At Fareham Hockey Club we put the individual at the heart of what we do to help players maximise their potential to play at the highest level they can for as long as possible. To do this we aim to create a fun, safe and challenging environment with an approach that focuses on the following areas:

PERSON
We aim to develop and stretch individuals, encouraging them to learn, experiment and make mistakes in a safe setting at a pace appropriate to them to hopefully form a lifelong love for the game. We do this by providing a safe environment with a dedicated welfare officer and consistent support from coaches and captains to ensure players are supported as they grow.

PLAYER
We have a player-centred approach where players, coaches, parents and captains are encouraged to discuss player aims, performance vs potential and to help identify opportunities to mitigate factors which may be holding players back.

By encouraging each individual to play at a level that is appropriately stretching and to identify opportunities for advancement when appropriate we facilitate and support self ownership of player objectives.

PERFORMANCE
Our coaches work with players to identify their strengths and areas for development to provide stretch in a safe but challenging training environment. We encourage all our players to watch our First teams in action and discuss what they have seen with their relevant coach.

Our coaches are supported with mentoring and continued learning opportunities so that they can feel confident that they are delivering the best experience possible for individual players while reflecting the ever-changing nature of hockey and applying the latest principles and guidance from EHA Hockey.

PATHWAY
Central to developing performance is selecting players for the appropriate playing challenge to provide an enjoyable but competitive environment to allow growth as a player and person. Providing suitable steps of advancement is a key element of providing a pathway for our players through the club and beyond and one supported by our Coaches, Team Managers,Team Captains and Player Group.

We provide regular opportunities for players to discuss their performance and potential to identify and agree the best way forward for ongoing development.

PARTNERSHIP
Player development requires a collaborative approach from the player, parents/guardians, coaches throughout the club, team captains, club umpires, schools and external talent environments through:

• Encouraging honest discussions between club umpires, coaches and players to provide observation on player performance.
• Working with schools to grow the best support network for developing players
• Liaising with other clubs/county pathway to ensure players receive the best opportunities to develop.