It has been a delight to work with such an enthusiastic and dedicated squad who demonstrated so much enthusiasm, talent and promise. It was obvious from the start of the season that the Under 14 hockey squad was going to have a fun and inspirational season and this was true! It was great to see so many hockey players out training on a Monday evening. Some evenings we would get up to 40 boys attending and this is an outstanding achievement in itself and key to a great squad. The players were keen to learn new skills and develop their experiences in tactical awareness and set plays. This resulted in some fine play on the pitch and therefore some excellent results. The sheer size of this particular year group meant that places for the A team were limited and competition was high. All players worked to their full potential, making team selection a very difficult decision on a weekly basis. Oscar Birnie demonstrated excellent leadership qualities as A team captain on and off the pitch with the fantastic support of Henry Marden as A team vice captain.
There were some great results against Millfield, Bryanston, Ryde, Seaford College, Churchers and Pangbourne for the A team in standard fixtures. The A team were runners-up in the National Schools’ Hampshire Cup being defeated by PGS in the final. The boys went on to represent Hampshire in the regional round of the National Schools’ competition and the boys came 3rd in the group. A very respectable position with great winning results against Kingston Grammar (1-1) and Hurstpierpoint College (2-0). The boys played with excellent determination and deserved the great results. The A team played in the Hampshire Tournament and finished 3rd overall in the competition.
The B team had an excellent, unbeaten season and were fantastic in training and on the pitch. Leadership qualities by Cameron Brown ensured the team was organised and played some excellent hockey. The team beat PGS, Churchers College and were also victorious against St Georges College in an outstanding performance. An excellent team and their efforts need to be congratulated.
Miss Campbell