Juniors

For all Avengers enquiries, please contact our Junior Development Officer.

Aimed at Abingdon U18s, the Eagles Academy focusses on developing our younger senior players and more experienced Avengers players as they transition into Adult Hockey.

Attendance is by invitation at the discretion of the Avenger coaches, based on the individuals mental and physical skills.

Training runs in addition to the Avenger and Senior training sessions and is made up of skills and game sessions with friendly local matches arranged throughout the year.

Training runs Monday during term time from 19:00 - 20:00 at Radley College. Check the training calendar for any changes.

Four things to do to attend a session:

• Sign up on TEAMO and complete registration information (once only)
• Sign-up to your selected session for the session (every time)
• Ensure you have a mouthguard & shin pads (every time)
• Turn-up, check in and enjoy!

We welcome girls and boys from age 6. No experience is required to join, and don’t worry if you have not played hockey before as our sessions cater for all abilities. All that is required is enthusiasm to get active and find out about hockey! Anyone can come along and join in two trial sessions before deciding whether hockey and Abingdon Avengers is right for them.

• Ensure you have a mouthguard & shin pads (every time)
• Sign up on Teamo, complete membership details (once only)
• Register for the session you are interested in (every time)

Every player has to complete the membership details in Teamo (regardless if you are using the free trial), with contact details and medical information. This must be completed before signing your child into their first session. This is essential for ensuring that we can run the sessions safely for everyone involved. All data will be treated as confidential. Guardians will be asked for the critical information as part of their registration on Teamo.

All membership information is managed through the Teamo App. Membership entitles your child to train once a week. If your child is training twice a week (Eagles / Eagles Academy) then the coaches will assign a one off Eagles payment of £40 for the additional session on top of your membership.

Eagles players are required to be members of either the Junior and Senior section and a small additional payment for Friday evening training is requested.

Details of all up-coming training sessions and Festivals can be found on the training and match calendars.

Avengers...

Sessions are held throughout the season on a Sunday mornings during term time from 9.30am-12.00 pm by qualified experienced (international level) coaches. The morning session is split into age group sessions matching skills and abilities for a safe and inclusive session.

• U8s: 9.30am - 10.30am
• U10s: 10.15am - 11.15am
• U12s: 11.00 - 12.00

Eagles...

Training runs Monday evenings during term time from 19:00 - 20:00 at Radley College. Check the training calendar for any changes.

Goal Keeping training runs alongside Eagles training for all Juniors.

All sessions are held at the Tilsley Park astro-turn pitches, Dunmore Road, Abingdon, OX14 1PU.

• Sign up on TEAMO and complete registration information (once only)
• Sign-up to your selected session for the session (every time)
• Ensure you have a mouthguard & shin pads (every time)
• Turn-up, check in and enjoy!

Email enquiries: AbingdonAvengers@gmail.com

Once a player is old enough (13+), we aim to encourage them to begin playing with the adult teams, starting with the Men’s 4s and Ladies’ 3s. Training sessions run on Tuesday (ladies) and Wednesday (mens) evenings.

We also have an association with Oxford Wildcats for U16 Boys which is an academy where we pool players to provide more opportunities.

We aim to attend as many festivals as we can, including running our own early in the season.

• Some events are very competitive, and some more fun. Some festivals we avoid.
• Coach availability – we have to have coaches available (who often play themselves on Saturdays) to give up their time on Sundays to coach teams at festivals.

For festivals (U8s-U12s), we are usually asked weeks in advance to confirm how many teams to enter and for leagues (U14s+) we have entered for the season U14s Boys and U14s Girls teams.

We list them on Teamo as soon as we can, and hope parents list children for selection. If they don’t it’s tough to manage numbers (which risks cancelling teams and non-selection).

• Red – Parent has replied “child is not attending / not available”.
• Amber – Parent has not replied.
• Green – Parent has replied “child available for selection”. This does not mean they are selected.
• If your child has been selected, you will get a notification from Teamo, and when you click on the fixture it will show selected at the top in white.

We pay to enter festivals at the time of confirming, and then request the costs back from players in the festival. Usual fees around £5 a player (we just split the costs)

This is never an easy decision but some things we take into consideration:

• Usually we can take 10 players, but if it’s only 4 games will reduce that number as otherwise it’s too little match time. (Games can be 7 mins long and some places are a distance to travel)
• Sometimes, parents sign up too late and we just can’t add them in.
• We want as many players to get experience at as many festivals as possible.
• Sometimes we chose players with more experience based on the type of event.
• Sometimes we switch players into other teams to match ability and grow confidence.
• We do consider performance at training and behaviour when making choices.

We can’t please everyone, so I ask that you trust the coaches that give up all their spare time away from family to help make Avengers successful.

If you have any questions please just ask!

For coaching sessions, you will simply require sports clothes suitable to the weather, shin pads and footwear for Astro-turf. A properly fitting gum shield and shin pads are ESSENTIAL. A hockey glove is recommended but not required (for young ones – gloves are helpful in the winter months).

If you wish to borrow a stick for the trail sessions, we have many sizes available to borrow.

Club kit orders, recommended for festivals and matches can be made directly through BlueBloodSports.

https://www.bluebloodsports.co.uk/abingdon-avengers

https://www.bluebloodsports.co.uk/abingdon-eagles

For any questions, comments or concerns around safeguarding at Abingdon Hockey Club, please contact our club Safeguarding Officer.

Please look at our club information on Safeguarding.

In many hockey environments, (Tournaments, training and including the Tilsley Park pitches as they are open to the public), it is impossible to control photography by external parties. If photographs and/or video footage are taken during matches and training sessions by Abingdon Hockey club officials acting in any official capacity then such images shall only be used for publicity/training purposes. They will not be distributed in any form which can allow any individual young person to be readily identified. For example, a photograph of a training session or match may be placed on the club website but will not list players’ names.

To ensure your child’s safety, all players must be registered with one of our team of administrators before the start of each session. We cannot allow unregistered players to train.

The safety of your child is of paramount importance to us. Abingdon Hockey Club and Abingdon Avengers are committed to providing a safe and enjoyable playing and social environment for all. If you have any questions or concerns, please get in touch with our welfare officer (Clare Churchman), who can be contacted at abingdonhc@gmail.com, or come and speak to her at training.

The NCA’s CEOP Command is here to help children and young people. We are here to help if you are a young person and you or your friend (up to age 18) has been forced or tricked into taking part in sexual activity with anyone online, or in the real world. We also have advice and links to support for other online problems young people might face, such as cyberbullying and hacking. Visit our Safety Centre for advice and to report directly to CEOP, by clicking on the Click CEOP button.

We are always looking for volunteers to help us run our sessions, support at festivals and ensure that we can continue to run the events for our kids. Check-out the below and let us know if you are interested to support any of these activies.

To work with committee to oversee the development of the junior section ensuring that the club is offering hockey to all ages and abilities.

Key responsibilities

• To liaise with the junior coaches in all aspects of junior performance
• To oversee the recruitment of junior team managers & coaches
• Deliver on outcomes that have been agreed for any potential funding
• Support and increase out-school opportunities for hockey in the area
• Increase links with primary and secondary schools
• Oversee the provision of junior training sessions
• Oversee the provision of junior teams
• Ensure effective development of junior section members into senior section players
• Ensure effective communication between both sections

To work with JUNIOR DEVELOPMENT OFFICER and development officer to oversee the running of the junior teams.

Key responsibilities

• To liaise with the junior coaches in the growth of junior membership & ensuring membership has been paid
• Support coaches on Teamo with fixtures, and team management. Post fixtures, cancellations and festivals
• Be aware of the club policy on safeguarding and protecting young people in hockey
• Liaise with team managers ensuring team selection and attendance at tournaments & training
• Liaise with treasurer ensuring entries and payments for tournaments, kit and competitions
• Maintain the club junior membership list and player contact details supported by the treasurer
• Primary contact for junior correspondence and dealing with it promptly
• Primary contact for relationship with kit provider, orders, payments and changes

To ensure the smooth running of their team.

Key responsibilities

• Minimum requirements - Insured & qualified coach. DBS, first air and Safeguarding completed.
• Work with other junior coaches to ensure available players are optimally allocated and selected for Festivals / Games.
• Design and deliver coaching at required training sessions, liaise with Junior secretary and other assistant coaches to ensure emergency cover or additional support.
• To be the point of contact to communicate fixture dates and venues to parents and players
• Provide first point of contact for players / parents seeking advice.
• Link with Junior secretary to ensure all squad members have paid their annual subscription.
• Provide content from matches for media officer as and when required.
• To be the first point of contact for possible new players.
• While Junior Secretaries will Publish fixtures liaise to ensure they are correct, and update with details where required for cancellations / changes.
• For Festivals, ensure you are there early to receive the team, provide kit if required / bibs, balls and Ensure First Aid kit is present at each game.
• Advise opposition of location of timing of home games in accordance with league and ensure no colour clashes.
• Complete incident report if and when required.
• Link with the umpire secretary to ensure umpire is arranged for matches.
• Input the score onto the GMS system following each match (U14)

To assist in the smooth running of their team.

Key responsibilities

• Assist in training sessions
• Contribute to team selection
• Provide support to captains
• Work with other team captains and vices to ensure available players are optimally allocated at festivals or games