Welsh Hockey Union/Undeb Hoci Cymru

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Elite Player
Pathway

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Teams

Prospective International Athlete

 
INTERNATIONAL & PERFORMANCE

The aim of Welsh Hockey International and Performance is to identify and develop hockey players with potential in schools and clubs and help them to progress through a clear and transparent Player Pathway. The key enablers are good coaches, a well constructed development syllabus, a positive but challenging environment and appropriate competition.

The ultimate goal is to develop a continuous stream of high performing players that can successfully compete for Wales at European Championships, the Commonwealth Games and the World Cup, and progress to represent Great Britain at the Olympic Games.

International Squads
The Performance Section runs international men’s and women’s squad programmes detailed in the Priorities Calendar.

• Seniors
• U/21
• U/18
• U/16

In addition, U/17 and U/25 squads are run to meet specific development and competitive opportunities.
Trials for squads are advertised on this website, and through Clubs and Regions. Players are usually identified in Club, County, Regional development and competition in Wales and will have been working within the player pathway. In addition, interested and eligible persons can forward a CV to the WHU, and we will follow this up as appropriate. Eligibility criteria to represent Wales are also available on this website.

Athlete Performance Development Framework
The athlete performance development framework is designed to:
    • support players within the player pathway, bottom to top, and in accordance with Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) principles.
    • assist WHU appointed coaches and the WHU with an evidenced based approach to identify, select, develop and monitor athletes with high performance potential.
    • provide standardisation, quality assurance and long term data.

The framework comprises:
    • a technical syllabus that builds core and advanced skills        towards those identified by WHU Head Coaches as required for senior international/GB
    • an strength and conditioning education and training syllabus, and delivery plan leading towards development of GB physical criteria
    • a physiology education and advice programme focussing on nutrition and recovery
    • a sports psychology education programme (goal setting, mental imagery, relaxation, anxiety control)
    • a physiotherapy education and athlete regimen so athletes and coaches know what to expect from their physiotherapists
    • anti doping education and advice programme
    • An agreed assessment criteria of physical, personal and technical attributes to be adopted by all coaches for all players wishing to progress.
    • A graduated series of hockey skill practices and tests of physical attributes for all levels, encompassing GB tests where available, to support assessment of progress against above criteria.

Athlete Selection and Management
    • Head Coaches at all levels conduct athlete assessment against specified criteria including talent ID at all regional and national competitions
    • Athletes are included at appropriate place in player pathway; Clubs, Performance Development Centres (PDC), Regional Academies (RA), International Squads and High Performance Centres (HPC)
    • Player pathway managed from within WHU
    • Athletes moved between elements of player pathway according to progress against LTAD principles
    • High Performance Athletes (HPA) managed by HPA Group (HPAG: Performance Director (currently CEO/chair), High Performance Coaching Consultant, Senior and U21 Head Coaches, National Development Manager (Coaching), IPPC (sec) in accordance with the Performance Plan to select HPAs with GB potential, monitor progress and deselect athletes
    • Education, initial and ongoing assessment of athletes to support above in conjunction with WIS
    • High Performance Centre Coaches to deliver to HPAs


Selection System
The WHU pursues a flexible, athlete centred policy which enables athletes throughout Wales to be considered for an appropriate level of coaching and development irrespective of the time of year. The exceptions are where squads have been drawn down as a specific lead in to competition or for logistical or legislative reasons are of a finite size.

In most cases, where an athlete with potential is identified, he or she should be assessed further by the relevant coach e.g. attend 2 weekly sessions at the RA to ensure that is the correct level or to recommend another course of action.

Guiding principles are that;

    • No athlete will go directly into a national squad outside of the formal trials unless they have been assessed at regional level and are superior in current performance and potential than existing squad members.
    • The athlete is eligible to represent Wales or is part of an exchange agreement with another nation.

Talent ID is to be conducted by WHU appointed coaches and selectors from an pproved list held by the National Development Manager (Coaching).

All representative hockey events are to be attended by a Talent ID coach/selector. The NDM(C) will be responsible for matching Talent ID to events.

Talent ID Coach /selector to report details of identified athletes against a key criteria back into the WHU Office through Performance Administration. The WHU Performance Administration also receives speculative requests from players for international inclusion.

In the first instance, referred athletes will be considered by the CEO and NDM(C). After confirmation of an athlete’s capability, he/she will be invited to join the appropriate level of WHU athlete development element of the player pathway; the nearest accredited club, a Performance Development Centre, a Regional Academy or most unusually, a National Squad.

Where that athlete resides outside of Wales, Performance Administration will invite players to complete a CV and check eligibility. For athletes residing inside Wales, athlete CVs will only be required for players entering the RA.

The National Development Manager (Clubs and Youth) has ‘line management responsibility for Performance Development Centres at Clubs, the NDM(C) has line management responsibility for RAs, and the CEO has line management responsibility for Head Coaches of international Squads. The NDM(C) will refer athletes to the RAs and PDCs as appropriate, the CEO will co-ordinate movement of athletes in out and between squads with International Head Coaches as appropriate. The HPAG will manage the HPAs through the Centres.

 Download Prospective International Athlete Hockey CV

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WELSH HOCKEY UNION/
UNDEB HOCI CYMRU
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Email: [email protected]