Parent Questions
Clear answers to the practical questions families often have when starting hockey.
Starting a new sport usually brings practical questions as well as excitement. That is normal.
This page answers common parent questions about the Saturday Morning Hockey program. It covers getting started, safety, attendance, equipment, costs, first sessions and what to do if you are unsure.
Parents should not need to guess their way into the program. The aim is to make the practical side of starting hockey at Greensborough clear, manageable and low-pressure.
If you are not sure where to begin, the most useful first questions are usually:
Starting and trying hockey
You do not need to do much to get started.
First, decide whether you would like your child to try the program. If a Saturday session is scheduled during the March-to-August school-term program, excluding public holiday weekends, you can come along and see whether hockey feels right for your child. If you are unsure whether a session is running, or you are enquiring outside the program season, use Ask a Question below to find out about a suitable next opportunity.
Registration is only required once you decide that your child will attend on a regular basis.
No. Registration is not required before your child’s first attendance.
For the Saturday morning program, registration only becomes necessary once you decide that your child will attend on a regular basis.
If you want to enquire first, use the club new-player page:
https://greensboroughhockeyclub.com.au/new-players/
If you are ready to register, use the club registration page:
https://www.revolutionise.com.au/greensboroughhc
Children can attend on a trial basis until they decide whether they would like to continue. There is no fixed number of trial sessions. The trial applies across the Saturday morning program.
Once your child decides they would like to attend on a regular basis, registration is required. If they decide not to continue, there is no obligation to register.
Yes.
Children can start part-way through the season.
They can also stop at any time.
Across most of the Saturday morning program, children can be added when they are ready to start.
The only part of the program that works a little differently is Under 10, because those children play in teams each week. Even there, players can still be added or moved between teams during the season so that team numbers and team strength stay even.
Practical participation
No. Your child does not need to buy equipment to get started.
For a first session, children only need comfortable clothing and shoes suitable for outdoor activity, along with practical items such as a drink bottle and weather-appropriate clothing.
The club can lend hockey sticks, balls and shin guards.
If your child already has a mouthguard from another sport, they can wear it. Families do not need to buy equipment before trying the program.
No.
Once registration is paid, there are no other costs for the calendar year.
That means families should not expect extra participation charges to appear later for the Saturday morning program. The registration cost covers participation for the year.
Saturday Morning Hockey runs from March to the end of August each year. Saturday sessions are held during school terms only, with no sessions during school holidays or on public holiday weekends.
On Saturdays, Under 10 runs from 9.00 am to 10.00 am and the younger groups run from 10.00 am to 11.00 am.
Under 10 players also have Thursday night training, which begins in mid February. Younger groups do not have Thursday night training.
That is not a problem.
Children can take part when they can. If your child arrives late, they can simply join in when they arrive. If they miss a week, they can come back the following week.
The program is designed to be manageable for families, and occasional lateness or absence does not stop a child from taking part.
Parents make the decision about attendance based on their own assessment of the conditions.
If there are light showers, the session may still go ahead. If the weather becomes persistent or unsuitable, the group will leave the field.
The aim is to be practical and sensible rather than cancel too quickly or continue in conditions that are no longer appropriate.
Safety and supervision
Yes. The program is designed to introduce young children to hockey in a way that is safe, manageable and appropriate for their age.
Children are not expected to play a miniature version of the adult game. They begin with activities and games that match their stage of development, while coaches provide ongoing instruction about how to use the stick safely and appropriately.
The focus is on helping children build confidence and enjoy the sport in a structured environment.
A parent or guardian remains on site during the session, so they remain responsible for the child during that time.
Because of that arrangement, disclosure of a medical condition is optional. If there is something the coaches should know to help your child participate safely and comfortably, parents are encouraged to let the club know.
Parents remain responsible for their children during the session.
At the same time, coaches have a duty of care to take reasonable steps to help prevent injury and manage the session safely.
All Saturday morning sessions take place on the hockey pitch in full view of parents, and parents are welcome to stay close to their child throughout.
Children enter the pitch shortly before the designated start time.
Parents are welcome to accompany their children onto the pitch and can take part in the pre-session warm-up if they wish.
The aim is to make arrival feel easy and welcoming rather than formal or intimidating.
One of the things that makes hockey appealing for many families is that it is a non-contact team sport.
That matters because children can experience teamwork, movement, decision-making, attacking, defending and belonging in a team-game environment without body-tackle play.
Calling hockey a non-contact team sport does not mean children never need to learn safe spacing, stick awareness or how to play responsibly around others. They still do.
What it does mean is that the game is not built around body contact as part of normal play.
Settling and belonging
For most children, the first session is about becoming familiar with the environment and beginning the basics.
That often includes learning how to hold the hockey stick and how to move the ball with a hockey stick.
If a child does not yet have the confidence to do that, they are not rushed forward. They stay with the simpler tasks until they are ready.
The aim of the first session is not to test children. It is to help them feel comfortable, capable and willing to join in again.
Children are grouped using a combination of age and hockey ability.
That helps the program stay appropriate for the children taking part, while still allowing some flexibility where needed.
The aim is to place children where they can participate comfortably, feel included and keep developing.
Yes, where needed, the program can match friends and siblings together.
That can help some children feel more comfortable when they are settling into a new sport or a new environment.
The goal is to help children feel safe enough to join in, while still making sure the group works well overall.
After Under 10, children move on to junior hockey.
That means progressing into the club’s junior teams, from Under 12 through to Under 18.
Saturday morning hockey is designed as an entry and development pathway. For some children it is a short-term introduction to the sport, and for others it becomes the beginning of longer involvement in junior hockey.
Parent role and concerns
The club does not take photos or videos during Saturday morning hockey.
If a parent does not want their child photographed or filmed by others, they can let the club know.
The club’s position is intended to be simple and practical. Parents who have a concern about photos, videos or privacy should advise Colin Riordan.
For an ordinary program question, speak to Colin Riordan or a coach. For a child-safety or wellbeing concern, contact the GHC Secretary at secretary@greensboroughhockeyclub.com.au. If your concern involves the Secretary or you prefer an external contact, use the Hockey Victoria child-safety reporting route. If a child is in immediate danger, call 000. Do not put sensitive details in the general new-player form or WhatsApp enquiry.
The aim is to deal with questions or concerns early, simply and practically.
Parents should feel comfortable raising an issue if something is unclear, not working well, or affecting their child’s experience.
Saturday morning hockey is a development program, not a high-pressure competitive environment.
That means the most helpful role for parents is to support children calmly and positively, rather than trying to direct the hockey from the sideline.
The focus is on helping children feel confident, included and willing to learn.
You can stop at any time.
If your child is in an Under 10 team, the club asks that you let us know if you have decided not to return, because that affects team numbers and weekly organisation.
For the younger age groups, it is less important from a weekly team point of view, but the club would still like to know if there is a problem with the program or a reason your child is not continuing.
Parents have a real influence on how children experience sport.
The most helpful role for parents is usually not to direct the hockey from the sideline. It is to help create an environment where children feel safe enough to try, make mistakes, listen and enjoy being part of the group.
Children are usually helped most when parents stay calm, encourage effort rather than perfection, let coaches guide the hockey learning, and respond positively when children try again after mistakes.
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