TAMWORTH will welcome a record number of teams this weekend for its annual York Cup and Kim Small Shield.
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Now into its 14th year, the U11s development carnival which is named in honour of Tamworth Olympians Michael York and Kim Small, has attracted 45 teams from the width and the breadth of the state.
That’s up from 34 teams last year and five in the first year, and will equate to around 600 players and 1200 spectators.
“Last year was our biggest one ever with 34 teams and this one has smashed it,” carnival convener Graeme McKenzie said.
It has created a few logistical difficulties, he said, but he isn’t complaining, adding that it’s nice to know the tournament is continuing to grow in popularity.
“I think the people who come generally have a positive time,” he said.
The emphasis, as always, will be on player development rather than winning.
“There’ll be a new award this year, the Barbara York Team Award for the team that best displays the philosophies of the York Cup,” McKenzie said.
That is: enjoying themselves, skill development and respecting all players and umpires.
Michael York and former Hockeyroo Kate Jenner will be in attendance over the weekend and overseeing this morning’s coaching clinics, which, due to the number of participants, will be split over two timeslots.
The games themselves will get underway at 11.30am and run through to around 8pm, and the same tomorrow after a 7.40am start with the THA stretching the start and finish times to accommodate the extra games required.
The hosts themselves will have their biggest representation with five girls’ teams and four boys’ teams.
Rebecca Abra has been coordinating the Kim Small teams and said it had been a big operation.
“It’s the biggest we’ve had,” Abra said.
“We’ve had four before.”
They’ve been training for six weeks and through sun, cold and rain.
“They’re very dedicated,” she said.
“They’ve turned up in some horrible conditions.”
They range in age from eight through to U11s and will be colour-coordinated in their socks and special headbands to represent the side they are playing for.
Hannah Little has the Green team, which will play in Division A.
“They should go well,” Little said. “There’s a lot of strong girls coming through.”
The other four sides – Red, Blue, Yellow and Purple – will contest Division B, and have been “split evenly”, Abra said.
The York Cup has also seen an increase in interest locally, with double the number of teams this year.
Similarly to the girls, they’ll have one in Division A (Frogs), the other three – White, Green and Orange – playing in Division B.
They have been training for about four weeks and are all excited about the weekend and looking forward to it.