England Hockey Awards 2025 Categories

Awarded to the England Hockey Member Club who:

• Collaborate Inclusively: Provides a friendly, welcoming, inclusive environment for all, and demonstrates diverse community connections to bring new people into hockey.
• Play With Spirit. Win With Grace: Embodies a safe and welcoming culture for all players and volunteers based on great values and purpose to ensure everyone has a positive, fun and rewarding hockey experience.
• Care for People and Places: Demonstrates good Governance and Leadership, is an EH member, adheres to EH policies, supports and values its members and volunteers, and has appropriate and sustainable facilities.
• Resilient In Everything We Do: Has a comprehensive playing and non-playing offer for all, which retains, trains and attracts members and volunteers.

Awarded to the England Hockey Member Club, with fewer than 250 members, who:

• Collaborate Inclusively: Provides a friendly, welcoming, inclusive environment for all, and demonstrates community work that has brought new people into hockey.
• Play With Spirit. Win With Grace: Embodies a safe and welcoming culture for all players and volunteers based on great values and purpose to ensure everyone has a positive, fun and rewarding hockey experience.
• Care for People and Places: Demonstrates good Governance and Leadership, is an EH member, adheres to EH policies, supports and values its members and volunteers, and has appropriate and sustainable facilities.
• Resilient In Everything We Do: Shows marked progress over the past season in demonstrating strong leadership for the long-term sustainability of the club.

Awarded to the Team from an England Hockey Member Club who:

• Collaborate Inclusively: Provides a friendly, welcome and inclusive culture that respects every player and allows them to feel welcomed.
• Play With Spirit. Win With Grace: Has achieved significant success during the season and/or improvement from the previous season and all team members consistently act as positive ambassadors for the club and its values.
• Care for People and Places: Provides strong leadership within the team to ensure all team members have a positive, fun and rewarding hockey experience.
• Resilient In Everything We Do: Demonstrates that its players are integrated into the heart of the team and wider club and have opportunities to grow and develop. 

Awarded to the Team from an England Hockey Member Club who:

• Collaborate Inclusively: Provides a friendly, welcome and inclusive culture that respects every player and allows them to feel welcomed.
• Play With Spirit. Win With Grace: Has achieved significant success during the season and/or improvement from the previous season and all team members consistently act as positive ambassadors for the club and its values.
• Care for People and Places: Provides strong leadership within the team to ensure all team members have a positive, fun and rewarding hockey experience.
• Resilient In Everything We Do: Demonstrates that its players are integrated into the heart of the team and wider club and have opportunities to grow and develop. 

Awarded to the person who:

• Collaborate Inclusively: Has led club-wide initiatives, creating new opportunities for people to access hockey.
• Play With Spirit. Win With Grace: Has shown true dedication and commitment to the sport in a voluntary capacity.
• Care for People and Places: Is seen as an outstanding role model by their peers and values the thoughts of others.
• Resilient In Everything We Do: Has made a significant contribution to a particular aspect of the sport and carries out their volunteer role in an understated way.

Awarded to the Volunteer who:

• Collaborate Inclusively: Has made a significant impact in their role, acting as a role model for other volunteers.
• Play With Spirit. Win With Grace: Demonstrates outstanding commitment to their unpaid activity and role.
• Care for People and Places: Has dedicated their time and effort to overcome challenges, make valuable contributions, and consistently considers their impact when conducting their Area/County activities.
• Resilient In Everything We Do: Has positively influenced the development of the sport on a county or area scale and carries out their role in an understated way.

Essential Criteria

Awarded to the Coach who:

• Collaborate Inclusively: Adheres to the Spirit of Hockey by being inclusive to ensure everyone can feel a part of the hockey community.
• Play With Spirit. Win With Grace: Is an outstanding and inspiring role model, upholds the spirit of fair play and respect for opponents and officials, and actively promotes a culture where players are encouraged to respect the rules of engagement and challenge with courtesy.
• Care for People and Places: Has established a safe and positive culture and takes care of people and the places we play.
• Resilient In Everything We Do: Develops their knowledge appropriate to participant need and has a recognised England Hockey coaching qualification and up-to-date DBS check.

Awarded to the person* who:

• Collaborate Inclusively: Has provided inspiration to others involved in hockey.
• Play With Spirit. Win With Grace: Has an established history (25 years or more) of distinguished service to hockey.
• Care for People and Places: Has made a lasting and outstanding contribution to the sport, and whose contribution has fostered a more welcoming and safer environment for future generations of players and volunteers.
• Resilient In Everything We Do: Has exhibited leadership and positively influenced the development of the sport on a county, regional and national scale.

* This category is not for posthumous nominations. 

Awarded to the Official who:

• Collaborate Inclusively: Is seen as an outstanding role model by their peers and has contributed to the experience of people participating in hockey.
• Play With Spirit. Win With Grace: Has made a significant contribution to the game, including the Officiating Community and their organisation (Club, Area, NPUA, TAP). 
• Care for People and Places: Has an England Hockey Umpiring Accreditation or is a registered Technical Official and proactively works with others to uphold safety and apply the rules in a fair and adaptable manner.
• Resilient In Everything We Do: Has demonstrated commitment to their own or others' development.

Awarded to the person under the age of 23 as of 1st January 2026, who:

• Collaborate Inclusively: Works well with peers and club members, sharing their enthusiasm for hockey to bring the best out of others.
• Play With Spirit. Win With Grace: Is an outstanding role model as a coach, umpire, leader or volunteer and has the appropriate DBS check.
• Care for People and Places: Supports a safe and positive culture which respects the individual and makes people feel welcome.
• Resilient In Everything We Do: Has demonstrated commitment to their own development, positioned themselves as an emerging leader, and has contributed to making a significant difference for the future of hockey.  

Notes

This award is not aimed at talented young players.

Awarded to the person, organisation or England Hockey Member Club who:

• Collaborate Inclusively:  Has worked with one or more local state primary or secondary schools (or School Games Organiser) to introduce or grow hockey.
• Play with Spirit.  Win With Grace:  Has prioritised fun, progressive, active, and engaging hockey experiences for students and generated enthusiasm for the sport.
• Care for People and Places: Provided safe and age-appropriate activities that meet the needs of students, teachers and schools, encouraging holistic child development and progressive hockey specific skill-building to develop better players and people.
• Resilient In Everything We Do: Has broken down barriers or changed perception of hockey, focusing on reaching students who are currently underserved by the sport or who have limited access (e.g. specific demographic groups, different abilities, non-traditional hockey schools).

Awarded to the Hockey Maker who:

• Collaborate Inclusively: Motivates and engages with other Hockey Makers, and values/respects the others they work alongside.
• Play With Spirit. Win With Grace: Goes the 'Extra mile' and uses initiative to make a real contribution to the success of an event and truly brings the positivity and energy of hockey when undertaking their role.
• Care for People and Places: Creates a safe and positive culture for other Hockey Makers and is on the England Hockey, Hockey Maker Portal.
• Resilient In Everything We Do: Has been appointed to at least four England Hockey events (May 2025-April 2026) and shown genuine commitment and enthusiasm to their role.

Awarded to the person, organisation or England Hockey Member Club who:

• Collaborate Inclusively: Has identified people underserved by sport and worked hard to create flexible opportunities for people to participate in hockey at times that work for them.
• Play With Spirit. Win With Grace: Has used their profile or standing to promote hockey and encourage underrepresented people to take part.
• Care for People and Places: Has arranged activities and events that have reached new people, making them feel welcomed, valued, and part of the hockey family.
• Resilient In Everything We Do: Has understood and pursued opportunities to make a real difference, and through sustained commitment has been able to take hockey to new communities.

These Awards are nominated by coaches and internal members of staff.

Elite Team of the Year

Men’s Senior Performance Player 

Men’s Junior Performance Player 

Women’s Senior Performance Player 

Women’s Junior Performance Player