It’s that time of the year again. The summer will soon be upon us and the hockey development league is ready to begin. This is a great opportunity for junior players to play competitive hockey in a friendly and relaxed environment with the support and under the guidance of experienced players. We believe it is good practice for the team to be supervised by a qualified coach, teacher of club official. Enclosed is the entry form, please return it as soon as possible as the first matches are on Friday, May 2nd. Entry to this league is for teams from both clubs and schools. To ensure meaningful matches it is advisable that we are aware of the potential strength and experience of your team.

As previous years we intend to operate on a dual or tri-venue basis, utilising Aurora and Abbeydale with possibly Doncaster as an alternative. The water based pitches at Abbeydale and Doncaster will mean that teams playing there will have to allow for watering and other domestic issues. Every effort will be made to keep the entry fee at £20 per team per session. However we may have to increase this when we have agreed this season’s pitch hire costs. Every effort will be made to keep the costs down but we have to ensure that we “break even” and there may be a small increase when exact costs are known. The game times will be from 6.00 to 7.00 and 7.00 - 8.00pm at Aurora and 7.00 – 8.00 and 8.00 – 9.00pm elsewhere.

League fixtures and details will be sent out once the entry forms have been returned, so a swift response would be much appreciated. The group has only minimum funds at the moment and each event must be self-financing. Please note that we cannot afford to pay for a pitch hire to find that teams do not turn up. If you enter and have to "cry off" early then we may be able to cancel the booking. If your team does not turn up or cancels too late, then it will be up to your club / organisation to either arrange for another team to take your place or pay the match fees for both teams, £40.

I hope to see you and your fellow team members at Aurora / Abbeydale / Doncaster during this summer season. Click here for the “Entry Form” and “Rules and Recommendations”.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Lee or myself.
David Woodward
Chairman
South Yorkshire Hockey Development Group.