Henley Colts Section
What Henley HC has to Offer
Henley Hockey Club is one of the main Oxfordshire clubs providing regular coaching, training and matches for boys and girls aged from 6 to 15 years old. Coaching and training for these players is organised and carried out by qualified hockey coaches working with other club members and parents to help develop our future club and representative players.
In recent years the Henley club has produced a number of high quality youth players (both boys and girls), a number of whom have gone on to play at County, Regional and at National levels.
Coaching & Training
The 2009/2010 season will begin on Sunday 13th
September 2009 and sessions will take place every week - apart from
a one/two week break at Christmas and will finish 28 March 2010. For year groups 1 to 6, training takes place on Sunday
mornings from 09:15am until 10:30. Years 7 to 10 also train on a Sunday Morning, from 10:15 until 11:30. Both sessions are held on the astroturf pitch at Henley, commencing on the 12th September.
For Year 10s and upwards, training is held on a Wednesday evening from 20:00 till 21:30.
There are no special requirements, just turn up at the Henley astroturf
pitch kitted up (see below for the equipment needed) and ready to go.
For under-16 players this season's subscription will be £80 (see the Subscriptions & Match Fees page). The subscription covers the whole season and will normally provide for some 30 weeks (45 hours of coaching, training and games) for each junior member at less than £2 per week.
Remember that the subscription helps us to cover the costs of administration for the group and helps pay for the use of the synthetic turf pitch each Sunday (at £40 per session).
Even with this subscription, Henley HC provides additional support through fund raising activities and by subsidy from the senior membership. These help us provide the ancillaries to the coaching sessions such as training the Youth Coaches, providing training hockey balls, junior-size sticks and goalkeeping equipment for those taking up the sport for the first time. Most of those who take hockey up on a regular basis like to own their own stick as soon as they can.
Safety
Hockey can be dangerous unless treated seriously at all times. The club's qualified coaches will expect all participants to be careful, to follow instructions and to adhere to safe playing practise at all times (as designated by the coach who is in charge on the day). Young players will be expected to own and wear appropriate clothing as shown below. Those not wearing appropriate clothing and those who disrupt training for other group members may be asked to leave the session. You are also recommended to read the page on Personal Accident Insurance
| Mouthguards | Essential (and should be professionally fitted) | |
| Long socks | Very strongly advised | |
| Shinpads | Essential | |
| Astroturf Shoes or... | Strongly advised | |
| ...Training shoes | Essential (if astroturf shoes not available) | |
| Track Suit Trousers | Strongly advised during the winter months | |
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Players should generally bring a drink with them (particularly during
hot weather, but also throughout the rest of the season) so that they
can take regular drinks so they do not become dehydrated. Soft, still,
drinks such as fruit juice and diluted squashes are fine, as is plain
water, but fizzy drinks should not be used during training sessions.
Sticks are available at the club for use during training sessions. |
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Matches for junior players
Matches are generally arranged to take place at a similar time to our coaching and training
sessions but clearly need to fit in with the playing arrangements of opposition teams so occasionally
earlier or later games will take place.
The club has entered squads in this year's Oxfordshire Hockey Association friendly leagues for both boys & girls (this is the first year that such a girls league has been run anywhere locally.
Older players (from about 14 years old) are generally proficient enough to be capable of joining one
of the senior sides(either men's or women's) and will be given the chance to do so with the permission
of their parents.
Links with schools
Wherever possible, links are being forged between the club and primary schools in the Henley area under the auspices of the Oxfordshire Hockey Association and the funding provided through the Hockey Active Sports Group and with assistance from the South Oxfordshire Sports Development team.
Some of the teenage members of the club who attend the Henley College have, over the last few years, also helped to plan, organise and run the annual Henley Youth Festival mini-hockey tournament. This brings together a number of primary school teams from the Henley area to play in a league and knockout tournament in spring each year.
Henley HC Contacts
For more information on junior hockey at Henley, please contact one of the following:
| Youth Hockey Organisers | Trish Heggie | 01491 636309 | barnard@bannerhomes.co.uk |