Talent Academy Programme
Programme Overview
Venue and Facilities
The Talent Academy training sessions and home fixtures are held at Coombe Dingle Sports Complex Sports Complex, which is the main sports hub at the University of Bristol.
The site includes two floodlit, sand dressed astroturf hockey pitches, changing rooms and toilets.
Video/in-person classroom sessions will take place in the Main Pavilion at Coombe Dingle Sports Complex. This is configurable for a classroom environment and includes necessary WIFI & AV equipment.
Strength and conditioning sessions will take place in the OWL gym at Coombe Dingle Sports Complex.
There is free car parking available on site.
Training Programme
The Talent Academy runs throughout the season from October to July.
Training provision includes 260 delivery hours (130 hours per gender) of training/competition provision.
Training provision consists of a mix of on-pitch coaching, video/in-person classroom sessions, as well as sports psychology and strength and conditioning coaching.
This approach is considerate of the amount of Hockey Talent Academy athletes will be undertaking within the traditional hockey season (September to March) with school, club and Talent Academy Hockey. In the off-season (April to July), Talent Academy loading will increase as other hockey loading (club/school) is reduced.
Loading will be continuously reviewed throughout the cycle and adjustments made as the Talent Academy operation progresses, with the young people we work with foremost in mind. Additionally, short breaks during the season have been included to allow for rest in the schedule, for example a break scheduled during half term.
Session Timings
Talent Academy training sessions take place on Thursdays at Coombe Dingle Sports Complex.
The boys and girls' squad have one training session per week, held at either 6.30 pm - 8 pm or 8 pm - 9.30 pm. The training session times alternate between the boys and girls each week.
Where appropriate, we can supplement delivery hours through attendance at UBHC sessions. A member of UBHC will have access to a further 2 x 1.5 hour club training sessions per week in terms 1 to 2 plus pre-season, thus adding potential for c.80 hours of training plus up to 22 games per season.
Competition Provision
Competition dates shall be in line with the England Hockey centralised calendar, of which we have set ‘reserved’ 15 competition days which includes the Talent Academy Festival in July (3 days).
These dates will be published to the squad via the Talent Academy monthly newsletter and posted on the Talent Academy Teamo account.
Membership and Costs
The cost of the Talent Academy is £899 per year payable via monthly direct debit through our SEH portal.
With this cost, Talent Academy athletes will participate in 260 hours (130 per gender) of hockey delivery hours.
For full details relating to payment of the programme please see our Sport, Exercise and Health Terms and Conditions with Section 1 Clause 4 and 5 covering payments and cancellation respectively.
Club Hockey Pathway
Athletes attending the Talent Academy shall not be required to represent the University of Bristol Hockey Club (UBHC). The hockey club and Talent Academy entities will be separated but connected with the aim that young people feel supported and not pressed when it comes to choosing their hockey environments. However, where appropriate (and subject to discussion), the pathway for young people to join UBHC will be available as it is today.
UBHC shall remain student-centred, allowing the Bristol Hockey Talent Academy to act ‘independently’ of a club, allowing young players and their parents a ‘clearer’, simpler choice when choosing to work with us, focused around their development and what is right for them.
Players shall not be required to ‘leave’ their home clubs and may continue to partake in junior and senior hockey within those environments. Players aspiring to higher levels of hockey where this does not exist within their home clubs may be offered this with UBHC or may be supported to find the right level of hockey within other positive coaching environments.
Club Purpose and Aspirations
The University of Bristol Hockey Club (UBHC) is one of the University’s largest and most successful clubs. With nearly 400 members and 13 teams (7 Ladies, 6 Men’s), there is an environment for everyone who wants to play hockey during their time at Bristol. UBHC consistently ranks in the Top 10 University hockey clubs in the country.
UBHC has gone from strength to strength in recent years, attracting high quality people, players and coaches. There are a number of professional coaches in place, led by our Head Coach who oversees both Men’s & Ladies’ programmes.
Our University of Bristol Mens 1st team plays in the England Hockey Conference West, with an ambition to return to Division One experienced in the 2022/23 season. Our Women’s 1st team is an ambitious West Premier League (W) team, having had two recent stints in England Hockey Conference West.
UBHC already has a track record of supporting some of our area’s highest potential young players, already working with schools and clubs to provide stretch, a challenging but welcoming environment and a focus on personal development, irrespective of whether or not a young person plays for the club. Two of the current England U18 squad and one current England U16 have trained or played with the squad in the last 5 years. The club is currently supporting a total of 4 members, male and female, who would nominally be eligible for Talent Academy selection, who have chosen to play for the club. In addition the club continues to welcome other young people into training sessions on an ad-hoc basis where appropriate.
Right Athlete Right Environment
As coaches, we exist to support those we work with and our connections provideus the energy to provide more opportunity. Through the Talent Academy, we are looking to provide more opportunity for young players in the Bristol area to train and play at a highstandard within the area and in an environment that truly supports their interests above all.
Got a question?
If you would like more information, please e-mail us.
