Part 1: Hockey proves a hit in the Gulf

When hockey authorities first ventured into remote parts of far north Queensland a few years back, virtually nothing was known about the sport.

It was a case of back to basics for the development officers leading the visit, who had a great time showing kids which way to hold the sticks and how to dribble the ball.

Things have come a long way since then, according to Julie McNeil, the project manager of Hockey Queensland's Remote and Indigenous Communities Hockey Program.

"It's absolutely taken off," Ms McNeil said.

"We've got the game into the schools, teachers and community members are becoming qualified coaches and we're identifying talented players through our Pathways Program."

The Queensland Government has allocated $350,000 for Hockey Queensland to deliver a range of initiatives in the Gulf Savannah and Cape York regions.

The funding has been offered through three special initiative grants under the Department of Communities State Development Program, which provides financial support to state sport and recreation organisations, industry service organisations, and industry peak bodies to assist the development and delivery of sport and physically active recreation.

The long-running program recognises the vital role that these organisations play in administering sport and recreation at a state level while representing and supporting their affiliated clubs and organisations.

Each year, the Queensland Government, through the Department of Communities, provides in the order of $9.5 million for organisational development projects and special initiatives through the State Development Program.

Hockey is among a number of sports that have received funding for projects targeting Indigenous communities in far-north Queensland in recent years.

Ms McNeil recalls some interesting experiences when she, along with Hockey Queensland's coaching and development manager and a Cairns-based volunteer, first visited the small fishing town of Karumba on the west coast of Cape York.

"The kids had been playing their own form of hockey using rolled up newspapers as sticks, but they had never seen, let alone played, the game as we know it," she said.

Ms McNeil and her team have made numerous visits to the region in the ensuing period, each time passing on new skills and helping schools and communities to establish their own programs and competitions.

"We're not just about showing the locals what hockey is and then going home," she said.

"Getting them interested is one thing, but the main thing is working with the communities to ensure hockey can become sustainable over the long term."

Funding from the Department has enabled Hockey Queensland to deliver a wider range of activities and host development clinics for players, coaches and administrators in a range of communities.

A number of carnivals and local competitions have already sprung up as a result of this work, perhaps most notably the Indigenous Hockey Festival held in conjunction with the Coral Sea Classic in Cairns.

The Remote and Indigenous Communities Hockey Program has been complemented by a unique 'Hockey Art' initiative to promote links between the sport and Indigenous culture.

As part of the initiative, children have worked with local artists to hand-paint hockey sticks with exquisite Indigenous designs.

A number of these 'message sticks' are already on display internationally following presentations made by Hockey Queensland to organisations such as the Federation of International Hockey Council and the Beijing Institute of Sport.

"Through hockey, we have not only given children and adults the opportunity to try a new sport, we have also helped promote positive lifestyles and provided a new avenue for self-development," Ms McNeil said.

"We look forward to continuing our work in far north Queensland communities in the years to come."

Read more about the Remote and Indigenous Communities Hockey Program.