A fantastic year for hockey inclusion

The County Pathway

No young player should miss out because of the cost of travel or the postcode they were born in. Now in its third year, our County Pathway has reached over 900 open referrals this cycle. The programme also remains one of the most affordable of its level anywhere in the sector because access and quality should never be a trade-off. We're bringing the pathway to players not the other way around.

Flyerz Hockey

We're proud to be growing Flyerz Hockey in Wales — a format of the game designed to be fully inclusive for disabled and non-disabled players alike. Working in partnership with Disability Sport Wales and setting up strong links with seven ALN schools across West Wales, we've delivered festivals bringing together players from across the country to play, connect, and belong. With over 700 pupils having tried out hockey in the region, clubs in the west are already setting up their own Flyerz sections, taking the programme into new communities!

Food and Fun

During the school holidays, we took hockey into communities where children had never picked up a stick, while also providing healthy breakfasts and lunches throughout. In partnership with the Welsh Government and local schools, Food and Fun proves that sport can be a powerful force for social good. This year, over 1,000 children took part — a number we're incredibly proud of and one that reflects the hard work of our staff and volunteers on the ground.

Friends of Welsh Hockey

Rising costs shouldn't force anyone out of the sport they love. Friends of Welsh Hockey (FOHW) have been instrumental in supporting those who need it most, covering hardship grants and equipment costs so that financial pressure never means the end of someone's hockey journey. Hoci Cymru has complemented this with our own Hardship Grant specifically for club membership fees, ensuring that the cost of joining a club is never the reason someone misses out. Together, we've got people covered from the moment they want to join to the kit on their back.

Championing Women and Girls

Through our female health projects and partnerships, we're changing that, opening up honest conversations around menstrual health, menopause, and other female-specific issues that affect participation. We've also gifted every one of our 48 county pathway coaches with menstrual cycle kit, so that women and girls feel safe, prepared, and comfortable in every session. That message is being carried into communities across Wales every single week.

Be Active Wales Fund

Strong clubs are the heartbeat of Welsh hockey. Through Be Active Wales, we're helping clubs across Wales tap into Sport Wales funding to develop coaches, train umpires, and invest in new equipment, giving grassroots hockey the resources it needs to grow and welcome more people in. This season, £32K in grants supported 10 clubs — part of over £10M invested in Welsh hockey since 2015.

Primary School Delivery

This year alone, we have delivered 352 hockey sessions in non-hockey-playing state primary schools across Wales. That's 352 chances for a child to pick up a stick for the first time, predominantly in underserved communities. Made possible not just by our hockey development officers, but by our clubs and young ambassadors who have gone out into their communities to share the sport they love. The ripple effect of that work is something we're incredibly proud of.

Female Focussed Project

Across our Performance and Pathway programmes, all players have access to free period products through our partnership with FabLittleBag. Period product bags are included within team kit bags, and players are made aware of their availability to ensure products can be accessed easily, discreetly, and whenever needed.

Within our Junior and Senior International female programmes, players have received menstrual cycle and female health education, designed to increase understanding, raise awareness, and provide practical insight into managing menstrual cycle changes in relation to wellbeing, training, recovery, and performance. Through this, we aim to empower athletes with greater knowledge of their bodies and support them in performing at their best throughout all stages of their cycle.

Alongside education for players, we recognise the importance of creating open, supportive environments where conversations around menstrual health, puberty, and female-specific challenges are normalised. Research highlights that open communication between athletes, coaches, parents, and support staff can play an important role in helping girls remain engaged in sport, manage symptoms, and maintain confidence through puberty and menstrual changes.

We encourage athletes to share experiences where they feel comfortable, recognise that symptoms and impacts vary between individuals, and understand that training or support may need adapting at times. Our approach aims to be person-centred, recognising the biological, psychological, and social changes female athletes experience during puberty and beyond.

We are committed to continuing to educate athletes, coaches, and wider support networks, ensuring female health is recognised as an important part of athlete wellbeing, participation, and performance, while creating environments where players feel supported to stay involved and thrive in sport.