u8s and u10s mini hockey section
We hope that this page helps by providing some general info about the U8s and U10s (minis). We hope that this will answer many of your questions, if there is anything that has not been covered please feel free to contact any of our Coaches via the contact us page.
COMMUNICATION
Our primary form of communication is via this website, this is the most efficient form of communication for us and saves unnecessary work load for the coaches, please be sure to check this website regularly for information. Important information is usually available on the front page, though the mini section does have a page each containing information specific to their age group. There is a link to each of these pages under the top banner. Please check the site regularly for details of training / tournaments etc..
Using Teamo
The Teamo App also lets you see all sessions, and you can confirm your attendance (or not) for every session- this helps us plan. Also due to Covid-19 regulations, we need you to pre-register at every session using the Teamo Playsafe QR code, either at the pitch or in advance on your mobile. Upon arrival, your Coach or Group Manager will also need to register your child.
The Teamo app also allows us to message you, and you to message us, and you can pay all subs through this App - it’s simple and fast.
KIT
Full details of our kit can be found on this website here: Hockey Kit. For the minis age group we suggest purchasing one of the hoodies which many children from previous years already have. Sewing in name badges is a very good idea as it helps us to repatriate lost tops and makes it much easier to learn the children's names at training. See the Kit page link for more information. NB: Mini’s do not have shirt numbers at U8 or U10; these are only needed at U12 onwards.
REGISTRATION
If you haven't done so already you will need to complete our online web based junior registration forms using Teamo (more info here or on our documents page) and send it together with your membership fee to the address on the form.
TRAINING AND TOURNAMENTS
We run our training sessions every Sunday morning at Kings School (U8 between 9am and 10:30am, U10 10:30 - 12:00). On the weeks that tournaments are scheduled (once per month) we do try to run training sessions on these days for children not selected for the tournament. This will depend on the availability of coaches, so please monitor the website for details. Please check the Calendar for training / tournament dates. We will normally post more specific info about tournaments on the site nearer the time.
TEAM SELECTION FOR MINI TOURNAMENTS
We are very lucky to be able to say that interest in the hockey club has never been stronger.
We believe that this enables everyone to get good experience playing against a wide variety of skills and abilities, but we hope also that it is a lot of fun and a place where your children can start to form good friendships outside of regular school life.
One downside to this is that when it comes to team selections for tournaments, we do have to apply some filters on how we make that selection. We will over the course of the season endeavour to ensure that all children are able to play at some of the tournaments 5 or 6 tournaments. Generally we are allotted two teams of 7 children playing at any time at each tournament. We normally look to take a couple of substitutes for each team. Team selection will be based on a mix of the following criteria:
Club subs being paid and registration complete
Attendance to training sessions
Siblings in u8s and u10s
No of times players have taken part in tournaments
Involvement in the club e.g. coaches, first aid assistance etc. (see note below)
In order to have a good game it is important that there to be some structure on the pitch and therefore it is necessary that we have some of the more experienced players in the teams. This does mean that some people might well attend several if not every match. Without this structure, the games can become impossible to manage, umpire and indeed the children themselves do not learn as easily in this environment, resulting in a less positive experience for all. At this stage it is much more about the experience of playing than winning every game, but it does help with the enjoyment factor for the children to experience some success along the way.
NOTE: Please do contact us if you would be interested in helping with the running of the club. This does not have to be in a coaching capacity, there are lots of other things that the club needs assistance with in order to run smoothly and we are all volunteers.
WHAT TO DO IF THE WEATHER IS BAD
We try very hard not to cancel training sessions due to bad weather, but in the past we have had to do so on a few occasions. If it is extremely wet or cold we will make a decision before 8:30am on the morning of the session, and will post a message on the website. If you have any concerns please make sure you check the site before leaving home. Mostly, we press ahead even if we have to shorten the session slightly. If we decide to run a session on a cold or wet day can you please ensure that your child has waterproofs and or plenty of warm clothing - especially gloves and hats.
CLOTHING / EQUIPMENT
Can you please ensure that your child brings a gum shield and shin pads to training sessions. Inexpensive gum shields are available from local sports shops, or for something more substantial you can buy one from Opro or your dentist. As I mentioned above please ensure that your child turns up with appropriate clothing for the weather conditions.
THE COACHES
The current season's Lead and Team Coaches and Team Managers can be found on the Contact Us page. A number of these coaches have achieved their Level 1 coaching qualifications and have attended attended a sports first aid course, and new parent helpers wanting to join in and start to coach and get their coaching certificates (funded by our club) are always welcome. Be part of the growing successful Winchester HC team!
We also have a number of other parents who will be helping us. We will do everything we can to make our sessions safe and fun but please bare in mind we are all volunteers so if you feel you can help on or off the pitch please let us know.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE CLUB
On our documents page we have a range of documents including:
Code of Conduct & Junior rules
Key Club Contacts
Child Welfare Policy
England Hockey Equity Statement
and many others...
Please do have a look through the documents on this page.