Ark Hockey Academy has taken another significant step in promoting grassroots hockey after partnering with Most Holy Heart School in Dansoman to introduce the sport to pupils. The maiden collaboration, held on Monday, July 27, brought together students, coaches, sports administrators and education stakeholders with the shared goal of nurturing the next generation of hockey players.
The programme was attended by Ark Hockey Academy co-founder Mr. Abaidoo, Ghana Revenue Authority Director of Sports Mr. Eddie Frimpong, Hockey Association and Technical Officials Association member Mr. George Banson, coaches and representatives of Ark Hockey Academy, Principal of Most Holy Heart School Rev. William Gad, Vice Principal Theddie Ahiadu-Abells, members of the teaching staff and hundreds of enthusiastic pupils.
About 500 pupils took part in the practical session, where they were introduced to the fundamentals of hockey. The children were taken through stick handling, ball control, tackling, stealing the ball from opponents and other basic skills, giving many of them their first experience of the sport in a lively and interactive atmosphere.
Principal of Most Holy Heart School, Rev. William Gad, believes the initiative will play an important role in exposing the pupils to new sporting opportunities while keeping them actively engaged. “We wanted our students to have the opportunity to experience another exciting sport. Hockey is a beautiful game, and we believe this collaboration will not end here. We intend to engage parents through our PTA so they understand the importance of this initiative and encourage their children to participate. Keeping children positively occupied through sports will help shape their future, and we are committed to making this partnership successful,” he said.
Ark Hockey Academy co-founder Mr. Abaidoo reiterated the academy’s commitment to expanding hockey across schools in Ghana. “This school joins others we have partnered over the last two years as part of our mission to grow hockey at the grassroots. The challenges are there, especially with equipment and coaching personnel, but we remain committed. Our aim is not only to train the children but also to equip teachers so they can continue the programme when we are away. The potential we have seen here is enormous because children naturally love to play and learn,” he stated.
Vice Principal Theddie Ahiadu-Abells praised the collaboration and expressed optimism about the future of hockey at the school. “This is a great collaboration and we appreciate Ark Hockey Academy for giving our children the opportunity to learn hockey. As a school, we are fully ready to support this initiative because it is in the best interest of the pupils. I am impressed by the turnout and enthusiasm of the children, and with consistency, I believe some of them can represent Ghana at the national level in the future,” she noted.
Director of Sports for the Ghana Revenue Authority, Mr. Eddie Frimpong, described the programme as an example worthy of emulation by other sports federations. “This kind of initiative is rare, and watching coaches patiently take young children through the basics of the game truly touches my heart. Grassroots development is the future of every sport, and this is exactly what federations should be doing if we want to build strong national teams in the years ahead,” he said.
Physical Education teacher and coach Mr. Ebenezer Darko Junior was delighted with the response from the pupils and is confident the programme will have a lasting impact. “The turnout from our students has been impressive, and this will not be a one-day activity. We will continue training, build a strong team and prepare for competitions. The children have shown great interest and are learning very quickly. The future is bright, and we are grateful to Ark Hockey Academy for supporting us,” he concluded.
The successful introduction of hockey at Most Holy Heart School marks another important milestone in Ark Hockey Academy’s mission to grow the sport from the grassroots. With the commitment shown by the academy, school authorities, coaches and sports administrators, the initiative is expected to create more opportunities for young talents to develop and strengthen the future of hockey in Ghana.
By: Victoria Kwofie
