Boys U10s 2019-20 Tyler, Euan, Ethan B, Ethan Mc, Sidvik, Taranjot, Alex, Ryan S, Shanjeet, Lewis
Boys U12s 2019-20 - Standing Oliver A, Shanjeet, Sami, Henry, Luca, Luke P, Zach, Ryan H, Abdel. Sitting Lewis, Jack, Oscar, Jake, Jamie, Oliver B, Ryan S
Boys U14s 2019-20 vs Eastcote – Standing Sidney, Jack S, Jacob P, Louis, Sam P, Zach, Jamie. Seated Greg, Jake, Henry, Jonathan, Luca, Olly B. Laying Olly A
Boys U14s 2019-20 vs Hampstead and Westminster (1-12) - Jonathan, Oli B, Jacob P, Jake, Henry, Oli A, Jack S, Sidney, Louis, Zach, Luca
Boys U14s 1977
AHC Colts - Boys
That fateful day eight years ago when, minding my own business, Peter Cottrell asked me to umpire an U8s mixed game in training, I could never have known that it would begin the most enjoyable 'Busman's Holiday'!
We have had the pleasure of working with the most enthusiastic youngsters you could ever hope for and had seen an abundance of raw talent and complete novices develop into not only better hockey players but also appear on the team sheets of the senior teams and Middlesex sides.
Over the last two years, the Current U16s team has had no fewer than six players join the Middlesex development squads with Harry Parker, Callum Tickner and Jack Barber being selected into the next tier, with Callum and Jack both progressing further by being selected to Performance Centre. The boys have all become regulars in the 2nd XI and all have debuted for the 1st XI. Not a bad progression from playing and winning their first U8s mixed tournament at Richmond back in 2012. In an Olympic year we dared to dream!
The 2019 season began with an impressive win away to Reading HC which we followed up with wins against Reigate, Ealing and then Hampstead & Westminster away. The season took a slight dip losing away to Amersham with Harry sustaining a concussion and missing the next two games only to be beaten on return at home (well, Staines’s pitch) to a talented but less-than-gracious Amersham. This was just prior to the lock down in early March 2020.
We have had the pleasure of traveling all around London and the Home Counties playing a good standard and building our own brand of attacking hockey. This included a highly successful penalty corner routine: Ethan pushing out to Charlie and either Harry, Callum or Charlie scoring – simple really! This has translated into the current 2nd XI of which I am now captain; our penalty corner routine sees me surround current or former colts (yes, I was a colt in the ‘80s – it cannot be true I hear you say).
The U16s team have had a disrupted season with all games cancelled due to Covid-19, although training has continued with the following players regularly playing men’s hockey:
Jack Barber; Harry Parker; Callum Tickner; Aadam Shazad; Sherjeet Khan; Charlie Cook, Louis Kinyanjui, Luke George and Devraj Pardesi. To top this off, Jack, Harry and Callum have been selected to the First Team Performance squad on Thursday nights. This is a great accomplishment and a far cry from the half-pitch U8s’ games away with cones for goals. Nevertheless, the breeding ground of a talented pool who went on to beat top National League clubs’ junior teams at Surbiton, Teddington and Reading.
The U16 team has been ably bolstered this season with the rich crop of U14s coming through. They currently top of their development League: P8 W6 D1 L1 GF34 GA8 +/-26 – 29 points!
This team showed their talent on the opening game of the previous season away to Wimbledon. Digger and I took a large squad with some untried and untested players and not expecting much from the game. We were soon silenced by the sheer hard work and ability of the side coming away with an 8-0 win and a first victory for newly appointed Captain Luke George. This game also saw the potential of two of the most exciting talents to come through the club in Sammi and Jake. They have it all: speed, skill on both reverse and open side and a thirst for goals! Watch out for these two who have already been put forward to Middlesex as exciting prospects.
The U14s have gone from strength to strength this season. They beat a strong Eastcote team 3-2 at home showing character by coming from a goal down and, most impressively, beating Hampstead & Westminster 11-1 away. Our boys, playing with a bare 11, cruised to a comfortable win, Zach, Jake and Louis all scored hat tricks and Jonathan bagged a brace.
All things considered, this has been a very successful season and a half from our U14s and U16s. The numbers are really positive and the enthusiasm and commitment is there to enable the colts’ section to grow and develop. The future looks bright for feeding the senior sections with new talent over the next few years. The U14s team are as follows:
Abdel; Louis; Jack S; Sam P; Sid; Jacob; Oli A; Oli B; Henry; Sami; Luca; Jonathan; Jack L; Saarthak; Jake; Zach; Jamie.
Never complacent, we have the services of Ryan Croxon – a Performance Coach and a Level 3 Umpire and Trainer – to coach the U14s this season. We want to develop them further and it also means he can keep an eye at County level as well.
Under the current challenging and uncertain times, we need to rely on the ever-present, enthusiastic and supportive parents to keep the boys training and ensure they are taken to games home and away. We are proud of the relationships we have built up and the support you continue to give us. We hope you agree that the colts are moving in the right direction and with your continued support we will do our best to ensure your sons realise their potential at whatever level they wish to strive for.
Ian Parker
Club Coach/2nd XI Captain (2020/21)
Club Coach/2nd XI Captain (2020/21)
Boys U10s
The U10s started off the 2019-20 season fairly slowly but as the year went on the boys got stronger and stronger. A partnership emerged between Shanjeet and Lewis, we picked up Ethan B who became our regular keeper, Ryan S started picking up plenty of goals, Euan was showing great promise at the back and Alex became the engine in midfield. The season came to an end far too soon.
Boys U12s
We turned out two equal-strength teams in tournaments throughout the 2019-20 season and one of the teams usually won the tournament. The boys’ best day was on Remembrance Sunday when they had a 12:00 start at Old Kingstonians. A lot of the players were Scouts meaning the first game was played by those who were not on parade. Things got very tight for the next game in which we fielded a team of Scouts; we started with five on the pitch and eventually got to seven and the boys crept home with a narrow victory. Both teams won their groups and both teams won their semi-finals, which meant an Ashford vs Ashford final. The game was a draw and was eventually decided on penalties.
Peter Cottrell
Junior Co-ordinator
Junior Co-ordinator
Photo captions:
Boys U10s 2019-20: Tyler, Euan, Ethan B, Ethan Mc, Sidvik, Taranjot, Alex, Ryan S, Shanjeet, Lewis.
Boys U12s 2019-20 – Standing: Oliver A, Shanjeet, Sami, Henry, Luca, Luke P, Zach, Ryan H, Abdel. Sitting: Lewis, Jack, Oscar, Jake, Jamie, Oliver B, Ryan S.
Boys U14s 2019-20 vs Eastcote – Standing: Sidney, Jack S, Jacob P, Louis, Sam P, Zach, Jamie. Seated: Greg, Jake, Henry, Jonathan, Luca, Olly B. Laying: Olly A (KG).
Boys U14s 2019-20 vs Hampstead and Westminster (1-12): Jonathan, Oli B, Jacob P, Jake, Henry, Oli A, Jack S, Sidney, Louis, Zach, Luca.
Boys U14s 1977
