Diary of a Hockey Maker, Part 2 – Allan Orient’s Day Out as Volunteer on England Hockey Events

Speaking of what a volunteering day looks like for me. There is a schedule that needs to be followed in order for the competition to go ahead successfully. The delivery and preparation will be different each time, i.e. the type of competition, whether it be domestic or international, the weather conditions and live streaming all play a huge part in preparation and delivery.

Working in the Field of Play area, which I do, comes with the responsibility to make sure that the event runs efficiently and that it finishes according to the published schedule. Many things need to happen during the day which my Team and I arrange, manage and maintain

One of the first and most important parts of the day is to make sure that the actual playing surface and surroundings are all fit for purpose, this process normally starts about two hours before the scheduled match start.

Watering the pitch is one of our biggest challenges. Players like the surface to be just the right amount of water during the match. So, there are many things to consider – What is the current state of the pitch? When to water and how much to water? What are the weather conditions for that day? Will there be any half-time presentations or entertainment? Will the broadcast company want to do any interviews pitch-side? Is the schedule on time or do we need to catch up? These are all questions we need to consider before we make the decision about watering the playing surface. We are lucky at the home of English hockey; in that we have access to a number of pre-programmed watering cycles with different timings and hence different quantities of water available to us in order to make that decision.

Everything has to be in place for the team managers and Athletes to compete so that they do not have to worry about anything other than their own performance. We pride ourselves on having the Bench area set up with all that is required for the Athletes and team management staff before they arrive to start their warm up routines My Team supports the officials whilst they go about their duties to officiate the match. The scoring and timing systems need to be setup and tested prior to the officials arriving. Any failure of those systems during a live televised match would be disastrous! I have to liaise with TV broadcast and Sports presentation to support the delivery of the match to the watching public. As you can see there are a lot of factors involved to make a volunteering day successful. Hence why the FOP Team are normally one of the first volunteers to arrive at the venue and one of the last volunteers to leave each day during a competition. Our aim is to provide all our client groups with whatever the need before they even ask for it. If we get through an event day and appear to be invisible, then we have fulfilled our roles successfully as a FOP Team.

Although it can be hard work at times and long hours, I get so much back from it.

I have met so many people who are now lifelong friends. Fellow volunteers and colleagues are now more like family than just friends. There is a phrase often used, in that once you start to volunteer in hockey you become part of the ‘HOCKEY FAMILY’- this is so true, whether you are a volunteer, member of staff, player, umpire or an official. Each time that I get the chance to volunteer with my Hockey Family it takes me to a happy place away from the rigours of day-to-day life.

Moreover, I am fortunate to have a very understanding wife who has allowed me to volunteer for over 20 years.

I would like to encourage everyone to be a 'Hockey Maker'. Your age does not matter whether you are 16 or 80, there will always be a role that will suit you and your abilities. Don’t hesitate to put your name forward, it doesn’t matter how much time you can spare. Any time you can give will help an organisation deliver that event. Once you have experienced volunteering, especially at hockey events, you will never look back. You will meet like-minded people who will inspire you to want to do more. You will learn new skills, become more confident and realise that you have far more to offer than you realise. You will become part of an extended family and meet new people who will become friends for life.

As a hockey enthusiast, being a Hockey Maker is truly rewarding.

Blog Part 1 - https://www.englandhockey.co.uk/media/news/diary-of-a-hockey-maker-part-1-journey-of-allan-orient

Here’s how you can be part of the Hockey Family - https://www.englandhockey.co.uk/faqs/faqs-hockey-makers/faqs-getting-involved/how-do-i-become-a-hockey-maker