Cheltenham Hockey Club

Cheltenham Hockey Club

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Information about CHC Academy

Season 2024-2025: Joining the Cheltenham HC Academy

Welcome to the CHC Academy page, serving all players in the U16 and U18 age group. 

Membership

  • There is no waiting list for Y10, Y11, Y12 and Y13 players - you are all invited to become a member of the CHC Academy. Some players in Y9 may also be invited to join the Academy as full members.
  • Y9 and Y8 players, who are members of Cheltenham Junior Hockey Club, may be invited to train with the U16s and lower adult teams, on a case by case basis. They will be charged an associate membership of £40.
  • Membership covers player insurance, training and coaching throughout the season. There is a fee for playing matches.
  • The Club now has a Veo 2 camera, which enables the Club to video some matches and training.
  • The membership portal will open in July.
  • Please register your interest by emailing Phil - contact details above.

Pre-Season Training

  • All players are invited to join CHC pre-season training free of charge.
  • Adult and youth pre-season will take place at Cheltenham College on Thursday evenings in August. Existing players should train with last season's adult groupings. New players should attend club pre-season training initially. Club training will be 1900-2000 hrs and Performance training will be 2000-2100 hrs.
  • In addition, girls pre-season training will take place at Cheltenham College on Friday evenings in August, 1800-1900 hrs.

Training

  • U16 Girls' training is on a Friday evening, 2000-2100 hrs, at Cheltenham College. There are 4 coaches working with 2 training squads covering all standards. 
  • U16 Boys' training is on a Thursday evening, 1830-2000 hrs, also at Cheltenham College. There will be one training squad covering all standards led by a coach. It runs in parallel to Men’s 3s training and the 2 groups sometimes join together.
  • Boys and girls may also train with the adult squads on a Tuesday and/or Thursday, depending on standard.

Matches

  • Our Academy teams participate in England Hockey's Tier 1 and Tier 2 competitions.
  • The U18 Boys and Girls will participate in the Tier 2 National Championships and the West Indoor.
  • One U16 Girls team will participate in the Tier 1 Supra League and the West Indoor.
  • The U16 Boys and the second U16 Girls team will play in the Tier 2 West League and the National Championships. The U16 Boys will also play in the West Indoor.
  • All matches take place on Sundays.
  • Players available on Saturdays can also play for senior teams in the adult leagues.

 Please register your interest with Phil Robson, who will supply any further information you need.

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CHC Academy: All you need to know

Introduction

Players aged 13 can join the Academy section of Cheltenham Hockey Club (CHC). The Academy section oversees all U18 players in CHC. There are 2 other sections in CHC: the Ladies’ Section and the Men’s Section. There are opportunities for all standards of player to play for an Academy and/or an adult team. Here, we explain how the Academy section is organised and the opportunities for young players to train and play; how to join; and how parents can assist.

Organisation

The Academy Section is run by the Academy Club Captain, Phil Robson. He is supported by an experienced coaching team and volunteer managers. Phil is responsible for competition entries, fixtures and booking pitches. 

Each squad manager is responsible for communicating information to parents about training and matches, seeking availability from players, monitoring involvement and answering queries. Squad managers attend matches and are responsible for the kit and the collection of match fees. The lead coaches are responsible for overseeing the delivery of training and team selection. A coach will endeavour to be at each match. The Club Umpire Secretary (volunteer) will assist Phil with providing umpires.

Academy Training

Training starts in September, although there is pre-season training throughout August.

Academy Matches 

There is currently one U16 Boys squad. If numbers warrant it, then CHC will establish a second U16 Boys squad. The boys’ squads play competitive matches in the U16 Boys West League, and the Indoor and Outdoor National Championships. There are two U16 Girls squads and one U18 Girls squad. The U16 Girls Cobras and U16 Girls Cheetahs play in the West leagues and the National Championships. The U16 Girls Cobras also play in the Indoor National Championships. The U18 Boys and U18 Girls only play in the Indoor and Outdoor National Championships. Squads play the occasion friendly match against other clubs, schools or touring sides. 

Outdoor England Hockey and West Leagues, and England Hockey National Championships

The West and England Hockey (EH) organises 3 different tiers of leagues and National Championships for each gender at every age group from U14 to U18. Further background is available on the EH website. Tier 1 is for clubs with large strong junior sections. Tier 2 is for clubs with smaller junior sections and the second teams of larger clubs.

An U16G team will be entered into the EH Tier 1 Supra League. The U16B team and a second U16G team will be entered into the West Tier 2 League and the EH Tier 2 National Championships. The U16G Tier 1 team will be the best available team for each match.

An U18G and U18B team will be entered into Tier 2 of the National Championships.

Indoor Super 6s

U16 and U18 teams of both genders will be entered into the Indoor Super 6s. These start with an area competition on a weekend in early December. There are usually four or five teams in the West competition, which is often held at CLC for the girls and Wellington School for the boys. The top team in the West qualifies for the National Finals in Nottingham on the second or third weekend in January. Training, which is self-funded, takes place on an ad hoc basis.

Achievements 

In recent years Academy teams have achieved national success as follows:

  • U18 Boys – National Championships Tier 1 (T1) Semi-Finalists 2021, National Indoor Finalists 2019, National T1 Runners-up 2019
  • U18 Girls – National Championships T2 Semi-Finalists 2024, National Indoor Finalists 2023 and 2020, National T2 Champions 2017
  • U16 Boys – West T2 League Champions 2024, Fourth Place T1 Supra League 2023, National Championships T1 Plate Runners Up 2023, National Indoor Runners Up 2022, National Championships T2 Runners Up 2021, National Indoor Champions 2018, National T1 Champions 2017, National Indoor Finalists 2016 and 2017,
  • U16 Girls – T1 Supra League Shield Champions 2024; Fourth Place T1 Supra League 2022, National T1 Quarter-Finalists 2022 and 2021, National T1 Finalists 2020, National Indoor Finalists 2015, 2019, 2020 and 2022, Avon Junior Hockey League Champions 2014, 2016, 2018 & 2019.

 

Availability for Training and Matches, Membership Subscriptions and Match Fees

Availability for training and matches along with membership subscriptions and match fees of £8 are collected through an application called Teamo.

Adult Training

Academy members also have the opportunity to train with adult members of the Club on a Tuesday and/or Thursday evening. Timings for the 2023-2024 season will be published in the relevant section on the website.

Adult Matches

Academy players also have the opportunity to play in adult league matches on a Saturday. If they attend adult training, they can be selected to play in one of the 3 Men’s teams or 4 Ladies’ teams. Availability and match fees of £10 are managed through the Teamo application. The Men’s and Ladies’ 1st XIs play in the West Conference of the National League.

Other Playing Opportunities 

In the summer, Academy players can play for female or mixed 6-a-side teams in the Hockey Fever Summer Leagues. They can also play for a mixed 11-a-side team that plays in the Gloucester Summer League.

Parent Opportunities to Assist

Academy matches can only be delivered with the support of volunteer parents. There are fulfilling opportunities for parents as managers, the umpire secretary, umpires, stand-in coaches, tea providers and committee members. You do not need to know about hockey to fulfil these roles.

Kit

The Club strip is supplied by Y1. Visit the CHC Y1 store. As a minimum, players are expected to buy the black CHC shirt and black CHC socks. A white shirt and socks can also be purchased. Players should wear a black skort or shorts. 

Sponsorship/Donation 

The costs of running the Club are significant. Some very generous parents have previously sponsored the Club or provided a donation. If you feel able to assist in any way, then that would be very much appreciated. Please contact Phil to discuss.

Summary

At U16 and beyond we continue to develop individual skills but there is more concentration on small team games, sub-unit play and developing tactics as a team. Comradery amongst the players is excellent. Those who play league hockey learn to play with and against adults. We encourage players to participate in England Hockey’s Talent Pathway.

Our Partners

Y1
Y1
England Hockey - Club Partner
Trefurn - Men's 1s Sponsor
Cheltenham College - Club Partner
Root Group
England Hockey - Club Partner
Trefurn - Men's 1s Sponsor
Cheltenham College - Club Partner
Root Group
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