Whenever Friends School Kamusinga has mentioned two things cross the mind; their academic prowess and hockey dominance.
Located in the outskirts of Kimilili town in Bungoma County, FSK has managed to strike a delicate balance between academics and sport. When you enter the school’s gate a big signboard is written ‘Use common sense’.
The school motto, perhaps what everyone gets inspired with once they enter the school compound.They are the 12-time national hockey champions, three-time East African championship winners and all these have been achieved thanks to good strategy and proper planning from the school management.
Being a national school, the institution is known to recruit the best performers in KCPE, and once they have joined the school the students are given the opportunity to choose the sport they love.
Majority of them choose hockey, but not everyone will play for the school team as explained by head coach Godfrey Muleyi.
“The passion discipline and commitment to training sessions is key for the player’s growth and delivery on the pitch. We also insist on them performing well in class, most of our hockey players are top in their respective classes so basically you have to be good in class for you to make it to the school team,” he said.
"That has been our culture for many years because we want to produce students who will make us proud both in class on the field,” he added.
Coming from a very competitive region in sports and academic, proper planning for the season is of the essence. The school organizes friendly matches with very high profile teams in the Kenyan hockey league.
They also travel across the country to attend a different tournament that involves their competitors all these is with the aim of perfecting their skills ready to conquer.
“Every team in the county is preparing well, turning to the tournaments that when have played there very good signs that our team is ready to deliver in 2018 because we have come out as champions.
Having failed to qualify for the national competitions after losing to rivals Musingu high school 1-0 in the regional finals in Mumias, coach Muleyi is optimistic these will be a successful year for the team.
“What we are doing is teaching them how to handle basics and once they are good with the basics this is a team that we can get it to very high levels. We lost 12 senior players who were form fours as it of now we are building a new team and that’s why I’m talking about very young players who have not had that experience to high levels,” he said.