Junior Information

Ealing Hockey is fortunate to list 3 Level 1, 7 Level 2 and 2 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 Performance 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.

Ealing HC is part of England Hockey's Talent System. Our coaching program is designed to help young hockey players improve their skills and reach their full potential. It's open to everyone, regardless of their current ability, and focuses on providing a fun and challenging environment where players can develop through quality coaching and competition. The program has different stages, starting with local training and potentially leading to selection for national age group squads.

The Talent System emphasises a love for the game and encourages parents to support their child's athletic development. By working with coaches and volunteers, parents can help their child grow as a player and a person. If your child is passionate about hockey, the EH Talent Centre offers a fantastic opportunity to improve their skills, make friends, and enjoy the sport to the fullest.

Please read more about your role as a parent/guardian in your child's hockey development

Several fixtures are available for all age groups, including friendly matches, London Leagues, 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.

Selection Process: Our coaches will assess all players during all sessions. There is no formal trial, which puts unnecessary pressure on our young players. All players should focus on playing to the best of their ability at all training sessions, listen to coaches, and apply what they tell them to their game.

We assess a player based on their athleticism, ability, attitude, and aptitude (including coachability). 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 with Teams in the London, South, and Central Leagues, EH Cup Knock Out Competitions, and the Tier 1 and 2 England Hockey Junior Championships.

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 abilities. Age groups are combined to reflect the approach taken by the local leagues, so U13/14s, U15/16 and U17/18 ages are combined. Selection within these age groups is based on a similar basis as above, focusing more on their team skills, fitness and athleticism, ability, attitude, and aptitude (including coachability). We ensure that we enter enough teams into the various leagues so players of all abilities can play matches. The Club aims to run an honest meritocracy for HC Premier and EH Cup competitions.

Again, if your child is not showing as available on Teamo they will not be selected. Most children at Year 9 and older manage their own availability on Teamo!

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.

As a Young Leader, you'll:

• Boost Confidence: Learn to lead on and off the pitch.
• Gain Qualifications: Receive certifications that look great on your CV or university applications.
• Inspire Others: Play a role in growing hockey at schools, clubs, and local events.
• Make Friends: Connect with other passionate young leaders from across the country.
• Have Fun: Enjoy hands-on opportunities while contributing to the sport you love.