Talent Development - Details & Progress Update

In September, England Hockey began the roll-out of the future talent system, Talent Development – A New Way Forward. Reworking a system that develops talented young players is a significant

step for any governing body, and is both complex and emotive.

This article aims to update on two aspects of the system: firstly a recap of the changes and why they are being made, and secondly a progress report with next steps.

England Hockey believe it is essential to place young players at the centre of everything we do.

Given that talent develops at different rates, there can be no ‘one-size-fits-all' approach. The system must embrace multiple opportunities for players to shine. In addition, we must

consider the person, the player, and having shared expectations for them, allow players time to shine and develop rather than looking for the finished article too soon. 

Whilst this is a ‘kitemark’, it does not suggest that other local clubs, schools and counties are not delivering good junior sessions and we ask that clubs and parents carefully consider the

best hockey environment for each young player before choosing a club. It is important to recognise that we are in a transition period, introducing a new system, and that over time the

number of Talent Centres being accredited will increase.

At the Talent Development stage of the system, clubs aspiring to host a Talent Academy are invited to complete the application form over the Christmas break so that the assessment process

can begin in January 2022. A short video has been created to support clubs with Talent Academy applications. Talent Academy delivery will begin in September 2022.

Following significant stakeholder consultation, we have concluded that it is too soon to push forward with a formal Talent School accreditation. Instead, while we implement Talent Centres

and Talent Academies in clubs, we will take a more educational approach around talent development in the school sector alongside the two school membership offers being launched in the new

year. This will enable us to connect with more schools in the short term while we continue to engage about a future Talent School accreditation and learn more about where it could have most

impact.

If you have any questions, or are interested in reading some of the related resources, a list is below with links to the most recent information published:

We use cookies to make sure you get the most from our website. Learn more.