Rich Beer looks back on his first season as CEO

With the 2025/26 season now drawing to a close, kit bags are being sorted, sticks taped up, and bibs washed before everything disappears back into the shed for the summer. Somewhere in the country, there might just be one coach wondering how they ended the season with more hockey balls than they started with. 

As attention turns to the comparatively relaxed - and often surprisingly sweaty - summer ‘social’ hockey season, it feels like a good moment to reflect on the past year: my first season as CEO of England Hockey.  

Looking back on the last few months, what stands out most to me is the sheer scale of hockey taking place across England every single week. Thousands of matches, in all weather, at every level of the game. Junior players taking to the pitch for the first time, veterans still pulling on (the same) club shirt after decades, coaches giving up evenings and weekends, parents on tea duty, umpires standing in the rain, volunteers opening clubhouses and marking out junior pitches before most people have had breakfast. 

At its heart, that is what our game is about. Hockey brings people together. It creates friendships, belonging and community. It gives people a place to compete, to exercise, to volunteer, to support others and simply to enjoy being part of something bigger than themselves. Across clubs, schools, universities and communities, hockey continues to have a hugely positive impact on the lives of so many people. 

One of the things I have learned most quickly this season is just how much collective effort sits behind making all of this happen. The running of hockey in England is an enormous, shared endeavour, powered by people who care deeply about the game. Many of those roles are highly visible within clubs, but many others happen quietly behind the scenes and often without recognition. Whether it is organising fixtures, developing young officials, supporting welfare and safeguarding, or ensuring competitions run smoothly, there are thousands of people contributing their time and expertise to keep the game moving forward. 

England Hockey exists to support the game, the players, clubs, volunteers, officials and the wider hockey community. Alongside growing and promoting the sport, we also have an important responsibility for the structures, regulations and decisions that allow the game to operate fairly, safely and consistently across the country. We take that responsibility seriously and always aim to act in the best interests of hockey as a whole in England.  

Safeguarding is one example of this and must remain a priority not only for England Hockey, but across clubs and at an individual level too. I want to take this opportunity to recognise the volunteers who support areas such as discipline, safeguarding and competitions through independent decision making, many of these are legally qualified giving their time back for free. They give their time because they care deeply about upholding standards within our sport and helping hockey remain a safe, welcoming and enjoyable environment for everyone.  

The numbers from this season help tell the story of both the scale of hockey being played and the huge amount of work that goes into supporting the game across England and building a strong, inclusive future for hockey: 

• 55,343 Adult & Junior League games 
• 14,424 umpire appointments and 1,588 Technical Officials appointed 
• 2,124 teams in England Hockey Championships culminating in 74 separate finals. 
• 267 Red Cards and 83 disrepute claims processed 
• 2,227 candidates on free Level 1 umpiring courses and 1,025 attendees at free coaching workshops and courses 
• £1.07m invested through our new loan scheme to support club facilities in its first six months 
• 174 teachers and 697 Young Leaders trained in state schools, alongside 75 state school festivals delivered to 4,897 participants so far this season 
• 4,680 completed safeguarding modules, plus 443 attendees at Safeguarding in Hockey and 168 Welfare Officers on Time to Listen 
• 731 club representatives attending club support forums and networks since September 
• 1,450 Talent Academy players and approximately 8,000 players participating in County hockey across the country 
• 16 Pro League matches delivered free-to-watch on Channel 4 Sport YouTube so far this season, with another 16 still to come in June, helping us reach new audiences and grow visibility for the sport 

All of these numbers only exist because of people. Because individuals across the country continue to give their time, energy, care and commitment to hockey every single week. 

It is for all of this – and for the countless acts of support, organisation and encouragement that never appear in reports or statistics – that I want to sincerely thank the volunteers, workforce and wider hockey community across the country. 

You make hockey happen. You bring life, competition, friendship and enjoyment to pitches and communities across England every single week for thousands of people. And that is, quite simply, something very special.