Volunteers the backbone of schools

MEN'S HOCKEY:THE SCHOOLBOYS' Senior Cup final last Wednesday between High School and Wesley College illustrated one of the changes in the game over the last 30 years.

In the 1970s and early 1980s Wesley College, who have won the trophy now for the last four years, and High School did not figure at all as potential champions. Other teams in the draw such as John Scottus of Ballsbridge were not even mapped in the context of the Senior Cup competition back then.

The top schools of those days were New Park, King's Hospital, St Columba's, Drogheda Grammar, Sandford Park, Kilkenny and Mount Temple.

The fact more schools are now playing is a good thing for hockey but how much of that is thanks to the hard work of former players and coaches introducing the game to schools and how much is the fruit of the Leinster Branch deliberately promoting the game?

At Grange Road on Wednesday there were a couple of men who have been important to hockey in the schools involved.

Brian Delaney is closely associated with Wesley College - though he didn't appear to be coaching on the day. Glenanne's Irish Senior Cup winner Paul Fitzpatrick was coaching the High School team.

That one former player and one current player are passing on their experience in schools can only be a good thing, but if they and their likes were not there pushing the game and generating enthusiasm among the students, would the branch be doing it?

Hockey has long depended heavily on individuals to volunteer their energies without much backing from anywhere else and individual schools reflect that, for better or worse.

But at one point during the second half of Wednesday's match, when High School looked beaten, a teenager shouted through a loudspeaker: "Well, we beat them at rugby and that's all that counts."

That got a good laugh but perhaps the branch should be worried, not just about competing codes but also about trying to keep all schools strong all the time.

SATURDAY: Leinster Senior League: Three Rock v Glenanne, Grange Road 1.00; YMCA v UCD, Claremont Road 1.00; Kilkenny v Fingal, Kilkenny College 1.30; Pembroke v Monkstown, Serpentine Avenue 2.30; Corinthians v Bray, Whitechurch 1.30.

SUNDAY: Leinster Senior League: Corinthians v Three Rock Rovers, Whitechurch 1.30; Bray v UCD, Bray TBC.