Kenya Youth Hockey Development coaches at City Park/ HANDOUTCity
Park youth hockey coach Carolyne Mabwayi said the initiative is shifting
Kenya’s hockey development model from school-based discovery to early
childhood engagement.
Mabwayi is among several alumni now coaching within the program.
“The
most important thing here is to nurture talent from a young age so
that hockey can grow from the grassroots up, unlike in the past, where
most of us only picked up the sport in high school,” said Mabwayi.
The
initiative, driven by the Kenya Hockey Federation (KHF) in partnership
with the Government of Kenya and Dutch development partners, is
currently based at Nairobi’s City Park Stadium.
It targets children as young as three, with over 100 youngsters aged between 10 and 16 already receiving regular training. “Today, we even have kids as young as three years old joining,” Mabwayi said.
“What’s
even more encouraging is that some of the coaches now training them are
alumni of this very program, and they’ve come to give back,” she added.
A
total of 22 local coaches are actively engaged in various neighbourhoods
under the program, playing a crucial role in laying the foundation.
"They
are familiar with the children, their culture and backgrounds and
maintain constant contact with them, thus serving as role models on top
of trainers too, with that, they influence the communities on and off
pitch."
Coach Job Bucho, another key figure in the program, explained that the approach goes beyond teaching technical skills.
“We usually target kids from 5 to 14 years old, and after that, we release them to schools and the national team,” said Bucho.
“We
teach them the basics like how to hold a stick, pass the ball, and also
include sessions on discipline, hygiene, and even computer literacy,”
he went on.
The project has also attracted significant support from the Netherlands, led by Project Manager Jet De Graeff, who has been instrumental in organising coaching clinics, supplying equipment, and providing mental wellness support.
“We’ve had overwhelming support from our networks back in the Netherlands,” said De Graeff.
“They
see the impact this programme is having and how dedicated the kids and
coaches are, and that motivates them to keep sending gear and resources.”
Graeff
also stated that with continued backing, the City Park program is not
only building future hockey stars but also creating a platform for
holistic youth empowerment.
One stick at a time.
