Performance Centre Activity for 2021-22
Performance Centres will be run by England Hockey and managed by Centre Managers. Players take part in eight evening sessions, five day sessions and up to four competition days at one of 16 Performance Centres.
Centre Managers
Centre Managers are currently being appointed. Contact details will be released in due course.
Getting involved
Players are nominated to attend a Performance Centre by their Academy Centre to the Centre Manager. Players can be nominated from the U15 and U17 age groups. Players who consistently demonstrate strong skills are invited to Performance Centres.
If you are not selected for a Performance Centre do not worry, you should continue to develop your hockey through school, club, and Academy Centre activity. You may be nominated to attend a Performance Centre later in the season.
Entry and Exit points
The Performance Centre assessment phase will begin in September. Players from the previous cycle and newly nominated players will attend three day sessions and two evening sessions. After these sessions squads will be reduced to 24 players for 1 November 2021. Players not remaining in the Performance Centre environment should return to Academy Centre.
Players can continue to transition, after assessment, from Academy Centres throughout the cycle.
England Age Group Programme and Performance Centre
Any player in the England Age Group Programme will not attend Performance Centre.
However, subject to agreement with the Junior Talent Development Manager and the Performance Centre Head Coach an England Age Group player may attend Performance Centre as an additional training environment.
Attending more than one Performance Centre
Players who cannot reasonably be expected to travel to the same Performance Centre from both their residential (home) address and their school address will be allowed to attend two centres.
Talent Development – A new way forward
Performance Centre activity will continue in 2021-22 to support player development. The end of the 2021-22 cycle will signal the end of Performance Centre delivery and the transition to the new Talent System including the introduction of Talent Academies hosted by clubs.
England Hockey is hugely excited by the opportunity to evolve and grow junior talent development provision across the country supporting coaches, clubs, schools, and counties to provide positive enriching experiences for young talented players.
More information about the Future Talent Strategy can be found on the website. https://www.englandhockey.co.uk/play/future-talent-strategy
To gain an understanding of what it's like to attend a Performance Centre, please watch the video below.