BY ANDREW MORRISON
ARMAGH Hockey Club’s Christine Russell is a former hockey player turned coach with over 18 years of experience in schools and at both club and Interprovincial level with Ulster Hockey.
Now a full-time coach, she had played the sport to a high level, representing both Ulster and Ireland up to U21 level whilst also playing for Armagh for almost 20 years.
With a dedication and passion for the sport, Christine admits the decision to move into coaching as a full-time profession was an easy one.
“I was at a time in my life when all my friends were going to university, and I was unsure about what I was going to do, but I knew I loved working with children, and I loved hockey so it became a no-brainer for me,” she explains.
“I was in a position where I was at a young age, starting a business and I didn’t know if it was going to take off, but any free time I had I was out with Mick McKinnon trying to learn my trade.
“If you had asked me 20 years ago, would I be doing what I’m doing now as my livelihood, I would have laughed at you. Now I’m in a position where CR Hockey is thriving and established within the County Armagh area.”
Running her own company, CR Hockey, Russell provides hockey within schools, both Primary and Secondary, social drop-in sessions, Tots hockey and holiday camps.
The 38-year-old has also recently added disability hockey to her coaching portfolio with her CR Hockey’s All-Stars programme being launched just before Christmas.
The initiative is for kids with intellectual disabilities and is something that she says she has always planned to provide:
“There are a few schools I go into and I take their SEN classes, but recently I have started CR Hockey All-Stars,” Christine said.
“It is something I have wanted to do for a long time, but I was always apprehensive as I never knew what way to approach it.
“That was until one day I took the plunge and got it started, now I can’t wait to keep it going!”
With the help of a handful of coaches from Armagh Hockey Club, she was able to launch her All-Stars programme with sessions in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
After a successful start, the 38-year-old now has plans to expand beyond the Armagh area and get more children with learning disabilities playing the sport.
“We ran our first programme just before Christmas in Armagh and it was a taster to see how it would work. Now I aspire to take that to different locations,” she added.
Christine she also insists the rewards of running the All-Stars programme were different to anything she has ever experienced before;
“I have run many programmes throughout my time coaching, but the first time I ran the All-Stars my heart was full.
“When you run such a programme the reward and satisfaction is amazing, and I say that on behalf of all our coaches and that’s why we can’t wait to keep that running.”
Alongside Christine are a team of coaches who range from teachers to youth players at Armagh Hockey Club and who all have a passion for hockey.
During the holiday camps, she can have up to 15 coaches taking sessions with many of them following in her footsteps and learning their trade.
And she is quick to acknowledge the contribution of each coach to help get CR Hockey to where it is today.
“You can’t do this sort of thing by yourself; you have to have a lot of dedicated people behind you and I am fortunate to know a lot of people through hockey who have been willing to come and help and work for me,” Christine stressed.
For more information on CR Hockey and their available programmes, visit their website at https://www.cr-hockey.co.uk or contact Christine at Christine_russell@hotmail.co.uk
Christine’s coaching classes
