​An international hockey player who left sport during her school days has lauded the group that introduced her to the game, as the organisation marks its 10th anniversary. Iona Harrison, who hails from Forest Hall in North Tyneside, was a teenager when she abandoned football after feeling left out at trials and never being chosen. It wasn’t until she was 16 that she was taught hockey by Power Through Sport, a turning point that led the now 24-year-old youth worker to represent Great Britain at the Ball Hockey World Championship in the Czech Republic.
The organisation says its mission is to give young people opportunities to explore “alternative and minority sports” that aren’t always popular or widely available in the UK. Power Through Sport first introduced Harrison to the roller-skating version of hockey. “I found my people in the roller-skating community, whereas in school I’d be the only one,” she explained, noting that “that’s minority sports all over.” Harrison has since become a full-time hockey coach and has gone on to represent Great Britain in ball hockey, a sport played with regular footwear that has a strong following in the United States, Canada, and across central and eastern Europe.
This year’s world championship took place last month in Ostrava, the Czech city. Harrison recalled the experience as “insane” — a vast arena, a big screen, and crowds, even if there was no one in the stands to cheer for her country, something she never imagined would happen. Today, she also works full-time as a hockey coach with Power Through Sport. “My confidence has grown ridiculously,” she said. “I’ve gained an understanding of being their age and growing up in this community, and if I can get any of the kids to pick up a hockey stick, it’s a bonus.” She added, “When you take opportunities instead of giving up, it tends to come back in your favour.”
Power Through Sport’s director, Johnny Tulip, has said that sport can be a powerful catalyst for personal growth. He noted that such activities often survive on the periphery with limited support or funding. “Many young people might see themselves as not being ‘sporty’ because they fall outside the net of mainstream sports,” he explained, but they “thrive when they find something different.” The group focuses its projects on low-income, under-served communities across Tyneside to help address health inequalities driven by factors such as obesity and alcohol misuse.
Nevertheless, some attendees travel from beyond the immediate area, with participants coming from as far as south of Durham and Teesside. The group’s catchment area spans roughly 100 miles across the region, a reach made possible because Power Through Sport remains one of the few organisations offering certain activities. Tulip emphasised that many young people who have not had much handed to them in life seize these opportunities with determination, and that is where the organisation often makes its most meaningful impact.