Clubs 1^st Accreditation

It’s all been happening in the South over the last few weeks as 4 more clubs have achieved the necessary standards for England Hockey’s Clubs 1^st Accreditation scheme.

Bromley Hockey Club became the 17^th Club nationwide to achieve the Clubs 1^st accreditation. Under the hugely knowledgeable and experienced Chris Swan, Bromley have become one of the leaders in youth hockey development over the past 25 years. A keen vision for the future of hockey in the Bromley borough emanates from Chris and his lead coach Neil Goodall, and on meeting them you would be in no doubt that they are going to achieve their vision.

The junior section has had just over 200 members for the last 5 years and would probably have plenty more if it were not for the pressure on facilities that the club faces. Most junior training is done at Ravensbourne School however the lack of a clubhouse here means that Bromley fulfill the ‘nomadic’ existence of many other clubs. The very fact that they do as well as they do is down to the professional approach they take to running a junior section. They are also innovative in their promotion of juniors to senior teams by running an ‘academy’ style development session for young players who should be playing in the adult 1^st or 2^nd XI’s within 2 years.

Perhaps the biggest compliment one could pay Bromley is that there was a fantastic underlying sense that everyone knew what they were doing. At Bromley there is a plan that everyone understands, and is working together to achieve.

Andover are the 18^th Club in England, and the first hockey club in Hampshire, to achieve Clubs 1^st on Saturday 16^th October. Lou Walker is the man at the helm of the club’s junior section and he is a man with a plan, or many plans in fact.

You get the feeling with Andover Hockey Club that it is at the hub of community life. Regularly filling a whole page or more in the local paper with hockey exploits from juniors to veterans it was almost as if all the young people of Andover were on the pitch at Charlton Sports Centre learning hockey! The club understands that building from the bottom up is important and that through a good junior section producing capable players this might result in the first XI’s climbing the leagues again.

Clubs 1^st accredited clubs understand what hockey development is and make the best use of the support structures that exist in sport to continue to increase the number of juniors at the club. Lou is an intelligent and valuable contributor to the Hampshire Hockey Action Group that works with the Hampshire Hockey Activator and Andover are reaping rewards as a result. Rowena Shepherd, chair of the Action Group, was at the assessment and was delighted for Andover that they had set the pace for other clubs in Hampshire.

Sonning are Berkshire’s first Clubs 1^st accredited club and the 19^th club so far in England and when you meet Anthony Oke, the junior co-ordinator, you can understand why. There is a unstoppable air to Ant and an energy and enthusiasm that is clearly contagious by the number of club members he has involved with the juniors. There is also something else that is really important when running a junior club, he knows how to ask people to help and become involved (even going to the extent of asking if I fancied moving to Reading from Oxford!).

Fun is a crucial and sometimes underestimated element of running a good junior section and you know Sonning Juniors are training before you even get to the pitch at Reading University by the shouts of laughter and general noise. Sonning also understand that developing partnerships and relationships locally are crucial. Despite having a running start in having the Berkshire Hockey Activator, Neil Pursell, at the club they have built good links with other local clubs to work together to provide fixtures and festivals and even to share players if necessary. The club is booming in numbers thanks to the hard work of the junior committee and you get the feeling that more and more young people will be attracted by the club over the coming months. The junior committee also understand the value of their volunteers and regularly take time to relax socially over a curry and a beer or two. Fun is the key to Sonning’s success and the power behind it.

Newbury and Thatcham Hockey Club were Berkshire’s 2^nd accredited club and missed out by a day on being the first. The 20^th club in England to achieve Clubs 1^st Newbury and Thatcham are another impressive example of how clear planning and vision can allow clubs to develop rapidly towards their dreams. The junior section of the club is booming under Katy Hall as junior co-ordinator in partnership with Jamie Bairstow as a knowledgeable and enthusiastic lead coach. With Agnes Carlisle bringing vision and determination as Club Chair, Newbury and Thatcham have well made plans and are relentlessly working towards their goal of a clubhouse next to their pitch at Henwick Worthy in Thatcham.

Newbury and Thatcham have also been smart by moving their junior sessions to run before the senior section of the club meaning recruitment of volunteers is easier for junior sessions. It has also allowed young players in transition between juniors and seniors as they can stay on after the junior session to meet and join in with the seniors. This helps to develop a good club spirit as even without a permanent home the club congregates at training. The club also understands how consolidation is important and with burgeoning junior numbers is focusing on continuing the current high quality of sessions and delivery.

It’s been a busy few weeks for the South Office as we have assessed these four clubs and the region can now proudly boast having 11 of the 20 Clubs 1^st accredited clubs in England. With West Witney HC on the horizon too it is fantastic to see how clubs are taking a firm grip on their responsibilities and using Clubs 1^st as a framework for their whole clubs to improve.

For more information please contact Rich Beer at the England Hockey South Office on 01628 890462 or rich.beer@btconnect.com

CLUBS 1^st: ACCREDITED SO FAR IN ENGLAND…

1. Old Silhilllians HC

2. Old Halesonians HC

3. Wallingford HC

4. Beeston HC

5. Wycombe Rye Ladies HC

6. Burnt Ash (Bexley) HC

7. Rover Oxford HC

8. Holcombe HC

9. Rotherham HC

10. Coventry and North Warwickshire HC

11. Jaguar Ladies HC

12. Ashford (Kent) HC

13. Bury Jaguars HC

14. Northern (Liverpool) HC

15. Old Bordeians

16. Isca Dragons (tbc)

17. Bromley HC

18. Andover HC

19. Sonning HC

20. Newbury and Thatcham HC