Why does hockey need a Single System?
Hockey in England has evolved over many years and has many historical boundaries, systems and competitions that make the hockey landscape a complicated one. Currently, the pathway varies enormously, not only between boys and girls, but also from region to region and county to county. The purpose of the Single System is to make opportunities for participants fair, equitable. and consistent. It is to ensure that a suitable level of coaching and competition is offered for people at the appropriate stage of their development and to maximise the chance they have of fulfilling their potential whether that potential is as a club or international player, coach or official.
Junior Development Centres (JDC's) (See Leicestershire JDC's)
A Junior Development Centre is a local training centre for the U13 to U17 age groups. JDC's are open to any hockey player who has been nominated by their club, school or coach. After playing for a club or school, attending a JDC is the next step on hockey's Player Pathway. The coach or teacher can nominate a player to attend an assessment for a JDC if and when they think it is appropriate for the player's development. A JDC will provide regular training sessions where players will receive coaching on the core skills of hockey from appropriately qualified coaches. As well as training, there will be competition between local JDC's. The combination of training and competition allows players to develop in a variety of situations and ensures that they are assessed in more than just the competition environment. Players will attend whichever JDC is closest to where they live, there will be a minimum of two JDC's in every county and JDC's will run from September to December. JDC's will be run by County Hockey Associations or Hockey Development Groups, who will appoint coaches and managers/administrators to organise and run all activity.
Junior Academy Centres (JAC's)
A Junior Academy Centre is a training centre for the U13 to U17 age groups. JAC's are open to any hockey player who has been nominated by a Junior Development Centre (JDC) coach. After attending a JDC, a JAC is the next step on hockey's player pathway. A JDC coach can nominate a player to attend an assessment for a JAC if and when they think it is appropriate for the player's development. Players who have previously been involved in Junior Regional Performance Centre (JRPC) Tier 2 activity may also attend JAC's. Players will attend whichever JAC is closest to where they live, there will be a minimum of one JAC in every county and JAC's will run from January to April. JAC's will be run by County Hockey Associations or Hockey Development Groups who will appoint coaches and managers/administrators to organise and run all activity.
Junior Regional Performance Centres (JRPC's)
A JRPC is a training centre for the U15, U16, U17 and U18 age groups which will be open to anyone who has successfully come through assessment from a JAC or who has previously been involved in National Age Group Squads (NAGS) activity. JRPCs provide regular training sessions where players will receive high level coaching on the core skills of hockey from JRPC coaches, with additional input from England Hockey's Centrally Contracted Coaches (CCC's).
There are two tiers of JRPC activity:
Tier 1 - A phase of training followed by two days of competition.
Tier 2 - A phase of training followed by either a High Performance Assessment Camp (HiPAC) (U15 & U17) or the England Hockey Futures Cup (EHFC) (U16 & U18).
In Tier 1 competition the JRPC's are grouped into four clusters of three. From Tier 1 activity, players will be selected to represent their cluster squad at Tier 2. These cluster squads are called the Saxon Tigers, the Pennine Pumas, the Wessex Leopards and the Mercia Lynx. The combination of training and competition allows players to develop in a variety of situations and ensures that they are assessed in more than just the competition environment.
There are 12 JRPC's nationwide, with players attending whichever JRPC is closest to where they live and JRPCs will run from August to November. JRPC's will be run by Regional Hockey Associations, who will appoint coaches and managers/administrators to organise and run all Tier 1 activity. Tier 2 activity will be run by England Hockey, who will appoint coaches and managers/administrators.
Players will be selected from Tier 1 competition to represent one of the cluster squads at either a HiPAC (U15 & U17) or the EHFC (U16 & U18). From the EHFC competition, players may then be selected for involvement in the National Age Group Squads (NAGS) (U16 & U18). Players who do not progress beyond the JRPC tiers will have been identified as talented players. They should continue to work on their game at club and/or school and through attendance at their local JAC with the aim of progressing through to JRPC activity again the following year.
U16 and U18 international teams
England run international teams at both U16 and U18 age groups. Players will be identified from the JRPCs who have the potential to play at international level and will be given the opportunity to attend assessment and development camps to be selected to represent England at junior level.
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