England Hockey Talent Academy Selection for Seven Guernsey Players

Photo courtesy of Guernsey Sport Photography

Seven hockey players from Guernsey have been selected to join England Hockey’s South Coast Talent Academy based at Havant Hockey Club.

Following selection sessions in the UK, Tom Judd, Hugo Le Clerc, George Le Roux, Jake Taylor, Jenny Mahe, Joe Culverwell and Lara Veillard have been selected for 2023 – 2024.

England Hockey’s Talent Academies are intended for the highest potential 14 to 18-year-old players, offering high-quality coaching and training through a combination of dedicated sessions and competitive matches.

Every Talent Academy has a squad of 25 male and 25 female players selected through open assessment sessions based on the England Hockey Player Profile. The South Coast Academy draws players from over 35 clubs, including Guernsey.

The young players will attend training sessions and matches in the UK, as well as online sessions around nutrition, psychology and athletic development. The squad also benefits from individual player development from the Talent Academy coaching staff. 

The South Coast Talent Academy will compete against academies from Bath, Bristol, Reading and Exeter, giving the Guernsey players an experience they typically cannot get locally.

Guernsey Hockey Club’s Junior Co-Ordinator Suzie Tee says: “We are very proud to have so many of our junior players selected to attend the England Hockey Talent Academy, which is testament to their dedication and also to that of our Guernsey Hockey coaches.  

“We are excited to see them develop as players and for what they will be able to bring back from the sessions to further bolster the standard of junior hockey in Guernsey.”