From baby hockey to over-60s, field hockey at La Californie with SOM Hockey

A sport few people know

A Wednesday evening in September, at the edge of the La Californie field, rue Henri-Champion. A club member, then its president, introduced us to SOM Hockey. The club was founded in 2018, but people have been playing hockey in Le Mans since 1932. It plays field hockey on the synthetic turf at La Californie, and indoor hockey in winter.

It has about fifty registered members, and is aiming for sixty this season, thanks to the baby hockey program launched last year. The club is still looking for people.

From baby hockey to over-60s

• Wednesday: ages 6–14 train from 4 to 5:30 PM, and baby hockey, from age 2.5 or 3, runs from 4:45 to 5:30 PM. The two sessions overlap: siblings and parents only have to make one trip.
• Friday evening: a recreational session, open to everyone, with no physical prerequisites, for teens as well as people over 50 or 60, “happy to be able to play and take it easy,” with no competitive spirit.
• Seniors: they play at home every other Sunday.

There is no age limit, “you can play until 99”: one of the club's players, over 60, plays on the French masters national team.

What to know before you try it

The gear: a stick, shin guards that are mandatory and cover the ankle, and often a glove on the left hand. “What's dangerous isn't the cleats like in soccer, it's the ball hits,” someone warns at the edge of the field: hence the shin guards.

From early November to February, the club switches to indoor hockey: it travels to tournaments of two or three games in a day. The rules are stricter than on turf: you can't lift the ball, and wooden boards line the court, so it's “a game that stops very, very little.”

A year-round coach

For two years, the club has employed Nolan Fernando, a certified sports instructor. He runs the practices and camps, and works in schools and with people with disabilities or in precarious situations.

This club is well worth a visit: share this article with someone who wants to try a team sport.

Getting there

• Address: La Californie complex, 201 rue Henri-Champion, Le Mans.
• Baby hockey: Wednesday 4:45–5:30 PM.
• Youth (ages 6–14): Wednesday 4–5:30 PM.
• Recreational: Friday evening, around 7 PM (exact time to be confirmed with the club).
• School-holiday camps (ages 6–12): All Saints': October 19, 20, 26 and 27. After that: December 28 and 29, February and April.
• Sign-up and prices: on HelloAsso. Contact: hockeysom@gmail.com or 06 45 78 68 59.
• SOM Hockey on Sortir au Mans