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Exciting Growth in the Junior Section!

Southgate’s junior section is thriving! We now have 34 coaches working with 24 junior teams during our Thursday evening training sessions and The Academy. In recognition of their hard work, we’ve implemented a new coach remuneration system and are encouraging coaches to engage in CPD (Continuing Professional Development), including internal coaching sessions to further their development.  The Learner Coach programme continues to thrive with 20 of our young members supporting our Tots, U8’s, U10’s and U12’s on a Sunday morning whilst also working towards their coaching qualification, safeguarding and first aid training.

Talent Centre Accreditation & Club Development

We are currently progressing through the Talent Centre accreditation process, which will help us enhance the quality of talent development and the overall environment we provide for our members. While not the same as TA, this accreditation is key to developing a more professional “product” at Southgate. To support the growth of the junior club, we’re focusing on several key areas:

Risk Assessments

Safeguarding procedures and good practice

Coaching: refining our philosophy, provision, and development

CommunityInclusionand Outreach: expanding our accessibility and welcoming culture

New Training Structure: Leadership & Stretch Hockey

Our aim is to provide players with two contrasting experiences: Leadership Hockey, where players excel, and Stretch Hockey, which challenges them to perform beyond their current level. To achieve this, we’ve restructured our training as follows:

J-FOUNDATION: Primarily U10 and U12 players, along with older players new to hockey who need to develop basic skills.

J-DEVELOPMENT: Mainly U12 and U14 players, some U10s needing extra challenges, and U16s expanding their skill sets.

J-POTENTIAL: Focused on U16 and U18 players, with some U14s who require stretch.

Sundays remain dedicated to age-group training, focusing on team play and preparation for fixtures and tournaments.

Junior Section Growth

With Spond now being used more effectively to monitor club membership, we’re excited to soon have clear data on how much our junior section is growing. What we know for certain is that we’re running more teams than ever, with sides competing across tiers 1-3 to cater to all levels of experience and ability in our pursuit of both performance and participation.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to build on our success!