Spotlight on our Girls U14
Learn more about what our Girls U14s are up to in this excellent update
Our Juniors team of Storm, Dave and Billy have been working hard over the last few months reviewing our offering to all age groups. They have been in contact with the top clubs around the country to see how they run their clubs to help us set up the best club we can for our juniors. Check out this video which shares what we now offer at Ipswich Hockey Club for our Juniors including some exciting changes.
Spotlight on….our U14 Girls squad:
Ipswich HC’s U14G is one of the areas of the club that has seen significant growth in the last 10months. Preseason last year we had approximately half a team of U14’s and bolstered it with U12’s however we enter this new season with two team with deep squads with well over 30 players in the age group now. Some serious talent has joined the club but also our long-term players that we have nurtured from U8 are really thriving too. It is also a great example of how success breeds success. The word is out on what a talented bunch we have, the great coaching they are receiving but most importantly what fun they are having.
Last season the U14G had great success in the regional tournaments and then jumped deep into a new skill, indoor hockey, by attending a tournament at Derby. In the summer the academy players were invited to play in the adult summer league alongside a handful of adults and had huge success finishing second in their group. In the late summer they were offered additional training with Sam from SWS Coaching, which has really helped prepare them for the coming season.
For the 24/25 season we look to field 1st and 2nd XI U14 girls teams, from the solid foundation of East Tier 2 we are now looking to stretch up into the England Hockey Knock Out Competition and dip our toe into Tier 1 alongside continuing to develop our Indoor journey - 2024/25 is lining up to be a very exciting season.
To bolster this, we are moving the U14G coaching to a mid-week Tuesday evening, with a new dedicated coach to help them develop. Peter Wright is taking on the role who has coached the ladies 2’s and is currently also working with Rixie on coaching our ladies 1 st team. This will be supported by three other club players to give real depth. This also enables us to free up Sundays for more match play, whether against opponents or between our own girls.
The U14 1st XI preseason kicks of this bank holiday weekend with the Mizuno Cup being
held at Surbiton with a strong line up of clubs from across the country. This will be a big
challenge but a great pre-season experience…oh and includes a fun trip to Chessington
theme park too! The 2nd XI have a preseason fixture at home against Old Loughtonians in
a couple of weeks. Those aged 13 (or shortly to turn) can also get involved with our adult Women’s teams. W5s train on a Monday night and the W3/W4s on a Wednesday night 1830 to 2000 - please reach out to Sarah Logan for further information.
We also want to extend a huge congratulations to all those who represent the Anglian
Eagles at the 2024 Regional Hockey Championship and Trophy; last month. We are particularly proud of Ipswich Club member and U14 player Maisie Debenham who has been selected to further her journey with the UK Lions and gain further access to performance level hockey and training. Maisie continues to carry the legacy of putting Ipswich Hockey Club on the wider map and follows in the footsteps of a number of our junior section who have also been fortunate enough to benefit from this wonderful opportunity and really shows the strength of the club and its members representing further afield in multiple formats.
Good luck for the season to all the U14G we look forward to seeing how you all thrive.