Venezuela

Contact Persons and Roles in NA
René Granat, President Venezuelan Hockey Federation
Karina Torres, Juniors hockey development committee
Pablo Maloberti, “Más hockey” development program coordinator

When and where?
13 May, at the new artificial pitch in Colegio Internacional de Caracas. The field was divided into four 25m wide mini fields

What was the target group?
Our main target for this years Marathon was a group of 38 underprivileged young boys and girls from a Group Home run my catholic nuns who are in need of an open space activity to fully development as individuals.

This beautiful group of boys and girls are sponsor by the German community in Caracas, all of which are ex-hockey players. We also had the presence of soccer players who already had contact with the sport but never had the opportunity to grab a hockey stick and be teach basic skills.

Also, soccer teams from the regional schools league in Caracas, with boys from 6-14 years old, were invited to particpate.

Description of the event
1630:17:20: Friendly games between the already existing junior teams

Mini hockey games were played  7 players on each side from ages 8-12 years old mixed boys and girls teams. Two fifteen minutes halves were played

17:20-17:40: Refreshments and invitation for hockey newcomers to join the Hockey Clinics given by the men’s and women’s National team players

17:40 – 18:20: Hockey clinics

18:30: Exhibition match between the men’s national team and Caracas Sports Club

Follow-up from the event
This year Global Youth Marathon has been part of the Venezuelan Hockey Federation’s mass development hockey program, with support from the Regional Sports Institutes and the National Sports Institute in Caracas.

Four new clubs have joined the National Junior Hockey League in 2006, and even a club from Valencia is playing in the League.

The Hockey Federation introduced the sport with this event and the program continues with the funding for a Hockey School for underprivileged boys and girls in the surroundings communities with 30 hockey sticks donated by an ex-national player José María Puzo.

Our expectations are to have more clubs and teams join the Junior League in next school year, and we are expanding hockey beyond the private schools/clubs and taking it to all social groups, we already have two teams from another community in Caracas that never before had the exposure to the sport, this is Hockey Club La Veguita.