Our u10s squad took part in their first festival of the season, and for many of our squad, the first hockey festival of their lives.

Out team was probably one of the youngest, smallest and least experienced there but despite that, and some challenging weather at the start, they all grew in confidence as the games progressed, and there was a big improvement between the first game and the last.

The four matches all ended up in defeats but as the games progressed the team got more familiar with playing positions in a 7 a side game and we started to work out who prefers to play where.

In the final game we came closest to a draw or win, Ed deservedly scored a goal whilst pushing up from the back but it would probably be fair to say that the star playr on the day for North was Beatrice in goal, who made some amazing saves for a player who only put on goal keeping pads for the first time three weeks again.

A big thank you from me (Clive) to all the parents for helping with the pitchside admin, and your patience if the rotations did not quite work out as we would have liked. It tends o get colder up in Yate, so stock up with thermos and hip flasks for the future festivals. The next one is Sunday 24th November.

Footnote - players and parents took the ball harvesting guidance very seriously which was very impressive, and the bag of balls was much heavier at the end of the day than the beginning, but somehow I forgot it somewhere en route to the car or taking off all the waterproof layers,so the bag is missing in action!

Clive