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GYC3417 - Hockey Training and Playing in Australia Country: Australia Cost: £2395.00 Please note: 6 weeks - £2595.00 Cost Includes: The price includes accommodation, food and pickup from airport but does not include flight, insurance, kit or visas     Duration: 5 weeks (5 - 6 weeks available ) Company Rep Nearby: All the time 0845 344 7613 or

 

	This placement would suit... Keen hockey players who are looking to combine the opportunity of training and playing hockey overseas with the delights of travelling Australia. Get fit, train with a local club and become an all-round hockey star. Our hockey programme in Australia is perfect for any hockey player who wants to train and improve their skills, technique and match play. The hockey programme consists of strength and conditioning work, group fitness sessions and lots of time training and playing for a local hockey club. Where will I be? The programme is based in Brisbane, in the state of Queensland, which is a vibrant young city with plenty to offer. Sport is very popular in Brisbane, with local, state and national teams training and playing there. The State Hockey Centre is in Brisbane and hosts numerous sporting events throughout the year, including international fixtures for the interestingly named Kookaburras and Hockeyroos. Watching a match during your stay in Brisbane is a must for any avid hockey fan. This all makes it the perfect location to enjoy while developing your hockey skills and technique. Team based training as well as one-to-one sessions will see great improvements in your playing ability and confidence. What will I be doing? The training and playing programme will be structured around three key areas: strength and conditioning, group fitness sessions and match play. Strength and conditioning involves physical and psychological training such as core stability work, quick lifts and mental exercises to make you, as an athlete, sharper, stronger and fitter. This will provide an important base onto which you can build your technical skills. Group fitness sessions will become an excellent bonding time for everyone on the programme as you sweat your way through various different aerobic or circuit training sessions, boosting your fitness and determination to become a better player. Finally, you will train with a local hockey club and have the opportunity to play matches, practicing the skills you have been working on during the week and enjoying the benefits of team sport in Australia. The friends you make during the programme and through your local club will generate an awesome social life for your coveted time off. There is also a range of adventure activities included to help you make the most of your time in Brisbane. Why in Australia? Hockey is the most widely played sport in Australia, and the only sport to have teams from every state and territory in its national competition. The Kookaburras (Australian men’s hockey team) have an excellent success record, finishing in the top four in every Olympics from 1980 to 2004. The Hockeyroos (the national women’s hockey team) have a similar record and were unanimously awarded the Best Australian Team at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. So I think the question now is....why not Australia? What can I do after the programme? After training (and socialising) your socks off, Australia is an excellent country to travel around and the East Coast is a great place to start. Brisbane is sandwiched in between the Gold Coast to the south and the Sunshine Coast to the north, surrounding the city with some of the country’s best beaches, not to mention the fabulous man-made beach in the middle of Brisbane! The size of the country can be a little daunting but transport for travellers in Australia is excellent so if you decide you just can’t bear to leave anything out (north, south, centre, east, west), there’s no reason why you can’t do it all. The friends you’ve made during the hockey programme will undoubtedly want to travel as well so grab your cork hat, your boomerang and your thongs (all will be explained) and head off around one of the most travel-friendly countries in the world. Whether it’s cities or surf you’re after, playing sport abroad somewhere as exciting and diverse as Australia is a fantastic opportunity for any enthusiastic hockey player, and one not to be missed! 0845 344 7613 Join sports and non-sports community projects in Ghana, South Africa and Costa Rica, become a ski/snowboard instructor in Canada with work experience, play and train at international football, rugby and cricket academies abroad, or become a qualified dive master and work in dive schools worldwide... no previous experience is needed and applicants are welcome from all walks of life!