Thame Out The complimentary magazine for the Thame area
Astro-nomical growth of a Hockey Club.
Club Treasurer, Laurence Archer celebrates the success that is Thame Hockey Club.
TThame hockey club will embark on its 17th season in September. First formed in 2008 with just a single ladies and one men’s team the club now boasts 4 ladies’ teams and 3 men’s teams as well as one of the largest and most successful junior sections in the area.
The thriving junior section has over 250 players aged from 6 to 16 with many playing senior hockey from the age of 13.
Last season the men’s 1s and 2s were promoted whilst the other senior teams consolidated their league positions following recent promotions. Thame also run a mixed side which plays in the English Hockey cup as well as friendlies. Summer hockey takes place midweek from May to July for two ladies, two men’s and one mixed team.
The junior section has U8 to U16 sections for both girls and boys and matches are played on half a pitch with teams of 7-a-side. The juniors play in leagues and numerous tournaments.
In 2023 the U10 boys were regional champions – an amazing achievement for the squad who overcame much larger clubs en route to the title. This season 14 junior players were selected to play at county level.
Nin Dart, junior co-ordinator and coach says “Thame’s junior players form an important part of the club – we welcome players from 6 years of age and have teams running from U8 to U16. Midweek training is available for the U12, U14 and U16 teams and on Saturday mornings U8 and U10 train from 0830 to 0940 followed by U12’s from 0940 to 1100. Numerous U8 to U12 squads play festivals on Sundays throughout the
season – these small-sided matches are the perfect way to develop players. U12, U14 and U16 teams play in leagues on Sundays with many players from U14 and U16 squads involved in senior matches on Saturdays.”
Players are drawn from Thame and the surrounding villages including Haddenham, Chinnor, Long Crendon, Stone and Princes Risborough and players of all abilities are welcomed.
We have many players that return to hockey when their children begin to play. Our coaches will ensure everyone finds the right level from beginners to veterans. The club prides itself on the friendly, social, welcoming, safe and inclusive environment for all players and this is down to the culture and ethos of the many volunteers that have overseen the growth and development of the club over the last 16 seasons.
Current chair, Julia Sharpe commented “Thame hockey has developed massively over the last few seasons thanks to the dedication of the passionate volunteers who commit their time to ensure that the club is a destination for all players. Our thriving junior section is the envy of many other local clubs and the production line of players to the senior teams is a testament to the efforts of the coaching team who develop players to their full potential. To maintain our growth, we have invested heavily in new equipment including goals, ball machines, dugouts and storage to ensure we have state of the art coaching facilities in place. We have also invested in coaching teams for the senior squads which over the last 2 seasons has resulted in 4 promotions for the teams.”
Our home ground is the astro Lord Williams’ School in Thame – training is midweek with matches hosted from 1130 to 1600 on Saturdays. Away matches take place in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire and there are approximately 16-20 league matches per season. The senior teams have an appointed head coach and each of the junior age groups has dedicated coaches for training and managing teams. We also have a pool of umpires who officiate at home matches for the junior and senior teams – but we are always looking to expand the number of umpires. For new players we can provide basic kit, but all players should provide their own shin guards and gumshields.
Head coach, Dan Williams commented “If you are starting your hockey journey as a junior, if you are player who has recently moved to the area or if you are a player with kit from the 90s, we have the
framework to help you succeed at Thame. The club caters for every standard from beginners to veterans so please contact us and we can welcome you to one of Thame’s friendliest clubs.”
Off the pitch the club has regular social events including bingo, quizzes, curry nights and karaoke. For post-match
refreshments we are based at Racquets in Thame.
Fitness and training are already underway for the junior and senior sections. The hockey club will host its traditional club day on Saturday 7th September with junior sessions starting at 10 o’clock and then the seniors at 13:00 to 15:00. The day is the perfect time to discover or re-engage with hockey – more details can be found on the flyers.
Refreshments will be available, and our kit supplier Chiltern Sports will also be on site for equipment and clothing sales.
If local companies are interested in supporting the growth of Thame hockey, including a new pitch, we have a number of sponsorship opportunities. These include shirt sponsorship, pitch signage, website and social media. Please contact our Treasurer Laurence Archer (treasurer@thamehockey.co.uk)
Further information on the club can be found at www.thamehockey.co.uk or you can find us on Facebook and Instagram – just search Thame Hockey.
We look forward to welcoming you to Thame Hockey!
You can read more articles like this one in the latest edition of Thame Out.
