Alice Sharp & Ben Arnold Win 2008 Higgins Youth Awards
Alice Sharp, 16, a midfielder with Belper Hockey Club, and Ben Arnold, 18, of Beeston Hockey Club are the winners in the fourth year of the Higgins Group UK Youth Hockey Awards.
ALICE SHARP started her hockey career in 1999 as a 7-year-old at Belper HC
playing mini-hockey. Since then she has worked her way through all the levels
until most recently being selected in 2008 for England U-16 in a Four-Nations
Tournament (fourth) at Mannheim and the European Championships at the Hague (silver medal).
In 2007 she won a gold medal with England U-16 in the Home Nations
Championship at Cardiff.
In fact the teams which Alice has played for have definitely had a medal habit. In her nine-year career so far, playing for Belper Ladies HC, Ecclesbourne
School, Derbyshire, Midlands region and England, those teams have won 20
gold medals and four silver in domestic, national and international competitions.
Most recently Alice was invited to the U-20 group training for the Youth Olympics in Australia.
Belper club official Roger Carter said of her: "She is one of the super kids who's been with the club since mini-hoc. She’s been involved with all aspects of the club and has become a regular with the Ladies’ 1st team for the last few seasons.”
Alice is a product of the Midlands Performance Centre whose former head coach, Tim Barlow, believes Alice has the potential to emulate others from the same source: Crista Cullen, Helen Richardson, Rachel Walker and Lucilla Wright – all England / GB players of the highest calibre.
The judging panel selected two runners-up who had pushed the winner hard: Holly Payne, 17, of Leicester Ladies HC and Bablake School, and Dulcie Davies, 16, of Tulse Hill & Dulwich HC and Alleyn’s School.
Holly has been another at the top of Midlands hockey with recent appearances for England U-16 and U-18 and has an ambition to achieve Olympic gold. Holly has also been prominent assisting with the U-12s hockey training giving superb demonstrations of skills and being an inspiration to younger girls.
Dulcie has been first choice goalkeeper for Alleyn’s 1st XI for three years after earlier success in the school’s lower elevens. Dulcie has also been keen to coach and umpire members of Tulse Hill & Dulwich’s Junior Section, in particular passing on her goalkeeping skills. Dulcie is very much an allrounder having represented her school at netball, swimming, tennis, rounders,
athletics, cricket and water polo.
Specially commended this year were Katie Perry, 17, a talented young Welsh umpire who has achieved Level 1 qualification and was selected for the UK School Games, and Suzy Petty, 16, of The-Grammar-School-At-Leeds and Bradford/Wakefield HC who started at nine years old and has moved up to achieve England U-16 squad selection with a silver medal in the Europeans, after losing out only to Holland. She has since been selected for England U-18.
BEN ARNOLD of Beeston HC kept the Midlands flag flying and came out top in the keenly contested boys’ award.
Ben also started as a seven-year-old, at Quinton House School, and on Saturday monrings at Northampton Lions HC. He was a member of the Northamptonshire county side at U-12, U-13, U-14 and U-15 and represented the Midlands region in three U-13 tournaments at ages 10, 11 and 12.
He was selected for England U-16 in 2005/06 and won eleven caps playing in Invitational international tournaments and earning a bronze medal in the Europeans playing as vice captain.
Selection for England U-18 followed in 2007/08 bringing another seven caps, and a year later came a further accolade with selection for the U-21 England side and another 13 caps.
Ben captained England U-18 at the UK School Games in August 2008, carrying off the gold medals.
He was selected for England U-21 Junior World Cup training squad in
September ‘08 and for the Great Britain U-21 squad for the Australian Youth
Olympics.
Graham Griffiths of Beeston HC has said of him: “Ben has become a very
valuable member of our club. He coaches our junior members on Sunday
mornings and works with our Academy youngsters on Friday evenings. I have
employed him at Highfields Sports Club and he has become a valuable member
of staff willing to get stuck in with everything from bar work to cleaning pitches.
Ben is extremely focused on the task ahead: 2016 is a real possibility; 2012 a
dream that might come true.”
The judging panel selected two runners-up from the boys group, both of whom were excellent candidates.
David Condon, 17, Loughborough Students HC and Loughborough Grammar School and Simon Faulkner, 18, Havant HC and Loughborough University, were both nominees who might have taken the top prize had the quality of entrants not been so high as it was this year.
David has most recently been in the Great Britain U-21 squad for the 2009 Youth Olympics in Australia and has his sights set firmly on a place for Great Britain in the 2012 Olympics.
Simon has had a very thorough grounding through all the youth levels, is representing Great Britain U-21 in Australia for the Youth Olympics and is also in the training squad for the Junior World Cup in Malaysia/Singapore.
Highly commeneded for this award was Chris Griffiths, 18, of Stourport HC and Bromsgrove School. Chris made his county U-14 debut at he age of just nine and has moved through all the levels and become firm potential material for Great Britain in 2012.
About the Awards
The Higgins Awards recognise the outstanding boy and girl in youth hockey in the UK at age 18 and under. The 2008 winners will receive their prizes at the annual Hockey Writers’ Club presentation ceremony which is being held at the
Royal Thames Yacht Club, Knightsbridge, London, on Tuesday, 27th January 2009.
The awards were introduced by the late Derek Higgins OBE who sadly passed away in December 2004. A great supporter of hockey and youth work, Derek initiated and sponsored these awards. His son Richard, the chairman of the
Higgins Group PLC, will again make the presentations this year. The panel of judges consisted of Paul Lewellen (on behalf of Higgins Group PLC), Maurice Kittrell, President Middlesex HA and chairman of the Awards Sub-committee
and Peter Luck, Hon. Treasurer, Hockey Writers’ Club.
For further information please contact:
Maurice Kittrell: Tel & Fax: 01279 428 568. Mobile: 07715 147 746
Email: maurice.kittrell@btopenworld.com
