The U13 1st VII boys’ hockey team were crowned County champions on 29 January 2020 after taking part in the Cambridgeshire County Hockey Tournament at Wilberforce road. The team have now qualified for the Regional round, due to take place on 12 March.
The 1st VII have presented great promise since the start of the hockey season and, in such a short period of time, have shown commitment as a team in all their training sessions. Their focus has been to develop shape and tactical understanding in order to enable them to utilise their skills more effectively during match play. Their hard work came together at the County Tournament as they looked purposeful alongside the other nine entered teams. The captain led from the front throughout and scored a well-taken goal to beat the Perse Upper 1-0 in a crucial opening game. The goals flowed in the other group matches against Kimbolton and Joyce Frankland Academy, leaving the boys top of their group.
The team showed great maturity as they rotated on and off the pitch, ensuring their legs remained fresh, with the ten minutes each way matches. A 0-0 draw against St Faith’s and a 4-0 win against the Stephen Perse Foundation left the boys top on goal difference, having not conceded a goal all day.
As County Champions, the boys have now qualified for the Regional Round, due to take place on Thursday 12th March. There is no doubt that in Assistant Director of Sport, Mr David Millward’s first tournament with St John’s, he was exceptionally impressed, commenting on how well the boys had acquitted themselves throughout the day, “They believed in themselves from the outset, played good looking hockey throughout and remained tough when they needed to. They will be motivated to train even harder in the build-up to the Regionals.”