Nothing quite welcomes you back to the new season like a home double header against the most successful club in the country from last season.

With their women’s 1st team winning the last 3 championships and their men’s 1’s finishing second in the league behind us last season, hosting Surbiton at Holcombe Park under ‘Saturday Night Lights’ was always going to be a huge event.

Both sides were facing challenges with depleted squads but the women really set the tone in the opening encounter with a gritty 2-2 draw on the last play of the game. The absence of Captain Leah Wilkinson and Vice-captain Steph Elliott amongst a total of 9 players as well as Coach Kevin Johnson was always going to leave a monumental challenge and the manner of the equalising goal is testament to the spirit of the remaining group.

For us to follow that up with a 3-2 win vs Surbiton men was huge for the club and a great platform on which to build over the coming weeks. Playing off 15 players and without Barry Middleton and Iain Lewers was a tough ask and Surbiton’s injury worries of their own no doubt did us a favour in that regard. Take nothing away from the result though – we fought hard for those three points.

There was a notable focus and excitement around the two groups at training this week. No matter how good your pre-season is, you can never quite equate to or replicate the concept of playing for points in the league.

Playing for points changes everything and although we may not have given the most attractive of performances on Saturday night, coming away with the win is all that matters.

Our ladies fighting back in the dying minutes has made a real statement in week 1 and has put the group in a great position to capitalise on any early-season slip-ups. Asides from the points however, there are a number of intangibles that you always forget in every off-season.

The simple preparations that accompany a league match in the days before hand become more prescriptive and detailed. Training, diet and hydration are all scrutinised with a greater focus. We have an incredibly long off-season in England so to get back into a weekly routine for competitive fixtures is really exciting.

The buzz around the club on Saturday was fantastic and Holcombe Park is always a great place to play when the crowd gets involved; one of the best I’ve been seen in this league. The passion and excitement that surrounds the first teams is as fervent as anywhere and shows the pride the club has in its’ flagship sides.

Even the juniors running around during our warm up to get hi 5’s from the squad is something that gets lost in the monotony that often accompanies off-season training.

As you’ll get to see from Galvanised Hockey’s ‘Barrington Sports Monday Night Hockey’ highlights from tonight (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0-vReprXTskAJy27fqSMdFWk6bgiJ2I9), the celebrations that accompanied the Holcombe goals really epitomizes the spirit at the top end of the club right now.

Asides from Saturday night’s events, 8 first team players were down the club from 9am on Sunday delivering sessions to the juniors over the course of their 3 hour training slots. One aspect that gets forgotten is always the impact that engaging with the juniors has on the kids themselves.

Seeing their excitement at the performances of the night before and being forced to replicate incidents from your game with them is essentially what it’s all about. The privileged position they find themselves in at Holcombe with both first teams competing in the top flight harnesses a passion that can only be truly conveyed by the kids themselves.

In the context of this season however, this weekend has been a great start. But that’s all it is.

Both sides have done well under difficult circumstances and against strong competition that will undoubtedly be genuine Championship contenders in the post-season in April.

For now however, the focus turns to a visit to perennial challengers and multiple champions Reading next Saturday in a similar fashion; our ladies play at 4.30pm before the men take the field at 6.30pm.

Training and video this week will all be geared towards dealing with their threats after the men picked up a solid point away at East Grinstead on opening weekend and the women lost 2-0 to the same side.

For now at least, it’s on to the next one…

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