sweet treat."

Above: Indigenous-styled Hockey NSW Logo created by Kelly & Lillianah Williams

YOUTH ADVISORY PANEL

Hockey NSW has established a Youth Advisory Panel composed of one young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander member from each of our 11 regions. The panel will allow opportunities for them to provide input into the way the program will be implemented across NSW. It will also create opportinities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youths to provide recommendations and share their thoughts to improve engagment with their communtites.

The youth advisory group members will develop leadership, teamwork and communication skills via a mentoring program in conjunction with the appointed Community Ambassadors, as well as fellow community members involved in the program.
 

If you're interested in joining the Youth Advisory Panel, please click here to submit your interest.

If you have any questions about the Youth Advisory Panel or the program, please contact Corrina Baldock at corrina.b@hockeynsw.com.au

COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS

The Hockey NSW Community Ambassador Program is a newly established program to help engage under-represented communities, promote the sport of hockey and support the newly established Hockey One League.

The Hockey NSW Community Ambassador Program is one element of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Program. The main objective of our Community Ambassadors is to increase the awareness of Hockey to Indigenous communities within NSW, attracting new and emerging markets to the game. 

Please click here to see a full position description. We are always seeking enthusiastic members of the community to join our Community Ambassador team. We want people who are passionate about sport and are committed to grow the sport of hockey. The program is of voluntary nature and there are a limited number of positions available.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

UPCOMING EVENTS

A table of upcoming events can be found below. If there is not an event available near you, please contact us and we will see if we can assist. Please note that these events below are subject to change without notice, so please keep checking back for updates.