Our Approach

At Alton Hockey Club we care. We put the individual at the heart of what we do and help players maximise their potential to play at the highest level they can for as long as possible. To do this we aim to provide a fun environment with a 4Ps (Person, Player, Performance and Partnerships) approach:

We aim to stretch individuals, encourage them to experiment and make mistakes in a safe setting and maximises their time in the strive/thrive zone (the zone where players are able to develop at a pace appropriate to them and hopefully form a lifelong love for the game). We do this by providing a safe environment with a dedicated welfare officer and support from coaches and captains to ensure athletes are in the right environment.

We have a player-centred approach where players, coaches, parents and captains are encouraged to discuss player aims, their performance vs potential and help identify opportunities and factors which may be holding players back. 

We do this by embedding the 4Ps and RARE (Right Athlete Right Environment) principle in our Player Pathway and by using a Player Profile tool to facilitate discussions and document player objectives. 

Our Player Profiles help coaches work with players to identify their supers-strengths and areas for development. From this we will work with players to provide stretch and a safe but challenging training environment. 

We do this by supporting our coaches with tools and learning so that they can feel confident delivering the best experience possible for individual players. We will continue to challenge and develop our coaches and players to reflect the ever-changing nature of hockey and to apply the latest principles and guidance from GB Hockey.

Central to developing performance is selecting players for the right teams and to provide a suitable competitive environment to keep them in the Strive/Thrive zone. This is a key element of our Player Pathway and one supported by our Club Captains.

We recognise that player development is a collaborative approach with support from parents, coaches throughout the club, team captains, club umpires, schools and external talent environments. We already encourage discussions for example between club umpires and players to provide their observation on player performance. We already work with schools to suggest the best option and challenge for players and we liaise with other clubs/ county pathway to ensure players receive the best opportunities to develop.

Our Player Pathway identifies several points where we discuss a player’s individual performance and potential with partners to identify the best way forward for athletes. This can include discussion with the player, parents, other club coaches, team and section captains,  schools, and other clubs or county pathway coaches.