Junior Information

Ealing Hockey Club (EHC) was formed in 2013, shortly after the London Olympic Games in 2012, with original intentions to be a junior only academy. However, in 2016 /17 at the request of our juniors who wanted to play in an adult league.

In 2018 the club was transferred to the members as a fully-fledged member-owned and member-run club. Your ever-growing junior section is the envy of most hockey clubs and continues to shine the way for the Borough.

Come down and join us on this exciting journey.

Talent development: EHC is committed to talent development. Originally being a junior only focused academy we have gone from zero junior players in the county/regional system in 2013 to 13 players involved in 2019, including one in the national age group (NAGS) training squad lead by an army of pro-coaches supported by qualified assistant coaches.

The number of junior players the club puts nominated to join England Hockey’s Pathway commencing with the Middlesex County Development Centre (DC), Academy Centre (AC) and Performance Centre (PC) continues to increase. Many of these juniors were streamed into other clubs with senior sections, including one who achieved Tier 2 selection.

The Pathway

It is often referred to as The Single System and is managed by England Hockey – aims to provide the best possible talent development experiences for all players.

It seeks to:

• Provide fun, engaging development opportunities that encourage player retention
• Develop exceptional young hockey players who could one day become world-leading players

What is the Single System?

Talent Development encompasses the whole of the hockey landscape which includes club and school activity as well as the Single System development centres. The Single System – The Player Pathway is specifically the development centres, e.g. DCs, ACs, PCs etc, but it is also important to look at the hockey a player gets in all environments.

Why does hockey have a Single System?

The purpose of the Single System is to make opportunities for participants fair, equitable and consistent. It is to ensure that a suitable level of coaching and competition is offered for people at the appropriate stage of their development and to maximise the chance they have of fulfilling their potential whether that potential is as a club or International player, coach or official.

How can I access the Single System?

The Single System can be accessed through Reading Hockey Club, as we will help players get into the system at County level. You may also get nominated by your school. There is one entry point into the Single System centres which is at Junior Development Centre level. The first time a player accesses the player pathway they must enter at JDC level. Reading Hockey Club proactively manages this process for its colts section and will ensure that colts get the opportunity to participate.

If you have any queries please speak to your coach who will be happy to help.

If you would like to find out more then you can do so on the England Hockey website

Juniors – Sunday Morning Training At St Benedict’s Playing Fields, Perivale Lane

• U07s (age 5 & 6, years 1-2) – 10am-11am
• U08s (year 3) to U10s ( year 5) – 10am-11:15am
• U11s (year 6) and U12s (year 7) – 11:30am-12:45pm
• U14s (year 8 & 9) – 12:45pm-2pm

Juniors Midweek Performance Training (selection only)– St Augustine’s Priory, Hillcrest Road

• Talent Centre U14 (years 8 & 9) Boys Tuesday evenings by selection only – 6:15pm-7:30pm
• Talent Centre U14 (years 8 & 9) Girls Tuesday evenings by selection only – 6:15pm-7:30pm
• Talent Centre U11 & U12 (years 6-7) Girls Wednesday evenings by selection only – 6:15pm-7:30pm
• Talent Centre U11 & U12 (years 6-7) Boys Wednesdays evenings by selection only – 6:15pm-7:30pm

Junior Midweek Training – St. Benedict’s School Playing Fields

• U16 & 18 (years 10 & 11) Girls Thursday Evenings – 7:30pm-9:00pm
• U16 & 18 (years 10 & 11) Boys Thursday Evenings – 7:30pm-9:00pm

Junior Goal Keeping Academy

• School Age 8 to 14 Sunday 10am – 11:15am

Ealing Hockey is fortunate to list 3 Level 1, 7 Level 2 and 1 Level 3 England Hockey Qualified Coaches.

A number of Ealing coaches are provided by TotalHockey, formerly an Official Coaching Agency of England Hockey (2014-15, 2015-16).

Get in touch with TotalHockey about their coaching programs. Whether it is:-

• Camps, Academies and Clinics
• One on One
• Consultancy
• Clubs, Schools and Universities

As of 2021 Ealing Hockey, under the direction of Dain Lewis, will remodel its coaching to enable the most focused to excel further. The Club will also introduce the use of video coaching for feedback and record matches.

Dain, a former National Performace coach brings a wealth of knowledge from his years coaching for England and in the Netherlands.

If you wish to speak with any of the coaching staff, please use the Contact Page on the Ealing website.

 A number of fixtures are available to these groups, including friendly matches, Home Counties, Mini Festivals and the EH Club Mini Championships.

The purpose of this Selection Policy is to set out clearly how players are selected for fixtures for the benefit of players and parents alike.

The underlying aim of our Selection Policy is to ensure that it is fair and inclusive.

Player selection for each of these age groups will be made by the coaches using the following criteria:

1. Subscriptions up-to-date
2. Athleticism
3. Skill level
4. Playing experience
5. Attendance and attitude at training
6. Effort and commitment/coachability
7. Fitness/Endurance

Players will be asked whether they are available for matches via Teamo before the match and to make themselves available a week prior to the fixture. Players not shown as available on Teamo will not be selected.

Every child should have the opportunity to play in matches at the appropriate level. Playing a fixture against another club is in itself an important part of a player’s development.

Coaches have a duty of care to play their strongest teams at some fixtures eg Middsx and EH Club Mini Championships. Coaches have the right to select their best team based on their knowledge of the players and, when requested, will explain their decision to players and parents. Players not selected for these teams have the right to ask where they need to improve in order to gain a place on such a team.

A chance to play in these fixtures will be made available to all players in a group, regardless of their ability. All EHC coaches aim to ensure that, throughout a season, as many children as possible are given the opportunity to play in a fixture. Unexpected cancellations of fixtures may, however, affect the extent to which this aspiration is achieved.

Reference to teams as A, B, C etc are generally avoided in these age groups and as an alternative, we will use alternative names such as Hawks, Ospreys etc. Movement between teams is encouraged and players should not take their place in any team for granted and learn to play with others. All players are expected to willingly play for whichever team they have been selected for.

All teams from U12 upwards play League games either entering into the Home Counties Girls Leagues or the Mercian Leagues for boys and EH Cup Games.

The Club aims to provide match exposure for all its junior members at these age levels, but the selection emphasis changes so that all children are grouped into teams according to their ability. Age groups are combined to reflect the approach taken by the local leagues, so for example, U13/14s, U15/16 and U17/18 are combined. Selection within these age groups is based on a similar basis as above with more focus on ability and commitment. We ensure that we enter enough teams into the various leagues so that players of all abilities get to play matches. The Club aims to run an honest meritocracy for HC Premier and EH Cups competitions.

Where a parent is concerned about anything to do with the selection of their son or daughter to any team, please contact their squad leader (Team Manager/Captain) in the first instance.

Failing that, please contact Jeff Moores, Club Development Officer or Datinder Lotay, The Club Welfare Officer.

The table below provides details of the required age of players in each hockey squad. Hockey age groups are aligned to school years, with the relevant date being their age on the 1st September each year.