In South Africa, the SPAR Eastern Cape Schoolgirls Hockey Challenge helps grow hockey by incorporating the Adopt-a-School Programme, which develops players at less-resourced schools.

Many schools are leveraging the SPAR Eastern Cape Schoolgirls Hockey Challenge’s Adopt-a-School Programme to grow the sport among smaller schools. By reaching out to schools from less-resourced communities, the net can be cast wider to identify future stars.

Knysna High, recent host of one of the five regional legs of the 2024 tournament, identified Chris Nissen Primary as its beneficiary. The school introduced hockey as an official sports code this year but struggled with a lack of facilities and equipment. Kysna High offers sticks, balls, bibs and beacons, as well as training and mentoring, to Chris Nissen Primary.

The Adopt-a-School initiative strives to reach every single institution that offers hockey as a sport. This way, the organisers assist in developing players, ultimately enabling them to participate against top opposition at tournaments such as the Schoolgirls Hockey Challenge. The Challenge comprises 45 schools divided into five regions, with regional tournament winners competing in a grand finale at Victoria Park High in Gqeberha on July 13 and 14.

SPAR Eastern Cape advertising manager Roseann Shadrach said the development programme was important for the company as it enabled it to “make a meaningful impact in the lives of these youngsters.” With proper mentoring, she said, girls from an ‘adopted’ school could be playing provincial hockey fairly rapidly, which will give them the springboard needed to represent their country in years to come. “And it all would have started here.”

Source: SPAR South Africa

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About SPAR South Africa

SPAR South Africa was established in 1963. It operates four retail formats: SPAR neighbourhood, SPAR Express (operated in conjunction with Shell as a petrol forecourt store), KWIKSPAR (which focuses on convenience in city centres and high footfall locations), and SUPERSPAR Supermarkets (similar to EUROSPAR in offer). 

 SPAR South Africa grants sub-licences to independent retailers to operate stores under one of the four formats, with almost all the current store portfolio being independently owned.