2010 has arrived and  - sadly -  the dream of our own hockey pitch is no closer to realisation.

Sydney University recently mailed potential donors and outlined its latest sporting priorities. Those priorities are facilities for Rugby, Water Polo and Soccer. As you know, Hockey had figured more prominently in past mailings. We are assured that this change does not mean our 100 year old Club and our 300+ players and members are being ignored...

It is true that the Rugby and Water Polo clubs in particular have achieved great things. We applaud their efforts and admire their successes. We might suggest, though, that access to facilities (even if imperfect) has been an essential part of the stability and the presence needed to achieve these successes.

SUHC's achievements are perhaps even more remarkable when seen in this light. SUHC is one of only four or five clubs across all of Sydney that plays and is a serious contender at all the top levels of Men's, Woman's, Veterans and Junior hockey. It is absolutely the only club that has achieved this without having access to its own infrastructure, not even for training.

It leads us to a very simple question. If the University wants excellence, how excellent could SUHC be if it had access to its own hockey turf? No matter how well the club is currently able to do, its a statement of the bleeding obvious that it is less than optimal to have to train on other people's fields after they have had enough and gone home for the night. Imagine having control of our training schedule! Imagine the benefit of being able to play a single home game, let alone half a season of home games! And imagine having the stability of a home base!

Sydney University has announced it is seeking to diversify its student base. This is admirable. We hope the focus will include diversifying the sporting groups which are supported through access to infrastructure and facilities. We see this as being in the interests of the whole University, and certainly in the interests of SUHC. SUHC already has over 300 players in over 24 teams, with players from 7 to 57. Our Men's, Women's, Veterans and Junior teams are drawn from everywhere in the community. The club makes a great contribution to SU's diversity and community involvement as it is. That contribution could be so much greater if the long-promised facilities were to eventuate.

In 2007 the University assured SUHC that it would get its hockey turf. The Foundation will continue to reach out to SUSF, to SU, to HNSW and to anyone else who might be able to assist us to realise the dream. It is not easy and it is not quick. It will require time, effort and vision from people in and beyond the hockey club. However, the benefits will be there for the club and the university, so the Foundation will maintain the effort. 

After all, we owe it to the University and to the thousands of men and women who will play hockey for Sydney University in the coming years. After the games are over  after the seasons have finished and after the sporting careers have ended, the pitch is fundamentally about creating an enduring connection between this community and the University. The spirit is best seen in Brett Radcliffe's speech:

"All I want - all I really want - is to play just one home game for Sydney University"

As at 31 December 2008 we just on $300,000 has been pledged or donated to the Foundation. We are enormously pleased that we reached our initial target of $250,000, and we send our heartfelt thanks to each and every donor.

Our second milestone is to reach $500,000. SUS&F had indicated in 2007 that it would procure the balance of the necessary funds if the Foundation could raise just $500,000 towards the cost of a home turf. Our next goal is therefore to reach at least $500,000.  If we can reach that figure we will have done all the fundraising we hoped to do to facilitate a home turf, and we will simply need to work with SU and SUS&F to help make the dream come true. 

In the meantime, we are working with SUS&F as needed to assist it in meeting its goal of providing facilities and infrastructure for hockey. Hockey is very high on the agenda. The relentless campaigning from the Foundation's executive and the significant contact from actual and prospective donors has ensured that we are never far from SUS&F's thoughts. For better or worse matters such as available space constraints, economic conditions and the drive for excellence in all they do are also issues that SUS&F needs to address.

We cannot stop even when and if a turf is secured, though. A turf alone will not fund the future development of our players and coaches, (although we will know where to find them). We need to build a capital base that can support the Club to make the most from any infrastructure and facilities so that it becomes and remains truly competitive.  The Foundation's target is to have a capital base of at least $2m so that the earnings provide the Club with certain funding to enable it to develop players and coaches. 

If you are interested in supporting the Foundation (and in protecting the Club's future) and are not soon contacted, please contact the Hockey Foundation directly by emailing Brian Fitzpatrick at foundation@suhc.asn.au. You can also click on the Foundation's first newsletter to learn more about our campaign.

Every donation is welcome, and donations are fully tax deductible.

Callan Park was once seen as a potential home for a hockey field if all the stars aligned. Unfortunately there are no stars involved at all, and everything's a marginal decision. According to the SMH on 22 October, "The NSW Minister for Planning, Kristina Keneally, announced this morning that the State government would hand over control and management of the site to Leichhardt Council under a 99-year lease.

The decision is a victory for many local residents, who had opposed the university's takeover plans involving 5000 students and 400 staff.

Ms Keneally revealed last week that submissions about the proposed land use plan were overwhelmingly against it.

"The proposal would not have delivered an outcome the community could support, and I considered that along with the conversations I have had with the University of Sydney and Leichhardt Council," she said today.

The University of Sydney will continue its 99-year lease of the Kirkbride building at the site, which is currently home to the Sydney College of the Arts.

Ms Keneally announced the decision this morning alongside the Education Minister, Verity Firth, the Member of Parliament for the Balmain electorate. A 3.75 per cent swing in the electorate would be enough for the Greens to take the seat from Ms Firth."

The Hockey Foundation was launched at the Centenary Dinner on 4th of August 2007.  Its aim is to raise capital to further the development of hockey at Sydney University.  It is part of the University of Sydney Sport Foundation.

100 years ago Jessie Street was leading the fight to get a home ground for the hockey club, and that fight is now being taken up again by the Foundation together with Sydney University Sport.

The Foundation's immediate goal is to raise to raise $500,000 to help Sydney University build a state of the art Olympic-standard synthetic hockey turf within the University.

Once the field is built our next goal will be to accumulate a capital base of $2 million so that we can fund the ongoing needs of Sydney University Men's and Women's teams, most notably access to the best possible coaching and other support services.

The Foundation's goals are set out here in the Building Champions brochure. If you wish to make a donation to the Foundation you can click here to access the donation form for one-off donations. If you would like to make a donation through a series of contributions spread over several months or years use this ongoing donation form.

On behalf of the Foundation, and on behalf of all current and future members of Sydney University Hockey Club, we thank all donors for their kind generosity.

As we prepared for the Club's Centenary Dinner in August 2007 we spoke with hundreds of past and present players and supporters from across all ages. Three consistent messages emerged:

Firstly, the Club had made a major contribution to the lives of a huge number of people. Countless lifelong friendships had been formed through the Club's activities both on and off the field. Memories of heroic hockey games for the Club and their aftermaths are amongst the dearest and most enduring memories that people have from their years at University.

Secondly, the Club should be doubly proud of its achievements because it has always operated with minimal resources and at best modest infrastructure. This is particularly the case today because changes to Government funding of universities have placed new pressures on sporting groups such as ours. 

Thirdly,  the outlook for the Club is not encouraging unless it can soon access the facilities, coaches and other services that are often readily available to other top-ranked hockey clubs.

The Club's lack of modern infrastructure has been a concern for many years.  In about 1910, the Senate approved a hockey pitch to be placed on the Square in front of the Arena. It was one of the best facilities in Sydney for many years and international matches were played there. The Club was also a pre-eminent club.  Hockey has developed, however, to being played on synthetic pitches and the Square has not been suitable for club-standard games (let alone internationals) for many years.

The Foundation's immediate focus is to raise funds to help Sydney University build a state of the art Olympic-standard synthetic hockey turf within the University. Sydney University Sport intends to procure the balance of the necessary funds if the Foundation can raise just $500,000 towards the cost of a home turf.

Gaining our own Sydney University turf will be only the first step in the planned development of hockey at the University. If the Foundation is to be truly effective it needs to build a substantial capital base so that it can fund the ongoing needs of Sydney University Men's and Women's teams. The prime focus is ensuring the teams have access to the best possible coaching and other support services. The Foundation also needs to be able to help the Club support worthy and talented players through scholarships and other programs.

The Foundation's longer term target is to build a capital base that ensures that it can provide this support in perpetuity. This capital is additional to the funds needed to help construct a turf in the short term.

Our medium term goal is therefore to raise a further $2 million in the coming years over and above funds we commit to building a home turf.