Primary Schools Player Development & Excellence Centre 2007
Lipson School, Plymouth

Over 70 future young hockey stars from Plymouth, West Devon & Ivybridge primary schools and junior hockey clubs have been attending the PHDG centre for excellence & development held at Lipson school. All the players were selected either by playing in DML Primary Mixed hockey festival or through their clubs over the past 2 months. Over a four week period Hockey Development group coaches led by experienced coach Jamie Oxley have been working with the players to develop their core hockey skills.

Oxley said “this years centre has been a huge success with some excellent talent from years 4-6 selected to attend. It is testament to the schools and clubs with regards to the standard and commitment of the players. I have no doubt that there are some future England players amongst the group and is a bench mark of how far the game continues to grow in popularity in the city” Each player will have worked on the new junior skills challenge which the PHDG is set to launch officially in schools & clubs in September. Depending on their score will determine whether they receive a gold, silver or bronze award. Through working on the new skills challenge players will be able to test their own progress which is very important.

This is the fourth year the group has run a primary age development centre and is the most successful to date. The centre enables all the best local talent to work together to challenge their own skills. It also enables the PHDG to work with raw talent identified playing in the city hockey festivals and then feed them into local clubs. The centre is a follow on from the secondary development centre which was run in May which was attended by over 50 boys and girls in year 7 & 8. From the centre the City youth games teams were selected and were set to compete this weekend but due to the postponement will now take place in early September in Okehampton.

In addition to the develop of player the centres have also enabled the group to work with coaches and young leaders to support their development. Oxley said "Through mentoring the coaches and leaders it enables them to enhance their skills and confidence to work with players of all abilities. This will help to raise the standards within the game across the city clubs and schools"