Performance Centre Activity for 2021-22
Performance Centres will be run by England Hockey and managed by Centre Managers. 16 centres will provide training and competition opportunities for selected players. The assessment phase will take place in September and October with final squads determined for Phase 2 running from November to July.
Centre Managers
Getting involved
Players are nominated to attend a Performance Centre by their Academy Centre to the Centre Manager. Players can be nominated from the U15 and U17 age groups. Players who consistently demonstrate strong skills are invited to Performance Centres.
If you are not selected for a Performance Centre do not worry, you should continue to develop your hockey through school, club, and Academy Centre activity. You may be nominated to attend a Performance Centre later in the season.
Entry and Exit points
The Performance Centre assessment phase will begin in September. Players from the previous cycle and newly nominated players will be invited to attend the assessment phase at one of the Performance Centres. After these sessions squads will be reduced to 24 players for 1 November 2021. Players not remaining in the Performance Centre environment should return to Academy Centre.
Players can continue to transition, after assessment, from Academy Centres throughout the cycle.
Performance Centre Dates 2021-22
| Performance Centre Girls | Performance Centre Boys |
| Sunday 12 September 21 | Sunday 12 September 21 |
| Sunday 19 September 21 | Sunday 19 September 21 |
| Monday 27 September 21 | Monday 4 October 21 |
| Monday 11 October 21 | Monday 18 October 21 |
| Sunday 24 October 21 | Sunday 24 October 21 |
| Monday 1 November 21 | Monday 8 November 21 |
| Monday 22 November 21 | Monday 15 November 21 |
| Sunday 2 January 22 | Sunday 2 January 22 |
| Monday 24 January 22 | Monday 17 January 22 |
| Sunday 30 January 22 | Sunday 30 January 22 |
| Monday 14 February 22 | Monday 7 February 22 |
| Monday 7 March 22 | Monday 21 February 22 |
| Monday 21 March 22 | Monday 14 March 22 |
| Sunday 10 April 22 | Sunday 10 April 22 |
| Sunday 1 May 22 | Sunday 1 May 22 |
| Sunday 19 June 22 | Sunday 19 June 22 |
| Sunday 3 July 22 | Sunday 3 July 22 |
| Sunday 10 July 22 | Sunday 10 July 22 |
England Age Group Programme and Performance Centre
Any player in the England Age Group Programme will not attend Performance Centre.
However, subject to agreement with the Junior Talent Development Manager and the Performance Centre Head Coach an England Age Group player may attend Performance Centre as an additional training environment.
Attending more than one Performance Centre
Players who cannot reasonably be expected to travel to the same Performance Centre from both their residential (home) address and their school address will be allowed to attend two centres.
Talent Development – A new way forward
Performance Centre activity will continue in 2021-22 to support player development. The end of the 2021-22 cycle will signal the end of Performance Centre delivery and the transition to the new Talent System including the introduction of Talent Academies hosted by clubs.
England Hockey is hugely excited by the opportunity to evolve and grow junior talent development provision across the country supporting coaches, clubs, schools, and counties to provide positive enriching experiences for young talented players.
More information about the Future Talent Strategy can be found on the website. https://www.englandhockey.co.uk/play/future-talent-strategy
To gain an understanding of what it's like to attend a Performance Centre, please watch the video below.