This note is about Essex Hockey as I’m not sure whether everyone will have received details or be aware of the changes to how County hockey is going to be delivered this year.  The most relevant change is that the Junior Development Centres (which broadly ran up to Xmas last year) have been replaced by two half day sessions run in the summer.  The first was held this weekend and the second is on Saturday 1 July at Redbridge Sports Centre.  From the Development Centre players can be invited to attend trials for a place in the Academy Centre.  If you were in the Junior Academy Centre last year you will automatically be given an invite to the Academy trials (and these letters should now have been sent out).

So, if anyone is interested in trying out for Essex Hockey and has not previously done so they should aim to attend the Development Session on the 1 July.  I have attached the application form and confirmed with Essex that they will still take applicants provided that the form is sent in and payment made as soon as possible.  This is particularly relevant for anyone born in 2005 as this is the first year that they can attend Essex as an U13 (County hockey runs on calendar years, not school years) and so Essex won’t be in a position to contact possible players.

The Academy Centre will start in September.  It will run in parallel with England Hockey’s Performance Centres and the intention is that players can be moved between Academy Centres (delivered at County level) and the Performance Centres (delivered by England Hockey) depending on their individual stage of development.  Essex will also be able to nominate players from Academy to be assessed at the end of the season for possible inclusion in a Performance Centre squad for the following year.   For those who already have some familiarity with Essex the change means that the Junior Regional Performance Centres (JRPC) which used to be delivered by the regions – East Hockey for us – will no longer run.  The change has been driven by England Hockey who want to create a broader base of junior players who have been exposed in the Performance Centres to a higher intensity of quality coaching on a more sustained basis over a year.

If anyone has any questions please ask.

Essex Hockey Junior Development Days 2017

Regards

Richard Ross

07715 705 067