Dear Teddington Parent/Junior Player,

What does it mean to play hockey for Teddington Ladies section?

When I took over as Ladies Section Captain at the start of the 2013 season, there were a number of objectives that the Ladies Committee adopted for the short and medium terms. Having addressed some of the short term needs (eg securing the Ladies 1st X1 league position, achieving promotion for the Ladies 2nd X1 back into the South League), we are now looking to plan for our longer term future and one area identified for improvement is the inclusion, participation and transition of junior players to the adult section.

Before I carry on, please let me stress that adult hockey is no substitute for being part of a junior team, and junior coaching/teams will always take priority – the adult section is for players who love their hockey and want to develop/play more and carry on longer term…..

It is pretty fair to say that a large part of my teenage and adult life has been shaped by playing hockey, organising hockey, coaching junior hockey and socialising around hockey. I have played for school, clubs in London and outside, university and various representative sides, - I have travelled to several countries to play, I met my husband on hockey tour and now have two children who play hockey at Teddington. So clearly hockey has been and remains important to me!

Here are two accounts from current Ladies 1’s and 2’s representatives of what Teddington Ladies means to them!

'I started playing for Teddington in the U9s, progressing through the age groups and joined the Ladies 3s when I was playing U18s. Playing ladies hockey as a junior really helped me through the transition to Uni hockey. I returned to Teddington after graduating and love being a member of Teddies Ladies 2s! Fantastic social side to the ladies section off the pitch while maintaining the right level of competitiveness on the pitch.'

Helen – Ladies 2’s

“I started playing for Teddington Hockey club when I was about 12 years old. I came and made friends with some great people, who I am still now friends with at the age of 25! We were a great team and won a few trophies. I started playing for the ladies 1s when I was aged 15/16 and really enjoyed getting to know some people from the ladies section of the club (I even remember the day when Julie announced she was pregnant!!). It was great fun attending the end of season dinner with the 1s team also, I felt like I was part of the club and the adults team. I then went and played for another ladies hockey club for one season aged 18 and then went to The University of Manchester where I played premier league hockey in the 1st team, and captained the team for my third and final year. On returning home after university in 2010 I debated whether to continue playing hockey or not, but after speaking with my old hockey friends who I met when I was a junior, I decided to rejoin Teddington as everyone else was. I'm so glad I made the decision to come back to my home club, seeing old faces and getting involved with the ladies committee has been great and very rewarding. The social events have also been a great way of getting to know my fellow Teddington players from both the men’s and ladies section. Hockey for me is a way of enjoying myself (both on and off the pitch) while making some great friends, some of which I have known since I was 12 years old!”

Harriet – Ladies 1’s

I suppose that what I am trying to convey is that “hockey is for life, not just for school years!” And that being able to join a hockey team in any new environment you travel too is a fabulous way of making friends and establishing yourself. For me our junior section is a success if it provides the impetus for players to carry on an active team sport through their adult years.

So for this reason, no matter what standard of player your daughter is now, or would like to be in the future – finding the right route to transition from school / junior club hockey, to adult hockey over a period of time, is not just about playing matches and going training. Obviously that is important but it is also about the following:

·Being responsible for your availability, and attendance, - turning up on time, at the right place, with the right kit for matches and ready to put your best into all games

·Dealing with your own communication with captains and coaches (for U16s the primary contact is usually via parents)

·Being an active member of a voluntary club – social events, training, volunteering (where appropriate)

·Enjoying, and learning to participate in an adult social environment – after match teams, travel to matches, team events, evenings out (where appropriate)

·Benefiting from the team’s success and personal success, but also dealing with disappointments, losses / failures and sometimes not being selected for the team you would like…

I would also stress that adult hockey is not a substitute for junior hockey, and playing with your own hockey friends and peer group should always come first for juniors.

So, what next?

The Ladies section have 5 adult teams (plus a back to hockey side known as the Elderflowers, and a Masters side - over 35’s). Each main side has their own mid-week training session, dedicated coaches (4/5’s are combined) plus regular Saturday matches throughout the season. We play in a range of leagues from South Div 1 and Div 3, through various Middx leagues. So all the leagues involve some travel to away matches which adds time commitment to already busy weekends. We welcome, but do not expect, parents to travel with their children and lifts will always be provided.

This year 2 out of 5 teams were promoted with the second team unbeaten throughout the season – we are looking forward to building on this success and our aspiration is for the Ladies 1’s to reach National league within a 2-3 year period.

To help all of us to try and address what is needed for juniors to adults, we now have a Junior Committee member, Philippa Nunn(Welfare Officer), one of whose roles is Ladies Adult/Junior Liaison – to work between the Ladies and Junior sections to support transition of players, address any issues, interface between the Junior/Ladies committees and deal with any conflicting demands on juniors time. I am also available as a sounding point and as a member of the THC Exec Committee can escalate any concerns. Please bear in mind however that all of us do this as volunteers (alongside jobs, family, other commitments) because we love hockey and want Teddington HC to succeed – we don’t always get everything right and this is the case for the adult players as well.

So if your daughter is already playing adult hockey but you feel we could do better, please do let Philippa or I know and if you think your daughter might be interested, likewise do get in touch.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and I hope to hear from you.

Kind Regards

Julie Whetton

Mrs Julie Whetton

Teddington Hockey Club – Ladies Captain

07872 828509