2023/2024 Royals Academy and Royals Development Camps

U16 and U18 Development Camps 2023 – Register before 16th October.

These have been designed by Auckland Coaches to maximise the ability of athletes to develop into the best players they can be and run alongside the Royals Academy programme.

The Camps provide a steppingstone for players wanting to earn selection in the season ahead for the U16 and U18 Rep teams or Royals Academy.

Auckland Hockey wants to deliver a quality opportunity for as many players as possible so numbers will be limited, and registrations confirmed on a first in first served basis and you may be allocated to the next block of camps.

Block 1 – October to December –-Start after Labour weekend. (Wednesday 25th October) – 6 weeks

4 separate Development Camps per day

Same coaches as Royals Academy Coaches.

Mondays – Diocesan School for Girls turf – 6-7pm (be there 5.30pm for a 6.00pm start)

1.     U18 boys – 13 athletes

2.     U16 boys – 13 athletes

3.     U18 girls – 13 athletes

4.     U16 girls – 13 athletes

Note – Development groups will be limited to 13 players + GKs.

– U18s must be 16 or 17 at Jan 1 2024 and U16s must be 14 or 15 at Jan 1 2024

7-8pm – Invited Emerging and Performance Athletes (read about the Royals Academy in our website )

Wednesdays – Lloyd Elsmore Park (LEP) – 6-7pm (be there 5.30pm for a 6.00pm start)

1.     U18 boys – 18 athletes

2.     U16 boys – 18 athletes

3.     U18 girls – 18 athletes

4.     U16 girls – 18 athletes

Note – Development groups will be limited to 18 players + GKs

– U18s must be 16 or 17 at Jan 1 2024 and U16s must be 14 or 15 at Jan 1 2024

Cost: $100 once a week or $180 twice a week.

GK Free

Block 2 – February to mid March – 6 Mondays at Dio and 6  Wednesdays at LEP – Date TBC

6-7 pm

1.U14 Boys – 26 athletes

2. U14 Girls- 26 athletes

Note – Cost $200 for Block 2

7-8pm – Invited Emerging and  Performance Athletes.

If you have any questions please contact Rochi at reps@akhockey.org.nz

We will confirm times and groups upon finalising applications. Please note Mondays at dio are available for 13 players and wednesday at LEP for 26 players due to Turf capacity.

Auckland Hockey will allocate players in a case by case basis.

Please Click here to Register

READ here about our new Royals Academy for Invited Athletes 

Background 

In 2017 Auckland Hockey introduced the RPC Talent Development Programme for its talented players aged 18-23. The Programme has served its purpose helping both male and female athletes on the verge of NZ selection elevated between 2017 and 2020. Both 2020 and 2021 were interrupted by the COVID pandemic. However, in September 2021, Auckland Hockey contracted the world’s best Hockey Coach, Shane Mcleod, and 44 athletes 11-18 years old had a wonderful summer of development, albeit covid restricted.

Auckland Hockey also contracted former Argentine International Rocio Gonzalez Canda in 2021.

Our Contract coaches and CEO have reviewed the RPC Programme in the context of the HNZ pathway and modern talent identification systems and present the new Royals Academy for 2023 – 2027.

Introduction 

The Royals Academy will be the foundation of our talent development programme. It will invite what we believe is our best talent and educate them in an environment that challenges in partnership with our best coaches.

The Royals Academy recognizes that Hockey does not necessarily have a linear progression for athletes. We will align athletes to an academy grouping with what we believe are athletes at the same developmental stage.

Our ultimate aim is to create a pathway that provides our NHC Royals with players who are versed in the Auckland Way and ready to play at the senior provincial level.

Purpose of the Academy 

To realize a player’s potential, we will invest in our talented players at what we believe is the right time for their stage of development.

The Academy Pathway

This starts with IDENTIFICATION, then DEVELOPMENT of the identified player so they can be selected and PERFORM at the highest level.

Talent Identification

Our experienced Academy staff will collect information about players of interest from club, school and rep coaches and other sports if applicable.

We will aim to identify not just on moments in games but with a more longitudinal focus and not just on game performances. Identification can begin through our new Development Camps.

Talent Development

Players identified will learn through both training with us and by playing games. We will use a holistic plan that highlights a player’s current strengths and work-ons if they are to progress to the elite level. This includes mental, tactical, wellbeing, physical and technical components.

Academy Groupings by Invitation 

There will be 2 groupings of invited athletes: Emerging Athletes and Performance Athletes.

The movement from each grouping may not be linear. This will depend on whether the Academy coaches believe a player is ready to transition or not.

Typically, Emerging athletes will be players who we believe have the potential to play in the U18 Rep teams as a 15 year-old. Currently these players would be playing Premier Reserve Hockey, or U16 Blue Rep Hockey. There may be a handful of younger athletes invited in a given year who are 13 or 14 at AKH’s discretion.

Performance Athletes will be players who we believe will play in the NHC Rep teams within one to three years. Currently these players would be in the wider NHC squads, Premier players, U18 Reps or HNZ U18 or U21 players or in the HNZ Performance Centre Network.