4. BROMSGROVE JUNIOR PATHWAY

Updated August 2023

Our Junior Pathway outlines the learning environments available to all under 18s at Bromsgrove Hockey Club. This includes novices right through to talented high-performance players.

OUR PRINCIPLES

If your child has or has not played hockey before, they will be offered a warm welcome when joining Bromsgrove Hockey Club. Players can join us at any stage in our pathway, detailed below.

U6s, U8s & U10s

An introduction to hockey for the majority of our players.

We ensure that training sessions are relaxed and instill the basic principles of the game in a format that ensures the player wants to keep coming back.

U12s & U14s

When players transfer into U12/U14 training, we move away from mixed into single-sex training. This is to ensure all players feel comfortable and enables players to develop team-based tactics.

Head Coach Ben Bevins will ensure that individuals are given opportunities that fit their abilities.

'Badgers hockey' bridges the 7-aside junior game and the 11-aside senior game. Players are selected for our Badgers squads based on ability, regardless of age.

From age 13, players will be phased into suitable adult teams once the player, parent and Lead Coach is comfortable that the player is ready. Players are assigned a mentor to ensure there is a smooth transition from Junior to Senior teams and that the player continues to develop.

TALENT CENTRE PROGRAM

Talented players are identified and developed through our Talent Centre program. They are encouraged to take part in England Hockey pathway trials and training. Players can enter the pathway via a Talent Centre, Talent Club, Talent School as well as County hockey.

As a club working towards Talent Centre accreditation, Bromsgrove has established links with other Midlands Talent Centres and have been closely involved with County hockey for a number of years. More information on the England Hockey Talent System can be found here.

Players at the correct standard for County Hockey (from U13) and enrollment to a EH Talent Academy (age 15-18) are identified by us and recommended by the club. We also identify players for the Mercia Marauders squads at U13 for potential selection for the UK Lions, a predominantly touring squad selected from players throughout the UK.

For the higher performance level players working towards NAG (National Age Group) Selection, we have our own BHC Vision Academy.

BHC VISION ACADEMY

The Vision Academy provides individualized coaching, player plans, performance
profiles, and feedback notebooks.

It is offered to selected players and led by our Lvl 2 Coach, Andrew Langlands (BHC Director of Hockey and former England A & England Junior International).

We cater for all standards of hockey players at all ages. Players develop at different rates and it is most important that they continue to enjoy their hockey, irrespective of what level they are playing at.

We work hard to balance development with ensuring players are able to play with peers so they can sustain and make new friendships.The England Hockey ‘RARE’ philosophy (Right Athlete Right Environment) is core to our Junior program to ensure all our players have a positive experience at the Club.

Therefore we expect our juniors to play at their age group level, unless a clear exception is agreed between the player, parents and our lead coaches. Players development is continually assessed and the Coaches will have direct communication with a parent if a player needs to be moved outside of the calendar year.