The Winchester Hockey Club Oracle Edition 1
Welcome
Welcome to the 1st edition of the Winchester Hockey Club junior section Oracle (The W.H.O). This edition includes plans for the forthcoming season for each team. It is our intention to publish a regular newsletter once the season is up and running, so that we can share upcoming fixtures, events, results and achievements. If you have anything to contribute, please let us know.
Our vision is to provide an enjoyable, safe experience for all of our children in which they can develop their hockey skills at a pace suitable for them as an individual. We are investing in well-qualified and highly experienced coaching teams across the entire section which, supported by an army of parent volunteers, will accelerate the development of our players and teams.
Sponsorship Opportunities
As we look to invest in the coaching programme and resources, we are giving local business an opportunity to sponsor individual teams or the entire junior section.
For a modest contribution, sponsors will have:
Their name associated with specific teams
Bespoke coverage in newsletters and social media
Recognition of their sponsorship in local press coverage
We would very much like to hear from you if you are interested, or have contacts at local business which may be prepared to get involved. Please do get in touch.
New Sponsors
We are delighted to welcome 2 new sponsors of the junior section. Both sponsors are local businesses and we very much appreciate their support in helping us to achieve some of our strategic aims this season.
Forghetti will be sponsoring the under 16 boys and Summit Digital the under 14 girls.
We look forward to working with them both as the season progresses.
Password peace of mind. Forget your passwords. Forever.
forghetti is a simple to use password manager designed for everyone. All you ever need to remember is one simple doodle.
Memorable, safe and stress-free.
Summit Digital
A Winchester based digital development and marketing agency. Summit are dedicated Squarespace specialists and Google Cloud Partners. They harness design and technology to deliver fabulous business results.
Design: From corporate identity, branding and print materials through to websites and applications, we create designs that reflect the personality of your business and look for researched based solutions to your business challenges.
Development: We develop robust and reliable websites, mobile applications and digital platforms which enable you to be more efficient. We are Squarespace and Google Cloud Partner development experts.
Marketing: We utilise our expert knowledge of digital technologies, our decades of experience and our network of subject matter experts to offer a unique vision for your business. From social media advice, white papers, eBooks to regular content our team is here to help you to be heard.
Positions Vacant
We are looking to fill a number of important positions before the start of the season. None of these roles will be overly onerous. However, if more volunteers are prepared to help, we can share the administrative load and incorporate more views into the strategic development of the junior section. If you are interested, please contact us.
Director Of Coaching
The creation of the new role of Director of Coaching is an important development that represents a real statement of intent from the Club. We are delighted that Richard Penrose has agreed to take on this role. Many will know Richard, as he has been a part of Winchester Hockey Club for many years, firstly as a 1st XI player, and then as a coach in the junior section, leading a talented group of boys to 2 national titles – under 14 outdoor and under 16 indoor. Amongst other things, Richard will be responsible for developing a coaching and playing ethos across the junior section, and assisting the age group teams to deliver high quality coaching for the children.
The Junior Committee
Junior Chair: Tim Lander
Junior Vice Chair: Peter Jenkinson
General Liaison: Richard Macer
Director of Coaching: Richard Penrose
Junior Membership: Anna Morgan
Child Welfare: Melissa Clegg / Olivia Childs
Open positions
Sunday Fixtures Co-Ordinator: VACANT
Junior Umpires Manager: VACANT
Sponsorship Co-Ordinator: VACANT
Newsletter & Social Media Manager: VACANT
Goalkeeper Training
Head Coach: Jez Spicer
Training: Wednesday, 8.00-9.30pm, Kings (every other week)
We are delighted to announce that we will have a dedicated goalkeeper training session this year, running every other week. This will supplement the regular training that GKs get at their age group sessions.
Jez Spicer is a professional GK coach, responsible for coaching players across the full spectrum from club, England Hockey Player Pathway and senior men and ladies’ sections.
U16 GIRLS
Team Manager: Tim Lander
Head Coach: Stuart Swift
Head Coach: Helen Jelley
Training: TBA
We are delighted that Winchester stalwart, Stuart Swift, and Helen Jelley, who joins Winchester this season will be teaming up to run the under 16 girls squad this season. Stuart needs no introduction, having been part of the club for many years and is the men’s current club captain. Helen joins was this season having moved in to the area from the Midlands. She has an exceptional playing and coaching CV, having represented Wales and coached in the England Player Pathway all the way up to Futures Cup Head Coach level. She will also be head coach of the ladies 1st XI this season.
This group includes a sizeable group of lively girls that enjoyed a successful under 14 season last year. They join a smaller, but talented group of players who were the younger cohort of last year’s under 16s.
We hope that a dedicated training slot and 1st class coaching team, will re-invigorate the under 16 group that struggled to establish momentum last season.
U16 BOYS – TEAM FORGHETTI
Academy Squad:
Team Manager: Peter Jenkinson
Head Coach: Howard Chaplin-White
Training: Wednesday 8.00-9.30pm, Kings
U16 Squad:
Team Manager: Ian Westwood
Head Coach: Neil Souter
Training: TBA
Many of this season’s squad were part of the successful under 14s that won the Mercian League and reached the England Hockey national finals in 2019
We're looking forward to another successful year for the under 16 boys this season. Such is the strength in depth of this age group, and to maximise the opportunity for everyone to play matches including a strong group of boys coming up from u14s last season, we have decided to split the group this year.
A selected group of the boys will form an Academy group, coached by Howard Chaplin-White, and they will train with the men's squad - they will play in the Mercian League.
The main group will train together lead by head coach Neil Souter, and form WHC's entry into the Hampshire league - we have entered two teams for this season so plenty of hockey. With dedicated qualified coaches across both groups, matches for everyone and the opportunity for selection to the Academy group during the season, we hope that this will help all the boys to develop at an appropriate pace and get matches at the right level.
U14 GIRLS – TEAM SUMMIT
Team Manager: Nina Burrows
Head Coach: Marie Atkinson
Training: Friday 7.00-8.30pm, Bar End
The U14 girls training welcomes Marie Atkinson to the coaching team for which we are all very excited. Marie plays for Winchester ladies team and as a hockey coach and PE teacher at The Westgate School not only is she familiar to many of the girls, she is also an experienced leader with this age group.
Marie will be joined by some very familiar faces from the previous seasons with Anna, Maz, Kwame, James and Mike all stepping in again.
It is anticipated that we will have a good group of girls with many coming up from the u12 to join an already strong u14s cohort. There will be two teams playing competitive matches and training for all every Friday evening at Bar End from early September.
We look forward to a fun and successful season ahead.
U14 BOYS
A Team:
Team Manager: TBA
Head Coach: Harry Trussler
B Team:
Team Manager: Richard Macer
Head Coach: Richard Macer
Training: Friday 7.00-8.30pm, Kings
The U14 boys group has a long traditional of developing players and coaches into Club icons, all well respected across Hampshire and beyond.
This coming season sees Harry Trussler leading the A squad coaching where just a handful of years ago he was just an emerging talent in the same group.
Richard Macer will again, as ever, be cajoling the rest of the group into wanting to be A squad members.
The group consistently turns the keen and good listeners into dedicated hockey players hungry to learn and wanting to establish themselves into one of the Saturday Adults teams. Along that journey many also play for Hampshire after performing well at “DC”, several train in the local Player Pathway PC Centre and most years, a few trial and play for their County.
U12 BOYS
Team Manager: TBA
Head Coach: Tim Lander
Training: Tuesday 6.30-8.00pm, Kings
The under 12 boys performed creditably at the Hampshire in-2-hockey tournament last season finishing 6th and playing some fantastic hockey along the way
Tim Lander will be head coach again this season, assisted by Hans & Luke. We could do with more support if you are interested in helping.
Many of last season’s boys have moved up to under 14 this season and the intake from under 10s is small, so we will start the season with a relatively small squad. That said, this tends to be a group that attracts lots of new joiners each season and we expect the same this year.
Training will be fast paced, with a combination of individual skills development and lots of small sided games. We expect The boys will learn quickly at this age.
U12 GIRLS
Team Manager: Kath Edgecombe
Head Coach: Justin Bradley
Training: Sunday 9.30-11.00am, Bar End
We are delighted that with the support of Kath Edgecombe as Team Manager, Justin Bradley, Guy Dale - Smith, Tim Huff and Sarah Williams will be volunteering to coach the under 12’s girls squad this season.
They will need no introductions having helped coach through the younger age groups for many years. They all provide a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the game of hockey that will help hone and develop your daughters’ skills as they transition to 11 a-side.
The group includes a number of talented girls that were part of the under 12’s set up last year and will be joined by a lively group moving from under 10’s.
We look forward to some great hockey and a lot of fun for the season ahead.