England Hockey set to take Junior hockey to the next level

Over the last 12 months, England Hockey have been working to create a unified approach for junior hockey aimed at giving every young person the opportunity to participate in hockey, in an environment that is right for them.

The Junior Hockey Framework provides a national solution with local flexibility – built from feedback, research and pilot projects across the country. Designed to position hockey as a sport for all young people, the Framework will address inconsistency in coaching, competition and development standards across clubs and schools and the barriers that limit participation, especially in state schools and underserved communities.

The Framework is built on three core components, each of which is essential and intertwined to delivering high-quality junior hockey experiences: 

• Culture: Creating safe, connected spaces that value youth voice and focus on holistic development. 
• Experience: Ensuring delivery is fun, progressive, active, and engaging. 
• Environment: Supporting junior hockey wherever it happens—in schools, clubs, and communities

By aligning Culture, Experience and Environment, the Junior Hockey Framework aims to: 

• Increase the number and diversity of young people participating in hockey 
• Improve the quality and consistency of hockey delivery 
• Provide clearer player development pathways 
• Embed safety, well-being and enjoyment at the heart of all junior hockey 
• Strengthen the long-term health and growth of the sport 

The Junior Hockey Framework represents a step change in how we support, structure and deliver junior hockey.  

Here’s what sets it apart: 

• Content designed with you, for you: all content has been co-created with feedback from young people, coaches, teachers, clubs and schools - ensuring it meets real needs in real settings. 
• A unified, flexible delivery model: for the first time, a single framework supports delivery across clubs, schools and community partners - with adaptable, age-appropriate session plans tailored for 5–11-year-olds. 
• Hockey intelligence built in: every experience embeds the principles of physical literacy, holistic child development, and progressive skill-building, helping develop better players and people. 
• Positive, age-appropriate competition: we’ll be introducing simplified, child-centred formats to ensure early competitive experiences are fun, inclusive and developmentally right. 
• Support for those who deliver: we’re removing complexity and providing clear guidance, free training and best practice standards to give all deliverers the confidence and tools to succeed. 

Here’s what you can do this next:

• Develop your people – for free – the new membership will be providing you with access to coaching, officiating and safeguarding courses for free. 
• Follow Best Practice Standards - the guidance that will be shared during Get Season Ready will all you to create a safe and inclusive environment for young people.
• Use Junior Framework resources - brand new 5 - 11 content and session tools will be available on the England Hockey website and Hockey Hub.
• Strengthen your offer - England Hockey will be supporting clubs to grow and sustain their junior section.
• Access club development support -  What Makes A Great Club principles will allow our community to deliver consistently brilliant hockey.

If you’d like more information, please contact clubs@englandhockey.co.uk