about us

Welcome to Fetch Hockey,

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Christchurch’s premier preseason hockey development programme, proudly developing young hockey players for more than 20 years.

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Running during the first six weeks of Term One, Fetch is open to players from Year 3 through to Year 13. From juniors learning the foundations of the game to experienced secondary school players preparing for the season ahead, our goal has always been simple: help young players become better hockey players while growing their confidence and love for the game.

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Our Story

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Fetch Hockey was founded in 2005 by Lincoln Churchill and Matt Ling, born from a shared passion for coaching and developing young hockey players.

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Lincoln, a former Canterbury Hockey Development Officer and Midlands High Performance coach, played an important role in establishing Fetch and the foundations of the programme. While Lincoln is no longer involved in the day-to-day running of Fetch, his contribution to its beginnings remains an important part of our story.

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Today, Fetch Hockey is owned and led by Matt Ling and Atamira De Goldi Ling, who continue to be actively involved in coaching across school, club and representative hockey.

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Matt Ling brings a wealth of coaching knowledge to Fetch, with experience that extends from junior and grassroots hockey through to representative, premier and international environments.

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Alongside coaching numerous Canterbury representative teams, Matt’s hockey journey has taken him overseas, where he has coached in Scotland, Germany and Malaysia. These international experiences, combined with decades of involvement in Canterbury hockey, have helped shape his approach to player development and the philosophy behind Fetch.

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Matt has coached extensively across school and club hockey, including leading Villa Maria College to the Federation Cup title in 2016, and is currently coaching the Carlton Redcliffs Premier Women’s side.

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Atamira De Goldi Ling (Ata) brings extensive experience across junior development, school, club and representative hockey. She has coached multiple Canterbury age-group teams and most recently coached the Tasman Districts U18 Women, alongside her ongoing involvement in player development.

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Ata is currently Head Coach of the Christchurch Girls’ High School 1st XI and is also coaching at Carlton Redcliffs Hockey Club. Previously, she coached the St Andrew’s College Girls’ 1st XI from 2022–2025, leading the side to Federation Cup finals in 2023 and 2025, as well as its first SSP title in 2025.

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Together, Matt and Ata bring their experiences from different levels and environments of the game back into Fetch, while continuing to learn, coach and remain connected to hockey today.

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Why We Keep Coming Back to the Basics

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At the heart of Fetch is something we both strongly believe in: great hockey is built on great basic skills or, in other words, “Teaching New Dogs Old Tricks.”

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As hockey becomes faster and more tactical, we feel the fundamentals can sometimes be overlooked. Players are introduced to more complicated skills and structures, but the ability to consistently execute the basics under pressure is still what separates good hockey players.

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First touch. Receiving. Passing. Carrying. Body position. Scanning. Ball movement. Decision making.

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They may be called the basics, but they're the skills that players at the highest level continue to practice throughout their careers.

That's why they are such a big part of Fetch.

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For our youngest players, we focus on establishing those skills correctly from the beginning, providing plenty of touches on the ball and creating an environment where they can learn, build confidence and enjoy themselves.

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As players get older, those same foundations are challenged with greater speed, pressure and decision-making.

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More Than 20 Years of Player Development

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One of the things we're most proud of is the number of players who have grown up through Fetch.

Over more than two decades, some incredible hockey players have come through the programme, including players who have progressed through Canterbury representative pathways and onto national and international hockey.

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Some first came to Fetch as young juniors and continued returning as they progressed through school and representative hockey. And now, some of those same players have come full circle and are coaching within the Fetch programme themselves.

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For us, those are pretty special moments. Players who once turned up to Fetch to learn and develop are now passing on their knowledge, experiences and love of the game to the next generation of young players. It reflects what Fetch has always been about: developing people as well as hockey players and creating an environment they want to come back to.

But success at Fetch isn't measured only by how far a player eventually goes. Every player deserves quality coaching and the opportunity to develop.

That's why we carefully select our Fetch coaches and aim for lower player-to-coach ratios, giving players more feedback, more meaningful touches on the ball and more opportunities to learn.

After more than 22 years, the purpose of Fetch remains the same:

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Strong basics. Smart hockey. Confident players. A lifelong love for the game.