Heavy rains that lashed the Sydney region two weeks ago certainly didn't dampen the spirits, nor the grit and determination of a group of school boys from Parkes.
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Parkes Public School's boys hockey team are now state champions after winning the NSW Primary Schools Sports Association (PSSA) Boys Hockey Knockout Competition for 2019.
And how they won it, has left their team manager and Parkes Public teacher Judy Elliott beaming with pride.
This year's knockout involved around 100 school teams from across NSW.
Parkes Public won their Western rounds against Middleton Public, Bathurst West Public and Parkes East Public schools before facing Wellington Public in the Western final on August 16 and winning 10-nil.
This sent the side straight into the PSSA semi-final at Narellan against Crookwell Public School on September 17, which they won 3-nil.
They went on to play Ben Venue Public School from Armidale in the final and won 6-1.
The conditions the students faced that day were very different compared to what they've been used to playing in of late.
It was how the boys adapted to the downpours and worked together that was the biggest highlight for Ms Elliott.
"The fact that the boys played and won in horrendous conditions, the ground was covered in water, the boys had to play 10 times harder than they normally would and they had to change the way they played," she said.
"There was no one highlight, all of that was the highlight...considering they haven't seen rain in a while.
"They all worked very hard and they all had to step up.
"They were playing in ankle-deep water, it rained all day."
Their silver lining, Ms Elliott said, was when they played at the drier end of the turf in the second half for both the semi and the final.
"It was very fortunate we had the drier end for both games... The second half was when it was crucial for us," she said.
"We thought we had a good chance in the semi-final when we found out we were playing Crookwell because we have beaten them before.
"But we thought the finals might be tough against Westlawn Public or Ben Venue because they have been in the finals before."
It's the third time in the last seven years Parkes Public has won the boys hockey knockout - the last time they won prior to that was in the early 2000s.
The team for 2019 includes Bohdi Ashcroft, Nate Harrison, Jett Johnstone, Angus MacGregor, Joel MacGregor, Sonny MacGregor, Eamon Moody, Ewan Moody, Kallum Munday, Jack Nutley, Samuel Quince, Flynn Thompson and Harry Yelland.
The side is made up of students from Years 3-6, who since late Term 1 had been training every Wednesday after school for the competition.
"They don't just turn up on the day and play, they were training every week," Ms Elliott said.
"Our parents are very supportive and we've had a lot of support from Parkes Hockey Incorporated."
Ms Elliott thanked the team's coaches Glenn Johnstone and David MacGregor, who were there with the boys and coaching them every week.
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