Old Cranleighan HC: Women's 1st Team Coach

Women's 1st XI Hockey Coach

Old Cranleighan Hockey Club Women's 1st Team

Recruitment 2025/26

About the Club

Old Cranleighan Hockey Club is a community-led club based in Surrey with a strong tradition of hockey at all levels. We are a family-oriented club that takes pride in both our competitive standards and the environment we create for our players. The club runs multiple men's and ladies' teams and has a thriving junior section.

Where We Are

Our Women's 1st XI has had a challenging couple of seasons, including relegation from London Prem. This season, however, the team responded well, finishing 3rd and pushing hard for promotion before narrowly missing out. The squad has shown real character and there is genuine quality and desire within the group.

We are now looking for the right Head Coach to help us take the next step. The immediate aim is promotion to the London Premier League next season. Looking further ahead, the club's ambition is to reach the National League, and we want a coach who shares that vision and is excited by the challenge of building towards it.

The Role

This is a part-time role covering the full indoor and outdoor seasons. The Head Coach will take ownership of the Ladies 1st XI programme, leading training sessions, managing match days, and driving the squad's development over time. We are not looking for someone to come in for a single season. We want a coach who will commit to the journey with us, invest in the players, and help build something lasting.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Planning and delivering high-quality training sessions focused on both technical and tactical development
• Leading the team on match days, including game management and tactical decision-making
• Working with players on individual development as well as collective team performance
• Building and executing a seasonal plan with promotion as the clear objective
• Supporting player recruitment and retention
• Working with the Coaching Director and wider coaching team at OCHC to maintain a consistent club philosophy
• Fostering a competitive, supportive, and inclusive environment within the squad

Who We're Looking For:

Above all, we want someone who is passionate about the women's game and genuinely excited by the prospect of building a team over time. The right candidate will be a strong communicator, a natural leader, and someone who gets the best out of players at this level.

We would expect the successful candidate to have:

• Solid coaching experience at a high regional level (Division 1, London Premier League, or equivalent)
• A coaching qualification of at least Level 2, or equivalent experience
• Current safeguarding and first aid certificates, or a willingness to obtain them
• A clear coaching philosophy and the ability to communicate it effectively to players
• The drive and patience to lead a squad through a promotion push over multiple seasons
• The right to live and work in the UK
• Experience at London Premier League level or above, or familiarity with video analysis tools, would be a bonus but is not essential.

What We Offer

We know that the right coach is giving their time, energy, and expertise to this club, and we take that seriously. In return, we offer:

• A motivated squad with genuine ability and a real desire to improve
• A supportive committee that will back the coach and the programme
• A long-term commitment: this is not a one-season appointment
• Competitive remuneration, dependent on experience
• The chance to be part of something that is genuinely being built, not just maintained