CANADA: West Vancouver Field Hockey Club recently helped kick-off Field Hockey Canada's BIG PUSH campaign, hosting members of the men's national team at their Rutledge Field venue. The BIG PUSH is a scheme in which Canada’s international athletes reach out into the community to help develop the sport through advice and coaching whilst also raising crucial funds to help the national teams reach their goals.

Under beautiful blue skies, and snow-capped mountains, 80 local juniors took to the field for a morning of fun. Many of the players attending the session were brand-new to the sport of field hockey, and the experience was a fantastic opportunity to learn from some of Canada's best players. Also taking to the field were a number of junior coaches local to the area, who watched and learned new drills and skills to teach during the upcoming junior season.

The morning was run entirely on a by-donation basis, with over $2000 worth of contributions being made to the men’s national team’s very own fundraising website.

"This morning down at Rutledge Field was the perfect way for our team to kick-off this important fundraising drive," said Canadian forward Mark Pearson. "The BIG PUSH is not only about fundraising, but also showing the wider field hockey community that the national teams are excited to give back to the very community that supports our success on the international stage. These kinds of grassroots events are critical for inspiring the next generation of players coming through, whether they have National Team aspirations or not. We depend on the support of the community, and raising $2000 this morning was just fantastic. We are really excited about rolling this program out across all clubs, in as many provinces as possible."

More information about the BIG PUSH campaign can be seen in the video accompanying this article, or by clicking the following link: http://www.fieldhockey.ca/en/bigpush

Source Material: Field Hockey Canada