Self Determination
in Young Players

Our Self Determination Charter

At Wimbledon Hockey Club we believe hockey should develop people before it develops players.

 

Our Self Determination Charter sets out what that means in practice. It is a shared agreement between the club, our coaches, our parents and our young players about how we work together to give every child the best possible experience of the game.

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Each group has a part to play. The club creates the environment, coaches create learning, young people take ownership of their development, and parents create support. None of these roles is more important than another, and the environment only works when everyone plays their part.

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For parents, that means supporting rather than coaching, encouraging rather than instructing, trusting the coaching process, and showing respect to coaches, officials and opponents, both at training and on match days. How we behave on the side of the pitch is seen and heard by every player, not just our own children, and it shapes the culture they grow up in.

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We ask every parent to read the Charter in full, talk it through with their child, and take particular note of the Parent's Agreement. Hockey belongs to our young people, and together we can make sure they leave the club still loving the game, confident, independent, and feeling they belong.