HOCKEY PERFORMANCE PROGRAMME
Fitness for Life.
Picture this: You’re 85 years old, hiking up a windswept hill with a mischievous grin, whilst your grandkids struggle to keep up. Sounds impossible? Not if you embrace sport, fitness, and health as a lifelong adventure, something we love doing here at LWC.
Exercise isn’t just about chiselled abs or running marathons. It’s about resilience, mental sharpness, and longevity. Just look at the Blue Zones - those rare places on Earth where people routinely live past 100, and live well. Their secret? Daily movement, strong communities and an unshakeable zest for life. They don’t grind out deadlifts in fluorescent-lit gyms. Tthey walk, swim, stretch, and lift things because life demands it.
At LWC, we champion this philosophy. Sport isn’t a phase. It’s a lifelong pursuit of challenge, camaraderie, and self-discovery. Whether you’re smashing a rugby tackle, perfecting a tennis serve, or finding peace in a morning run, you’re investing in a future where your body serves you well, not the other way around.
So, take the stairs, chase a ball, climb a mountain, bowl away swingers, try Yoga. Because when sport and fitness become your adventure, life doesn’t just last longer. It gets richer, wilder, and infinitely more fun. So tighten those laces, take a breath and step up and out into a world of infinite possibilities, a world that begins within our idyllic 1200 acre campus and culture.
ADAM WILLIAMS HEADMASTER
Welcome to the Team.
LWC Performance Hockey Programme
Congratulations on your selection as part of The LWC Performance Hockey Programme.
This programme recognises your achievements and potential as a hockey player. As hockey continues to thrive at LWC, you are joining at an exciting time for the sport within the school.
This two-year programme outlines your pathway toward hockey excellence while balancing academic commitments. In summary, it aims to:
• Develop you as a player technically, physically, and mentally.
• Foster a lifelong passion for hockey.
• Prepare you for competitive hockey and explore potential careers in and around the sport.
The programme requires you to:
• Commit fully to all sports scholarship expectations at LWC.
• Attend all scholarship talks and workshops.
• Represent LWC in other sports alongside hockey.
• Participate in the coaching and mentoring of younger pupils.
• Actively engage with your hockey mentor.
• Commit to annual hockey tours to leading venues.
• Help raise the profile of hockey at LWC and beyond.
Programme Overview
This two-year programme is designed to develop hockey talent while ensuring balance with academic responsibilities. It focuses on technical development, physical conditioning, mental toughness, tactical awareness, and match preparation.
The programme is structured to align with the school timetable while preparing you for local, regional, and national competitions.
Key Areas of Focus
1. Technical Skills
Refine core skills: passing, receiving, dribbling, tackling, and shooting
Develop advanced skills such as aerials, 3D skills, and drag flicking.
Conduct regular assessments to track consistency and identify areas for improvement.
2. Physical Fitness
Build strength, speed, flexibility, and endurance specific to hockey.
Emphasise injury prevention and recovery.
3. Mental Skills
Enhance focus, confidence, and resilience under pressure.
Use sports psychology techniques such as visualization and composure drills.
4. Tactical Skills
Improve game awareness, decisionmaking, and positioning. Analyse match footage to refine team and individual strategies.
5. Match Preparation
Create a structured competition calendar.
Simulate match conditions during practice sessions.
6. Academic Balance
Balance hockey training with school commitments and other sports participation.
Develop time management strategies with your hockey mentor.
7. Leadership
Mentor and coach younger pupils in hockey (Years 7-9).
Represent LWC hockey at ambassadorial events.
8. Career Opportunities
Explore career paths in hockey, including coaching, sports management, or playing professionally, with support from LWC connections.
Components of the Programme
1. Technical Training
• Skill Drills
Focus on accuracy and consistency in passing, receiving, and shooting.
• Position-Specific Training
Develop positional skills for defenders, midfielders, and forwards.
• Game Simulations
Practice under live conditions to replicate match intensity.
• Video Analysis
Regularly review match footage to fine-tune performance using VEO.
2. Physical Conditioning
• Strength Training
2-3 sessions per week, focusing on power, speed, and stability.
Key exercises: Deadlifts, squats, lunges, sled pushes, and core work.
• Speed and Agility
Include sprint drills, ladder exercises, and quick change-of-direction training.
• Flexibility and Mobility
Daily dynamic stretches and foam rolling to enhance range of motion.
Weekly yoga or Pilates sessions.
• Endurance Training
Include interval running and hockeyspecific cardiovascular drills.
3. Mental Skills Development
• Performance Psychology
Set short-term and long-term goals. Practice pre-match routines, including visualization and breathing techniques.
• Logbook
Track daily reflections on practice, mental state, and game decisions.
4. Tactical Awareness and Preparation
• Game Strategy
Study opposition tactics, set plays, and penalty corners.
• Match Simulation
Practice under pressure in scenarios that mimic match conditions.
• Post-Match Review
Assess performance with feedback on strengths and areas for growth.
5. Academic Integration
• Prioritise key training sessions around academic exams.
• Use planners to manage practice, fitness, and study sessions.
• Incorporate rest days to maintain focus and avoid burnout.
Seasonal Plan
Pre-Season Boys (September - December)
Focus: Build physical base, refine technique, and set goals.
Activities:
• Skill analysis with hockey professionals.
• Strength and flexibility focus in gym sessions.
Boys Competition Season (January to April)
Focus: Peak performance and match readiness.
Activities:
• Practice matches with game-specific objectives.
• Tactical preparation and penalty corner drills.
Pre-Season Girls (April- July)
Focus: Peak performance and match readiness.
Activities:
• Practice matches with game-specific objectives.
• Tactical preparation and penalty corner drills.
Girls Competition Season (AugustDecember)
Focus: Peak performance and match readiness.
Activities:
• Practice matches with game-specific objectives.
• Tactical preparation and penalty corner drills.
Post-Season January and April girls and boys
Focus: Recovery and review.
Activities:
• Reflect on season performance.
• Develop off-season goals and strategies.
Evaluation and Tracking
• Monthly Assessments: Technical skills, fitness metrics, and mental performance reviews.
• Match Performance Metrics: Record goals scored, assists, interceptions, and tackles.
• Feedback: Regular meetings with the Head of Hockey, fitness trainer, and hockey professionals.
Monday A team technical skills training / Rugby 7s training 1 hour
Tuesday Strength training (lower body and speed focus) 1 hour
Wednesday Positional training/game play (team formations & roles) 1 hour
Mental skills (visualization, decision-making drills) 1 hour
Thursday On-field practice (set plays, penalty corners) 2 hours
Friday
Example Weekly Schedule Boys Example Weekly
Yoga or Pilates (flexibility and injury prevention) Access to sports therapist t support injury management and recovery plans 1 hour
Schedule Girls
Monday A team training / Netball/football training 1 hour Tuesday Strength training (lower body and speed focus) 1 hour
Wednesday Positional training/game play (team formations & roles) 1 hour
Mental skills (visualization, decision-making drills) 1 hour
Thursday On-field practice (set plays, penalty corners) 2 hours Yoga or Pilates (flexibility and injury prevention) 1 hour
Friday Light training or SNC session 1
This structured programme provides a comprehensive pathway for hockey development while maintaining balance with academic and personal commitments.
