A group of North Harbour’s top hockey players took time out from training for the upcoming Ford National Hockey Championship to help out at Te Hōnonga a Iwi - Restoring Rosedale Park this month.
About 25 players from the Premier Wolves men’s team and Premier and Premier 2 Hawks women’s teams swapped their sticks for spades and rakes for a few hours on a Sunday morning, planting natives at the site, weeding and collecting mulch for the bioreactors.
Project co-ordinator Nicky Shave says the teams’ hard work has made a big difference to the site extension area and will have a positive impact on outcomes for the project.
“Their performance was really amazing and the spirit in which they undertook the work in their own time was humbling to watch.”
Premier Men’s Coach and North Harbour Hockey Association Board member Dave Kosoof says the working bee was a fabulous way for the senior representative players to give something back to the Te Hōnonga a Iwi - Restoring Rosedale Park project.
“After having gone to visit the site and hearing the story behind the restoration, I realised it’s something really special for hockey to be a part of. It inspired me to get the guys and girls up there.”
It was a good way to build relationships between the four senior representative squads and provided an opportunity for the players to be part of Harbour Hockey’s history, Dave says.
“A few of them mentioned they would be able to come back in the future with their kids to show them the trees they planted.”
Creating those connections with Harbour Hockey for the team members who have come to Harbour after playing their junior hockey in other regions is especially important.
“We want them to feel like they are a part of Harbour hockey and to know they have contributed to our journey.”
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