Junior Development / Academy Centres

The Player Pathway provides an environment that helps all junior players realise their potential, whether that means they are the best club player they can be, seek a lifelong commitment to the game through coaching or volunteering or perhaps go on to represent England or Great Britain at junior or senior level.

The Player Pathway is made up of the following tiers:

  • Development Centres – provide a local entry point to the Player Pathway for U13s-U17s
  • Academy Centres – delivered in 49 counties, provide a high quality talent programme for players identified in U13-U17 age groups
  • Performance Centres – based across the country providing frequent, high quality training with the best coaches for U15 and U17 players
  • Futures Cup – supports player development within a high intensity and pressurised best-v-best tournament environment
  • Diploma in Sporting Excellence (DiSE) – provides additional training and sport-related education for U17 players selected from Performance Centres
  • National Age Group Squads (NAGS) – selected at U16 and U18 age groups for girls and boys. Provides the first taste of international competition for our young players
  • U21/Development Programme – an elite training environment for players who aim to transition into the senior programme and become world-leading players

 

Lincolnshire Hockey

Lincolnshire Hockey deliver the England Hockey Player Pathway at Stage 1 -Development Centre and Stage 2 Academy Centres. The organiser is Frances Dalton and she can be contacted on: [email protected]. All dates and registration can be found on the Lincolnshire Hockey Website


STAGE 1 – Development Centre 

England Hockey Development Centre

What happens?
Players take part in a range of training sessions or camp-based activities to develop their skills and begin to stretch them beyond school and club hockey.

 

How do I get involved?
Players are usually nominated by their school or club to attend a Development Centre
Players can be nominated from the age of 12-16
Players who want to play more hockey and develop their skills outside of school or club hockey should attend a Development Centre

 

What are the entry and exit points?
Players can join a Development Centre at any point during the cycle but, depending on location, Centres will run at different points during the season.

 

STAGE 2 – Academy Centre 

England Hockey Development Centre

What happens?

Players take part in six training sessions and four competition days at local Academy Centres. Dates and times are scheduled by the County Hockey Associations who run the Centres. Contact details for your County Administrator can be found here.

 

How do I get involved?

  • Players are usually nominated to attend an Academy Centre by their Development Centre coaches
  • Players may be nominated by their school if they have previously attended a Development Centre
  • Players can be nominated from the ages of 12-16
  • Players who consistently demonstrate strong skills are invited to Academy Centres

If you are not selected for an Academy Centre do not worry, you should continue to develop your hockey through school, club and Development Centre activity. You may be nominated to attend an Academy Centre later in the season and can be nominated at any age group.

 

What are the entry and exit points?

Players enter Academy Centres in October. There are transition points during the year where players may be selected for a Performance Centre.