Delivering a new pathway for Cambridge Hockey

Next season will see the beginning of big changes in the way England Hockey are supporting hockey development at all ages, but particularly for children. The vision of more development opportunities for more children is something Cambridge City HC have been working closely with England Hockey to bring to life in Cambridge.

CCHC are delighted to be able to expand their youth section this season with the support of Cambridge University. The aim is to bring together all the U12 and U14 boys and girls with the existing U16 and U18 teams at their fabulous home facility, Cambridge University Sports Ground at Wilberforce Road. The three pitches and clubhouse provide a great environment for fun, safe hockey for all.

Details of registration can be found at the bottom of this article.

Building on the support and success of the coaching teams, children and parents at Cambridge City Junior Hockey club, which has led to National success for U12 boys in 2019, and semi-finals in the national competitions for both U14 girls and U14 boys this year, CCHC are looking to extend that fantastic provision into building the pathway into senior (adult) hockey to enable development for all players, whether playing for fun, or playing for England is your dream. 

To oversee the new U12-14s groups, we are pleased to welcome Jon Peckett to the CCHC coaching team. Jon was a GB/England international and previously head of hockey at The Perse School. Jon will be working with Grant Gilmour, the Youth Section Head Coach, to help establish the overall 11-18 pathway.

“I am delighted to be joining the coaching team at Cambridge City Hockey Club, aiming to provide an excellent experience in the sport for children of all ages as CCHC becomes a new England Hockey Talent Centre.

It is a very exciting time to be a part of the Club, Olympic Gold medalist Helen Richardson Walsh MBE already leads the Ladies 1st Team, and a team of experienced volunteers and parents are dedicated to running a successful Club for all of its members.

Hockey is a fantastic sport for the whole family to enjoy and I am looking forward to assisting CCHC in delivering a thriving hockey programme that supports every child who takes part in the game.”

CCHC are excited about the prospect of being one of the first clubs in England to be able to become a Talent Centre and so offer children of all ages the opportunity to follow their development path and grow to love the sport. The aim of the pathway is to develop players at all levels of hockey, not just elite and this is where the CCHC goals are targeted. There are plans in place to take the club even further, with the aim of advancing to become a Talent Academy in the 2022-23 season.

Club Chairman Mark Brookes said “Our vision is to provide hockey for everyone to enjoy, whether they are 8 or 80 – or even older! We look forward to welcoming the parents and children who are at the early stages of this journey and we are confident that the combination of the existing coaches who many already know, together with the expertise provided by Jon Peckett will give us all the best possible start on the England Hockey pathway.”

The new CCHC Youth Section will run at the Wilberforce Road ground weekly on Sundays from 10am until 1pm, starting in September. U12 boys and girls will start at 10 am and U14 boys and girls will start at 11am. Full details will be published on the web site in August.

Come and join us and have fun with the largest hockey club in Cambridge!