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In2Hockey Schools

In2Hockey

In September 2011, EHB will be re-launching Mini Hockey as a new 2-staged game called In2Hockey.  In2Hockey has been designed primarily for 10 to 14 year olds, to help them develop their hockey skills and techniques, and to provide a gradual progression into the 11 a-side version of the game.   It can be played as a 7 a-side game with goalkeepers, or introduced as a 6 a-side game without goalkeepers.  As per Mini Hockey, it is played on an area the size of half a hockey pitch. 

 The rules of the 7 a-side game are the same as the rules of mini hockey were last season.  A new set of rules have been developed alongside for the 6 a-side game, to help bridge the gap between Quicksticks and what was mini hockey.  This is to ease the young players’ transition between different versions of the game, and also to make the game easier for secondary school, and non-hockey specialist teachers to deliver.

 The 2 stages of In2Hockey gradually introduce three key features of the 11 a-side version of the game.  These are goalkeepers, penalty corners and penalty strokes, and through In2Hockey each element is introduced in an easy to deliver, progressive and enjoyable way.  The game will be accompanied by specially designed equipment and supporting resources, all of which have been designed to support the delivery of junior hockey for 10 to 14 year olds in both clubs and schools. The session plans, delivery cards and additional resources will help teachers and coaches to deliver the game to their young players.  The content is designed to be flexible and can be adapted to meet the requirements of a school or club in terms of the facilities and equipment available, the deliverers’ level of hockey knowledge, and the age and ability levels of the players.   

 More information about all aspects of In2Hockey will be available at www.englandhockey.co.uk/in2hockey once the web pages go live in early September.

In2Hockey School & Club Competitions

Throughout the junior competitions framework consultation completed by EHB earlier this year, the feedback from schools and clubs was that the progression from Quicksticks to Mini needed to cater for ability levels, as well as age group, and the feeling was that delivery in clubs and within certain schools, where there are qualified coaches or hockey-experienced teachers, was generally of a higher level.  Therefore a one size fits all approach was not appropriate (particularly for schools competitions) and we needed to offer a range of options, to suit differing levels and differing wants / needs.

 The resulting 2011-12 Junior Competitions Framework therefore provides a range of competition options for each schools age group. The National In2Hockey School and Club Championships (previously the National School and Club Mini’s), will continue to run in exactly the same way as they have previously, and the 7 a-side rules of In2Hockey will apply to these competitions.  There is also now the option for schools to play in developing schools competitions at U11, U12, U13 and U14.  U11 developing schools will be a 4v4 format, U12 6v6 or 7v7, U13 6v6 or 7v7, and U14 will be 7v7.  These developing schools competitions aim to cater for schools which may not be ready to enter the formal national competitions, and are what EHB has recommended form the basis of the School Games activity that will roll out from September onwards. 

School Games

The School Games is a government initiative which was announced in October 2010 as the basis of school sports policy moving forwards.  The aim is to create a year-round sporting calendar (including around 30 sports), specifically designed to get children competing at 4 different levels:

-          L1 – Intra-school, year-rounds, culminating in a school games sports day at the school in the summer term

-          L2 – Local intra-school competitions leading into L3 activity

-          L3 – county wide event, comprising winners from local L2 activity.  L3 events will be organized by a Local Organising Committee (LOC).  LOCs will be set up in each county, and will be chaired by a local head teacher.  LOCs will make decisions locally as to which sports to include, which formats to play, which age groups to run etc – therefore it is crucial that all involved in hockey try to guide and influence these groups to deliver activity in line with that suggested in our Junior Competitions Framework

-          L4 – a separate event that is for the most talented school age athletes (not school teams) – this will carry on in a similar format to the current UK School Games

 450 School Games Organisers (SGO’s ) have been appointed across the country to help deliver this activity. School Games activity will start to roll out from September 2011 onwards, and EHB are liaising with the Youth Sport Trust on a regular basis to provide hockey specific guidance for their guidance materials and general School Games-related communications to schools.  All of the content provided by EHB will be based on the content outlined in the 2011-12 Junior Competitions Framework.  The aim is to use the school games activity as developing schools competitions that run alongside the existing National Schools competitions. Quicksticks will form the basis of the primary school games activity, with In2Hockey the main format suggested for secondary school activity.

For more information about the School Games please see www.yourschoolgames.com

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Last modified: February 15, 2012