Talent Academy Call-up For Alfred

Published by Bedford Modern School on Friday 20th of October 2023

Year 11 student Alfred Warren has been selected for the England Hockey Talent Academy programme, which offers coaching and training to 1,000 of the most talented young players in England.

England Hockey Talent Academies were introduced in September 2022 to identify players aged 15-18 with extremely high playing potential. The programme aims to provide them with access to professional coaching and opportunities for individualised support. Talent Academies consider the player’s whole hockey experience, taking into account the level and amount of hockey they play at school, club and county level, as well as at the academy itself.

To be selected, players must be nominated by coaches from their club, school or county squad. They may then be invited to an Open Assessment Day. If successful at this stage, they must prove their skills in two more rounds of observation and assessment before eventually securing a spot in a Talent Academy.

Alfred will be playing and training with the U18 squad in the Talent Academy hosted at Cambridge City Hockey Club (CCHC) alongside approximately 25 other boys. He will have weekly training, matches against teams from different regions, and online and in-person classroom sessions. He will also have the chance to attend Talent Academy festivals, comprising full day sessions at a variety of locations.

Alfred has played hockey since the age of four. He originally played for Leighton Buzzard Hockey Club before moving to CCHC, where he currently plays in the U16 Tier 1 and Men’s 3rd XI squads. He has also played for the BMS 1st XI since he was in Year 9.

Mr Jonny Sloman, Head of Hockey at BMS, added: “Everyone at BMS is delighted for Alfred. His selection for the Cambridge Talent Academy is incredibly exciting and recognition of the hard work he has put in to improving as a hockey player. We are all looking forward to supporting Alfred as he continues his hockey development.”