ASPIRE is a fundraising programme that directly assists our athletes

Competing as an international hockey player is now more demanding than ever before. Players invest huge amounts of their time to the sport to represent Ireland on the world stage.

Our athletes regularly commit 4-5 hours each day to training. In addition, they sacrafice half of their weekends to training camps and often their entire annual leave to international competition. They commit to this volume and intensity of training whilst holding down full time jobs or study and often have a family too!

So what will ASPIRE do?

ASPIRE is a programme that has been developed to raise and distribute funds that will provide elite hockey athletes with the support they need to commit to programmes that maximise their playing potential and longevity.

ASPIRE aims to cover the basic training costs incurred by international players involved in Ireland's national team programmes. We also aim to address issues such as players' loss of earnings and occasionally periods out of work. This will help athletes sustain the phenomenal commitment required to be an international athlete and maintain a viable life-balance.

Ultimately the plan is to use the ASPIRE programme to bring the national teams to a level of semi-professional status so they can compete effectively on the world stage and fulfil their considerable potential!

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

The IHA is calling on you to show your ocmmitement to excellence in Irish sport by being a contributor to teh ASPIRE programme through one of the below programmes!

Please click on the below links for more information or email katie.roche@hockey.ie