Hockey demise may be result of changes

I AM sorry to hear about the demise of the Sheffield and District Women’s Hockey Association, but perhaps this is a casualty of the somewhat changed face of female sport over the past few years (Yorkshire Post, June 15).

Several years ago I remember hearing an interview with the great England player Val Robinson, who some will recall from her success in Superstars, explaining that as a girl she had actually wanted to play football, but that as there were no opportunities for girls to do so she had embraced hockey as “football with a stick”.

Nowadays many girls do have the opportunity to take part in football, as well as their making up the ranks of mini rugby and kwik cricket, and with such a showcase as the annual televised match from Wembley no longer around it probably makes it harder to attract girls to the game.

Also, I am afraid that it is the case that team games are never going to be everybody’s cup of tea.

It is arguably more important that a lifelong habit of exercise is inculcated from a young age in these obesity-threatened times, which is why Pilates and zumba for instance, (even if these are non-competitive) have come to fit the bill.

Nevertheless, if there is Great Britain success at the Olympics, as is entirely possible, no doubt there could be an upsurge in interest in hockey and it could see the ranks of players swelling once more.