On Wednesday, the club welcomed a host of young players eager to give hockey a try. Alongside introducing children to our brilliant sport, the camps are also giving some of our talented junior players the chance to step into coaching as part of our Coach Development Pathway – an initiative led by Ian Christlo.

This pilot programme is already proving to be a huge success, with junior members Sam, Vicki, Liv, and Bella gaining valuable experience by supporting our coaching team and some of our Under 18s boys players also joined in, well done! This is a great example of our core value of Development in action, helping our young players grow both on and off the pitch.

The journey doesn’t stop there. In September, over the course of a week, all our junior coaches and those on the coach development programme will observe and learn from two of the very best; Will Hearne and Alan Stoves, who bring vast knowledge and experience to the table. These sessions will ensure our coaching approach is aligned and of the highest standard across all junior age groups, linking to our new coach development framework.

We’re now opening the door for more of our young players to get involved. If you’re an under-16 player at Doncaster Hockey Club and want to develop your coaching skills, parents or guardians can register interest by emailing ian.christlo@gmail.com.

This is more than just coaching, it’s about inspiring the next generation of leaders in hockey.