Best practice: HC Olten brings 60 third-graders onto the field hockey field with a clever sports day.

Olten, April 24, 2025 – How does a local club manage to get dozens of children interested in field hockey? HC Olten knows the answer: they organize a sports day that combines games, exercise – and a pinch of chaos.

On April 24, three school classes from Wangen bei Olten took to the pitch to get to know country field hockey. A total of around 60 children took part. With the help of six dedicated coaches from Olten and Basel, the basics of the sport were taught: Ball control, passing, shooting – and of course: always keeping the stick on the right side ;-).

Floorball vs. Fieldhockey

And that’s exactly what caused a few laughs: for many children who came from floorball and are used to using both sides of the stick, the “right only” was a real challenge. There was a lot of laughter, experimentation and celebration – especially when the first successes were achieved.

The day was a complete success. Not only because the children left the pitch with red cheeks and broad grins, but also because this campaign shows how clubs can reach new children in a simple, playful way. If you actively approach schools, prepare the coaches well and design the exercises in an age-appropriate way, you create an experience that sticks – and perhaps even attracts new club members.

📸 More photos and impressions can be found in the full article on the HC Olten website: https://www.hc-olten.ch/post/landhockey-schnuppertag-f%C3%BCr-drei-schulklassen-aus-wangen-bei-olten

More activities from the hockey-Community

We are pleased to see that more and more clubs in Switzerland are carrying out similar campaigns to get children interested in our sport. Here are a few more inspiring examples:

🏑 Luzerner SC organized a varied field hockey camp during the school holidays
🏫 HC Höfe organizes a field hockey school project day for local classes
🤝 Servette HC invites children to “Invite a Friend” tournaments, where existing members bring friends

Growing Together – Sharing Best Practices

Such initiatives are crucial for the growth of our sport. They offer children an easy introduction to field hockey and promote the visibility of our clubs in the region. At the same time, we as a field hockey community can benefit enormously from each other.

📬 Have you also carried out a successful campaign in your club that you would like to share with others as best practice? Then get in touch with us at marketing@swisshockey.org

Let’s exchange ideas, experiences and maybe even materials or personnel together – for a strong, vibrant field hockey network throughout Switzerland!