The Isle of Man Hockey Talent Academy is a joint England Hockey (EH) and Manx Hockey Association (MHA) initiative to help provide on-Island opportunities for high potential junior hockey players and local coaches to learn from England Hockey Talent Academy Coaches.
We caught up with Kim Carney (MHA Chair) and Lesley Shimmin (MHA Head of Performance) to find out a little bit more about this initiative and the impact this has had for hockey on the Island.
What is the Isle of Man Hockey Talent Academy?
The Isle of Man Hockey Talent Academy (IOMTA) is a series of six monthly sessions for Island-based EH Talent Academy players as well as aspiring and high potential young hockey players. The aims of the Academy are to:
- Provide extra ‘touch points’ and coaching time for existing EH Talent Academy players who cannot attend mid-week sessions in the UK
- Provide an environment where other players who aspire to Talent Academy status can be invited to take part and be considered by the EH coaches delivering the sessions
- Provide an environment where players who have elected to focus on their studies can receive coaching from EH coaches to help them continue to develop their hockey
- Provide an environment for local ‘talent development’ coaches to upskill and familiarise themselves with the standards, terminology and delivery methods utilised by the EH coaches, with a view to improving the local coaching offering and driving standards up
How many players have been involved in the Isle of Man Talent Academy (IOMTA)?
The recently completed second year of the IOMTA started with 22 players and others were added for one or more sessions, resulting in 28 young players enjoying the experience of being coached by EH coaches. The average group attendance over the sessions was 24, which reflects the growth from Year 1 which started with 16 and grew to an average of 20 (with 25 individuals attending one or more of the sessions over the year).
This includes the players selected for England Hockey’s North West Talent Academy (NWTA) as it is a requirement that they attend the sessions.
Nominations follow observations at the IoM Junior Squad training sessions and long discussions between the coaches (focussed on the players who show potential to be nominated for NWTA observation/ assessment and who also fall into the correct age categories).
What happens at a typical session?
Each session is led by an England Hockey Talent Academy coach with local coaches assisting and observing. All sessions are scheduled to run from 10.30 to 15.30 (on the pitch for 2 hours in the morning, 1 hour lunch and theory break, then back onto the pitch for 2 hours). The theory break forms part of an education programme to help prepare athletes for the demands of junior international hockey and includes individual player support through player profiling, individual development plans & regular coach feedback.
Anyone who is interested, including parents, coaches and players of all ages are welcome to observe the pitch sessions from outside the pitch. Anyone wishing to be involved in the sessions can contact Lesley Shimmin by email: mhaperformance@outlook.com.
What have been the successes of the Isle of Man Hockey Talent Academy?
The Isle of Man has some high potential young hockey players. So far, 14 individuals have been selected to be involved in the England Hockey North West Talent Academy (NWTA) over the last three years. Five of these individuals (4 locally based and 1 Manx player who attends school in England) were also selected to represent the NWTA in the Talent Academy Cup last year.
We are currently waiting to hear regarding selection for this year’s TA Cup which may feature some of the 7 Manx players who attend NWTA at present. Over the last couple of months, there have been a series of matches against various TA’s in the UK in order to select the final squad and all IoM players involved in NWTA have had some involvement in these matches.
We are also particularly pleased that, following the October and November sessions this year, we nominated 2 players for initial observation at NWTA and this resulted in one being added to the NWTA squad with immediate effect. A further 5 players have been nominated for assessment for the 2024/25 cohort but due to school exams and other commitments, some will not be assessed until early September.
This helps demonstrate a clear progression and pathway for aspiring young players on the Island to transition from club hockey, through IOM Junior Squads, IOM Hockey Talent Academy and EH NWTA to England Hockey Age Group squads (following in the footsteps of Sienna Dunn, current England U21 Hockey Player and IOM Sport Aid Performance Athlete Grant recipient).
Isle of Man Sport, through the Manx Hockey Association and the Support for Sport Programme, have been able to provide some financial support towards the Isle of Man Hockey Talent Academy and the individuals selected to attend the EH NWTA (previously Performance Centre). This includes assisting with travel to attend trials, training sessions and the England Hockey Talent Academy Cup that is one of the key selection routes to the England Hockey Age Group Programme.
Over the last three years, Isle of Man Sport have invested over £12,000 towards supporting the Isle of Man Hockey Talent Academy initiative and the individuals selected to attend England Hockey Talent Academy activity in the UK.