Blackburn Northern Sports Club Hockey Section are looking to recruit new players for the coming season, which starts in September The club is looking for players of all ages, abilities and experience, even if you have never picked up a hockey stick before.

The club will be running informal hockey sessions aimed at men, women and children who are looking for a great way to stay in shape and have some fun in a team environment without needing to commit to ongoing regular training and competition schedules.

The campaign is backed by England Hockey Board, the sports official national governing body.

Back to Hockey also provides a gentle introduction or re-introduction to hockey.

It’s open to anyone who has played hockey before at school, college or university, or perhaps in a club or work team, and who want to come back to hockey through the right programme.

We also welcome new participants to try hockey for the first time. It will provide you with a great opportunity to make new friends and enjoy training and playing in a friendly and relaxed environment.

Every Back to Hockey session will help you to re-learn, refresh and replay the game and provide players with opportunities to continue to play, whatever fitness or ability levels, whether for fun or as part of a competitive team.

Back to Hockey is a programme which will introduce you back to the game or will give you the basic introduction if you haven’t played before without the pressure to perform If anyone is new to the game or haven’t played for a while, the Back to Hockey coaches will gently guide you through this series of fun and friendly sessions.

Along the way players will also make new friends and be invited down to the clubhouse for that much deserved drink in the bar Northern aim to introduce everyone back to the game by mixing in some skills exercises with some small sided game play (eg 5v5, 6v6).

However the emphasis is on a friendly and relaxed environment without the pressure to perform. It’s also an opportunity to get fitter, as each Back to Hockey session burns up to 450 calories.

All sessions are taking place at Blackburn Northern Sports Club, off Pleckgate Road, Blackburn, BB1 8QA and all training is free.

Anyone interested in getting involved and taking part should contact the club.

Northern is a friendly, highly successful, family orientated set up with a packed social calendar throughout the year for all the family The Hockey Section currently runs four ladies, three men’s, four junior, two mixed and a vets team, Anyone who is interested in joining should go along to any training session at Blackburn Northern Sports Club on a Wednesday night between 7pm and 9pm for men and women and over 13s boys and girls, no equipment needed In addition to the senior sides, Northern place a heavy emphasis on developing new talent and have a range of opportunities for juniors.

The club has successfully brought through a number players into the senior sides, county and national teams and want this to continue.

They have announced that starting in September the club are excited to be launching four new satellite centres at different venues across East Lancashire where boys and girls between six and 16 will be able to attend.

This is thanks to the Backing and support of Blackburn Rovers Football Club Premier League 4 Sport project, the innovative Premier League 4 Sport (PL4S) project started in September 2009 and has helped tens of thousands of young people get involved in sport in their local community.

Delivered by the Premier League, Sport England and the Youth Sport Trust sees Premier League Clubs acting as a hub linked to community sports facilities, which in turn are linked to secondary schools to create satellite sports centres.

For more information, email hockeysection@hotmail.com or ring Steve on 07825 771762 or Hannah on 07855 337708 Alternatively just turn up on Wednesday night and have a look around.