Men’s 1st XI Head Coach

London Wayfarers HC are looking to recruit an experienced and skilled coach to join our coaching team and lead our Men’s 1^stXI for the 2024-25 season. Working alongside our Men’s Performance Lead Coach and other senior coaches, the successful candidate will be responsible for planning and delivering the annual programme for our M1’s national league squad, and supporting the player pathway for talented juniors. We are keen to hear from coaches who have experience and a strong track record working at a senior performance level. This role could be combined with additional roles within the club (either senior or junior) and/or within our wider community.

The club has gone from strength to strength in recent years and caters for players of all abilities and levels of experience from complete beginner to national league. We have one of the largest junior sections in the country and run 18 senior teams (including a mixed team). The ambition of the club was recently recognised by England Hockey with the awarding of their 2019 “Club of the Year” award. We hold the nationally-recognized, cross-sport, ClubMark status and have also recently been accredited as one of England Hockey’s Talent Centre clubs. Our Men’s 1^st XI narrowly missed out on promotion to MHL Division 1 South last season, finishing four points behind eventually league winners, Indian Gymkhana, and will play in the MHL Conference East in the 2024-25 season.

Outlined below in this job description are the desired credentials of ‘ideal’ candidates. However, we are looking to broaden the pool of role models for our young players. So, for female coaches (or aspiring female coaches), or those from minority backgrounds, if you would potentially be interested in joining our coaching team but do not fully meet the criteria of the role(s), we would still love to hear from you and to consider your application. It is worth highlighting that the club offer funding for coaching qualifications and relevant training.

Role: 

• Men’s 1^st XI Head Coach
• This role could be combined with additional roles within the club (either senior or junior) and/or within our wider community.

Mission:

• To build on the success of reaching the National League and to instil a performance culture,  with the goal of achieving promotion to the MHL Division 1 South in next the 2-3 years.

Reporting To:           

• Director of Hockey

Hours:

• Minimum expectation of 5 hours per week, to include training, fitness and match day coaching (with additional preparation & travel); to include pre-season, in-season, match days and fitness.
• Additional hours by agreement in advance. Days/times of the week to be discussed with the candidate and Director of Hockey.

Coaching Rate:

• Competitive salary – rate to be discussed with the Director of Hockey but dependent on knowledge, and linked to experience and coaching qualifications.
• Option for additional fixed element to cover off-pitch administration, dependent on scope of the role and experience.
• Promotion bonus.

Responsibilities

• Culture and environment: To develop and drive a high-performance culture in line with the club philosophy. To manage player expectations and commitment levels to the squad for 2024-2025.
• Training To plan and deliver a season-long coaching programme for the Men’s 1^st XI, including pre-season activities.
• Fixtures: To attend all team fixtures (home and away), lead on tactical preparation for games and post-game debriefs (including league and cup competitions).
• Video Analysis – To integrate game analysis into the coaching programme.
• Recruitment: Responsible for recruitment of players for the Men’s 1^st XI and to assist the Men’s Performance Lead Coach and senior section coaches with recruitment for other men’s performance teams.
• Selection: To lead selection for the Men’s 1^st XI, providing regular feedback to players, and to work closely with other coaches to ensure that weekly selection occurs in a timely manner across all squads within the Men’s section.
• Talent Pathway Group: To oversee the integration of junior boys, as appropriate, into M1-M3 squads. To serve as the Men’s Section representative for the club’s EH Talent Centre and to provide regular feedback regarding the progress of junior players.

Requirements

• EH Coach Award / Level 2 qualified (or equivalent) or willingness to work towards one ASAP.
• Valid First Aid qualification.
• Valid Safeguarding & Protecting Children certificate (UK Coaching).
• DBS enhanced check (must be completed before appointment can be confirmed).
• Right to live and work in the UK.

Knowledge & Experience

• Experience of coaching players, planning and delivering sessions in a senior performance environment.
• Playing and/or coaching experience at a high level (national league level desirable).
• Familiar with England Hockey’s Future Talent Strategy and Talent Development Framework (strong understanding desirable).
• Full UK driving licence (desirable)
• Video analysis experience (desirable)