West Moreton Anglican College looking to the future following impressive hockey results

The Brisbane Olympic Games are a decade away but already an Ipswich school has put “unique” programs in place to ensure they have some local stars on the hockey pitch in 2032.

An Ipswich school is playing their part to ensure they have local hockey stars lacing up in front of their home crowd for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

With their Prep students, as young as five, receiving opportunities to take part in hockey skills programs, West Moreton Anglican College is working to rectify the concerning shortage of young hockey players in the southeast Queensland club scene.

The TAS (The Associated Schools) hockey powerhouse is looking to develop Australian representatives with programs headed by Shearer, who successfully mentored Olympics gold medallists Jamie Dwyer and Mark Knowles.

Australia's Jamie Dwyer. AFP PHOTO/MANAN VATSYAYANA

Coaching director of the Karrabin school, Neil Shearer said he was concerned not enough schools and students are playing hockey.

But West Moreton have been developing skills from the primary school age groups.

“We have been working on developing skills of players in primary school and we are seeing the success of this strategy,’’ Shearer said.

TAS hockey premiership winners, WestMAC's Year Eight hockey team.

“It’s important that students receive skilled coaching from a young age which is what WestMAC offers.’’

Boys and girls play hockey in primary school, while hockey is introduced in physical education lessons for both boys and girls in primary school and high school.

West Moreton principal Geoff McLay said they introduced a hockey program, called the Eaglets, for Prep to Year 3 so students as young as five-years-old had the opportunity to develop their hockey skills.

TAS hockey premiership winners, WestMAC's Year 9 hockey team.

“At WestMAC we have put hockey back into the PE curriculum for all our students, as well as through our extensive extra-curricular programs,’’ McLay said.