Seventeen clubs across the country have been awarded licenses to deliver a Talent Academy. There will be four additional England Hockey led Talent Academies in year 1 to fill geographical gaps in the Talent Academy network

Reading Hockey is delighted to have been awarded one of the TA licenses covering over 15 Clubs in the South Central Region.

Talent Academies aim to: 
• Provide exceptional talent development environments supporting the development of a phenomenal generation of players at international level
• Provide year round high-quality ‘on pitch’ contact time for approximately the highest potential boys and girls aged 15-18 (approximately 500 players per gender)  
• Provide appropriate best vs best competition to further support player development within a safe, inclusive and enjoyable environment
• Provide holistic education for young players in line with the complete player qualities that effectively prepares them for performance environments 

The 2022-23 Talent Academy Programme will run from August 2022 to July 2023, starting with Open Assessments in September. EH has been accepting Open Nominations for TAs (closing date 25 June) from schools, counties and clubs across the country. The TA Open Assessments are open to all current Performance Centre players. Dates for the Open Assessments will be notified to players when invitations to attend are issued.

Reading TA Sessions will be on Mondays from September 2022 to July 2023 with some Sunday sessions when the Academies are in the Competition phase. In school holidays there will be high-performance camps for the squad plus additional young players with high potential.

Reading Hockey is currently recruiting coaches to join the Talent Academy coaching team. This will be an exciting and rewarding opportunity to support the development of high-potential junior hockey players within the England Hockey Talent System. Coaches will be part of a dynamic team of organisers and coaches who will help to create an intensive and competitive training environment with a healthy talent development culture. See our news article on our website. Closing date 24 July 2022.

For enquiries about the TA please contact judith.barton@readinghockeyclub.org.uk