There is concern that the strategy may create super-clubs and lead to the migration of players to Talent Centre clubs & Talent Academies hosted by clubs. What guidance is in place to educate parents?

Matching the environment to an individual’s physical, mental and social needs at any point in time is critical to ensuring they can thrive, develop and enjoy their time playing hockey.

Players move clubs for a variety of reasons and there may come a point that a club may not be able to provide the best environment for an individual. However, for most young players a local club is absolutely the right place for them to play hockey.

England Hockey’s Right Athlete, Right Environment (RARE) resource provides some guidance about the questions to ask and areas to consider. Accreditation and licensing will come with high expectations about behaviours connected to player movement based on the RARE guidelines.

The majority of parental decisions are well intentioned and based on a desire to do the best they can to support their child. A key question to ask if a player is considering moving is ‘Why?’. Clubs, schools, and County Hockey Associations are encouraged to share the RARE document with parents and encourage them to use it as a guide if they are considering moving their child to a different hockey environment.