In celebration of our centenary this year, we are proud to announce our new sponsorship of the Guernsey Hockey Talent Academy.

Previously, Guernsey Hockey hosted one or two Talent Academy sessions each season for its most talented junior players, led by a visiting England Hockey coach. This year, with the support from Rihoy & Son, Guernsey Hockey has successfully launched a local Talent Academy programme.

The programme has provided over 60 young male and female players, aged 12 to 18, with the opportunity to develop their skills. The Academy featured 10 performance sessions throughout the season, led by experienced local coaches Sandy Lawson and Daniel Griggs, both of whom have extensive backgrounds in high-performance coaching in the UK and abroad.

The season culminated with a squad of Talent Academy players competing against Hampshire Performance Centre (HPC) teams at Trojans Hockey Club in Southampton on Saturday 20th July.

The Guernsey team played three matches: two against HPC boys' teams, resulting in 4-2 and 1-0 losses, and one against an HPC mixed team, ending in a 4-2 defeat. Despite the losses, the matches were tightly contested, with some excellent hockey played. The Guernsey players thoroughly enjoyed the experience, playing highly competitive games against players their own age, something they often don’t get the opportunity to do in Guernsey.

Sandy Lawson, the squad Coach commented, "The Guernsey Hockey Talent Academy showcased remarkable skill and teamwork in their matches against the Hampshire Performance Centre. Their dedication and performance were a credit to themselves and Guernsey Hockey. The experience gained during these matches will be invaluable as they continue to nurture and develop as young athletes. Thanks to the Rihoy & Son sponsorship, we are looking forward to continuing the Guernsey Talent Academy in September and watching our players grow and achieve even greater success while continuing to deepen and strengthen our club's junior sides.”

Sandy added, “There may be players better than you, but there is no excuse for anyone working harder than you!”

Dan Taylor, Managing Director of Rihoy & Son commented, “As big supporters of local sport, and encouraging youth in sport, we believe this initiative will ensure ongoing growth and success for the island's young hockey players.”

 

Guernsey Talent Academy Squad

Squad (minus Tom Judd)
Boris Bousfield tracking back
Joe Culverwell running down the wing
Guernsey Squad with HPC players

Posted: 1 August 2024