Following a short absence, Berkshire have decided to enter a team in this year's Men’s Senior County Championship.

Having won the A Division in 2008-09 then not entering in recent years Berkshire will be playing in this year's C Division on the weekend of 9/10th May. If all goes well, we hope to also be involved in the Finals Weekend on 30/31 May. The venues are yet to be confirmed. 

Andy Watts, Reading Hockey Club Men's 1st XI Coach has agreed to help prepare and select the team for the competition. This is a high-level competition and players attending trials should be playing at least Regional level Hockey for a club in Berkshire. Players who are resident in Berkshire and play their hockey for a club outside of the county are also eligible for selection.
 
Trials will be held at Reading Hockey Club on Wed 22nd April 19.30 - 21.00 and Wed 29th April 19.30 - 21.00, led by Andy Watts. Players should register their intention to attend at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. detailing the club / team that they play for. Prospective players are expected to attend both sessions.
 
At this time of year we appreciate that many will be playing a lot of hockey so we are only intending to hold two training sessions ahead of the first round. These will be at Reading Hockey Club on Tuesday 5th May 19.30 - 21.00 Thursday 7th May 19.30 - 21.00. Selected squad members are expected to attend both training sessions. Further preparation ahead of the Finals Weekend may be added if necessary.

Each year Berkshire Hockey Association runs Development Centres (DC) for playing squads in the under 13 to under 17 categories at venues across the county. Each year Berkshire Hockey Association welcomes in excess of 500 young athletes to the Development Centre training and selection programme and these are largely nominated from schools and clubs within the county and outlying areas.

Equipment

Outfield participants must bring their own stick and must wear shinpads and gum shields.  All outfield players are provided with a coloured and numbered bib which must be worn over other clothing.  All players will be required to wear sports clothing suitable for the conditions.  NB the programmes takes place on astroturf pitches and astro shoes/trainers are therefore preferable to standard sports trainers.

Goalkeepers are required to bring their own kit which must include the following:

• Kickers
• Leg guards
• Abdominal guard/pelvic protector
• Padded shorts
• Chest protector body armour
• Throat / neck protector
• Helmet
• Hand deflectors
• Smock
• Arm Protectors (preferred although not essential)

The sessions are physically demanding so all  players must bring plenty to drink, with water being the preferred option.

2024/25 Development Centre Programme

We are delighted to announce the Berkshire Hockey 2024/25 Development Centre programme will commence on 6th September 2024. Full details on the programme can be found here.

Cancellation and Non-attendance

In the event that it is necessary to cancel a session, we will endeavour to give as much notice as possible.  Sessions are rarely cancelled due to adverse weather conditions.  Players should wear clothing appropriate to the conditions on the day, which may mean additional layers.

If your child cannot attend a session, please inform the Team Manager at the earliest possible opportunity.  Whilst we understand that on occasions it may not be possible to attend a session, players are assessed throughout the programme with a view to selection to the next phase in the process.  Low attendance may reduce the efficiency of such assessments, thus lowering the chances of progression.

Notes for Players

We’ll keep the player information nice and short:

1. Listen to the coaches – they will explain the sessions and are looking for opportunities for you to show what you can achieve.
2. Be a team player – we are looking for players who work hard as part of a team.
3. Try new skills – it’s a Development Centre.
4. Have fun!

As a reminder to parents about the "fun" part, please take a moment to watch this video:

Following trials during the Development Centre (DC) programme, squads are selected and players are invited to attend the Academy Centre (AC) for further training.

The sessions are high intensity, challenging and are designed to build on existing hockey skills at an individual level and promote team play.

The sessions usually last for 90 minutes.

Inter-County Matches

Details of the 2024-25 inter-county matches are available here and below:

South AC Boys Championships

• South AC Boys U13 24-25
• South AC Boys U14 24-25
• South AC Boys U15 24-25
• South AC Boys U16 24-25
• South AC Boys U17 24-25

South AC Girls Championships

• South AC Girls U13 24-25
• South AC Girls U14 24-25
• South AC Girls U15 24-25
• South AC Girls U16 24-25
• South AC Girls U17 24-25