England Hockey Awards 2025: Celebrating Excellence in the Hockey Community

The England Hockey Awards, presented by Notts Sport, took place on Saturday 7 June 2025 at the Athena in Leicester, celebrating the dedication and passion within the English hockey community. England Hockey recognized the remarkable achievements of all those nominated and shortlisted, extending a massive congratulations to the winners.

Leading the performance awards, Zach Wallace was crowned Men’s Senior Performance Player of the Year for his consistent elite performances. The Women’s Senior Performance Player of the Year award went to Sophie Hamilton, recognised for her significant growth as a player and leader.

Among the junior players, Max Anderson secured Men’s Junior Performance Player of the Year, having captained the England U21 team to World Cup qualification and been a pivotal member of the GB U21 team that won the Sultan of Johor Cup.

Similarly, Molly Smith was honoured with Women’s Junior Performance Player of the Year for establishing herself as a promising young goalkeeper and helping the U21 side win bronze at the European Hockey Championships.

The Outstanding Elite Performance of the Year was awarded to Dan Barstow, a highly regarded international umpire who was appointed video umpire for the men's final at the Paris Olympic Games.

In the individual contribution categories, Phillip Bootland took home the Hockey Maker of the Year award for consistently going above and beyond since 2007. The Coach of the

Year title was given to Kevin Heath, who transformed Macclesfield Men's 1st XI with three consecutive promotions.

Maxwell Davidson earned the Official of the Year award for building one of the largest junior umpire groups at Doncaster Hockey Club. The Rising Star award saw 19-year-old Harmanpreet Sandhu recognized as a dedicated community leader providing free hockey training to youth and adults in West Yorkshire.

For their commitment to inclusion, Spencer Lynx emerged as the Diversity & Inclusion Champion for delivering free, inclusive hockey to underserved children across London. Tasha Hookway was named Area/County Volunteer of the Year for organizing junior festivals and the Sussex Junior Development League, creating vital playing opportunities.

The Unsung Hero award went to Richard Kirtley for revitalizing junior hockey in Sheffield by leading successful free summer hockey camps in underserved communities.

Regarding team successes, Neston Hockey Club Men’s 1st Team were celebrated as Men’s Team of the Year after going unbeaten in the North West Premier League to secure the title. The Women’s Team of the Year accolade was presented to Harrow HC Ladies’ 2nd Team, who had a flawless season, winning every match and not conceding a single goal in London Division 5 North West.

Keynsham Hockey Club earned the Emerging Club of the Year award for their rapid growth, including promotions for three women’s teams and the launch of a new Women’s 4s. Finally, Durham City Hockey Club was named Club of the Year after a transformative 12 months, including taking over the city’s junior section and achieving 20% membership growth.

The prestigious Lifetime Achievement award was presented to Graham Griffiths and Eilish MacBean, both honoured for over 50 years of dedicated service to hockey, inspiring thousands across all levels of the sport.

The evening also celebrated the individuals whose exceptional photographic talent provided the most compelling images this year: Mark Baxter as Photographer of the Year, Eva Gilbert as Professional Photographer of the Year, and Lyra Colwell as Young Photographer of the Year.

Find out more about our winners’ stories here