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Chairman's Update - December 2016

Chairman's Update - December 2016

Stuart Emms7 Dec 2016 - 16:35
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The club's 'mid-term' report 2016/17

Dear Members,

As we reach the halfway point of 2016-17 and move into the Festive season, I just wanted to thank everybody for all their hard work both on and off the pitch in contributing to the club’s success thus far. There’s still plenty to play for as we move into 2017 and as ever an army of volunteers working behind the scenes to ensure things run smoothly.

This week sees the last training sessions for us all before Xmas; training recommences on normal days/times during w/b 2nd January, so enjoy the Christmas and New Year break!
Below is a variation on the usual monthly club-wide update, which serves as something of a ‘mid-term’ report on where we are.

Remember there are plenty of ways to stay in touch what’s happening at your club:

  • Check the website (and the news section) regularly and bookmark www.wottonhockeyclub.org
  • Check your membership profile on the website is up to date (phone, email) and that you are set to receive messages/emails (this not the default)
  • Follow us on Twitter @wottonhockey
  • Check out our public Facebook presence: ‘Wotton under Edge Hockey Club’ or @wottonhockey (where links to press articles etc will be posted) – please ‘like’ this page and boost our profile
  • Members can also request access to a closed facebook members group: ‘WuE HC – the place dreams are made!’ for added banter, breaking news and matchday updates et al

With best wishes
Stuart Emms, Chairman

National Performance Centre selection success
Congratulations to Hayden Brewer & Lauren Jones for their recent selection for the Boys u15s & Girls u17s National Performance Centres – part of England Hockey’s ‘Player Pathway’; coming only months after fellow club member Henry Patteson represented Wessex Leopards at the Futures Cup. There will be seventeen Performance Centres strategically located across England to maximise opportunity and player development. Through this model England Hockey want to move talent development to a higher level by providing frequent, high quality contact time for a targeted group of players with appropriate competition to support player development, in order to develop an oversupply of high calibre players for National Age Group Squads. You can find out more about England Hockey’s Player Pathway here http://www.englandhockey.co.uk/page.asp?section=2132&sectionTitle=The+Player+Pathway

Upcoming events
As follows, do try and support these events, as we expand and all train on separate nights they are key to retaining our #oneclub sociable feel:

  • ***THIS SATURDAY***Sat 10th Dec 2016 – Christmas Jumper Social, Wotton: Annual get together in Wotton’s ale houses, replete with dodgy knitwear, celebrating both the festive and mid-point of the season
  • Sat 4th Feb 2017- Wine & Cheese Evening, Wotton Town Hall. Details to follow in the New Year
  • Sat 1st Apr 2017 – End of Season Dinner Dance & Awards, Barn at Berkeley (tickets on sale early/mid Feb)
  • Other end of season junior and youth events TBC

Juniors
We currently have 90+ junior members. All have had opportunities to play – at Glos HA (Cheltenham) tournaments and our own ‘home’ tournaments – as well as train each week. We have maintained our ‘hockey for all’ approach and included kids who want to play regardless of ability or experience. All have responded well and it’s a pleasure to see them out there enjoying themselves and watch them develop. Special mention to the U8s who seem to be pretty unbeatable and to the U10 girls, most of whom are new to hockey, but have bonded as a team and are playing really well.
As we move into 2017 there will still be ample playing opportunities, but the coaches will also be looking to select an ‘A team’ from each age group for the Glos County Finals in March (U10s and U12s only). In previous years both the U10 girls and U10 boys have won this and gone on to the West Finals. It’s an exciting opportunity to get the club on the map and expose our kids to some really competitive and exciting hockey, not to mention the chance to win a medal! - Cathy York, Junior Co-ordinator
We do still have a waiting list for new junior members, so please send enquiries to wuehcjuniorsec@gmail.com

Badgers (Boys u16s)
A new set of Badgers players took time to settle into the season but they have begun to adapt very well, showing great enthusiasm and spirit, often against more experienced players in the Glos Badgers ‘Circle’ (so named to differentiate it from a ‘league’ so clubs rightly concentrate on player development rather than winning at all costs!). So far they’ve scored notable wins over Newent and Stroud and only losing narrowly to Lansdown but the important thing is we have a core group of players training and playing regularly and enjoying our sport. The club is particularly grateful to both Jane Weston and Roz & Darren Woodman for all their efforts in co-ordinating the team so far; particularly given we have lots of parents and boys who are new to the game and what’s involved. Look for these lads to continue their improvement in the new year.

Vixens/Girls u14s
Our Vixens (U16) and U14 Squad are showing great improvements this season. With around 30 girls regularly attending training, we have been able to field two teams (U14 and U13), with everyone playing matches in either the Glos U16 Vixens Circle or Avon Junior LeagueU14 competitions. The girls have all shown a positive attitude to training and this has paid off with some notable performances on Sundays. On the whole, the vixens are a fun group who reassure us that the future of ladies' hockey at the club is bright.

Senior Men
New territory for us in 2016/17 with the Mens section putting out 5 (yes, five!) league teams for the first time. This has meant we’ve been able to offer more hockey to more people than ever before. It’s been tight some weeks, however with the introduction of a few badgers to men’s hockey and our “occasional players” also helping we’ve managed to field 5 teams every single week.
Men’s 1 (promoted last year) are flying high in the Championship; 2nd in the table, and they’ll be keen to win their last game and try and steal top spot for Christmas. After an initial struggle the Men’s 2s got their league campaign back on track recently; they’ve found their league a lot tougher this year, however they are holding their own in mid table. Our Men’s 3s found themselves 2nd in the table at one point this year. After promotion they’ve acclimatised well, and also now find themselves mid table. The Mens 4s had a stonking start to the year and sat top of their table, again they’ve fallen back slightly, but have proved they can beat any team in that league. Finally the Men’s 5s have enjoyed their hockey (goals have been scored, and scorelines have improved). We are looking forward to their first points of the campaign after Christmas - James Cruickshank, Men’s Club Captain
Details and league positions can be viewed here: http://www.wswhl.co.uk/public/leagueresults.php

Senior Ladies
The ladies section is going from strength to strength; mirroring the expansion in the men’s section this season we have fielded 3 ladies XIs for the first time. There has been movement between squads as we seek to find the most effective combinations of players. The 1st XI are currently sitting just out of the promotion spot in Berkeley Div 1; they will be looking to move back into contention in the second half of the season; with sights firmly set on a return to the North Division. The 2s have embraced their promotion into Berkeley Div 2 and are comfortably holding their own, with a mid table position and the ability to climb further. The 3s are our brand new team, incorporating established players, back to hockey grads and promising youngsters; and after a few weeks of settling in, have shown great team spirit, and also comfortably sitting at mid-table as we go into the Christmas break. Corina Whitear – Ladies Club Captain
Details and league positions can be viewed here: http://www.wcwhl.co.uk/public/leagueresults.php

National Cup & Indoor Competitions

As well as the usual league action on Saturdays the club has also branched out into other National KO competitions this year too; raising the club’s profile as well as providing further opportunities to play. After reaching the quarter finals of the Men’s Trophy last year the M1 are looking to go better this season; while the Ladies entered a KO competition for the first time. This has been complemented by the Boys u18s continuing to progress in the National Plate competition.

MENS 1ST XI England Hockey Men’s Trophy
16/10/16: (Rd1) bt City of Bath 5-1
13/11/16: (Rd 2) bt Devizes HC 6-0
05/02/17: (Rd 3) v Maidenhead (home)

LADIES 1ST XI: Investec Vase
30/11/16: (Rd1) bt Dart HC 2-2 (3-2 on penalty strokes)
20/11/16: (Rd 2) lost Chichester HC (away) 5-1

BOYS U18s: England Hockey Plate
06/11/16: (Rd 1) bt Plymouth Marjons HC 3-2
20/11/16: (Rd 2) bt Olton & West Warwicks HC 2-2 (4-2 on penalty strokes)
05/02/17: (Rd 3) v Ashmoor (home)

In addition, a mens team also entered the Indoor National competition, and they are through to the West Finals at Bath Uni this Sunday (11th Dec)! Good luck lads.

Umpiring
So far this season we have been able to fill all our umpiring commitments, mostly via ‘in house’ umpires. We are lucky to have so many helpful members/volunteers who on many occasions are doing more than one game a day. The club needs more umpires to spread the ‘burden’ as if we lost one or two of the more enthusiastic umpires we would struggle. With this in mind the club is looking to run a course in Wotton next year. When this goes ahead we will be looking for one or two volunteers from each senior team, as well as other interested parties such as parents and supporters, to attend the course so have a think if this could be you – Steve Dexter, Umpires co-ordinator.

New Manufacturer – Vortex Hockey (www.vortexhockey.co.uk )
Do check out the new hockey company founded by a parent of two of our junior members – and one of our junior coaches: Rob Austen. Good range of sticks (and current discounts!). Parents, do click on the junior range which are extremely well priced at £35. Rob would welcome direct contact via the website for any questions or to size up the sticks. Junior page also offers good advice on what to look for in a junior stick...Do mention Wotton-under-Edge Hockey Club if you get in touch! Find them at www.vortexhockey.co.uk or via facebook and Twitter: @vortexhockey
(Disclaimer: other retailers are available!  )

‘Top Gun’ Update
The race for the Leading Goalscorer trophy (awarded at end of season dinner) continues; leading contenders thus far as follows:
Ryan Howarth M1 13
Dave Chevin M4 11
Victoria McGuaig L2 11
Lauren Leyland L1 10
Chris Barton (M3), Mike Buist (M1), Abby Ellis (L2), Darren Pearce (M2), Greg Willcox (M2) all on 7 goals each.

Further reading