England: Hockey Writers’ Membership Announce Youth & Junior Award Winners

4 new rising skills of the sport have been introduced as winners of the celebrated Hockey Writers’ Membership youth and junior awards 2022 after displays had been made on the annual awards lunch on Wednesday February 8 at Royal Thames Yacht Membership, Knightsbridge, London.

The judging panel sought data from coaches, golf equipment and colleges, with the judges contemplating not simply hockey potential however gamers’ private qualities and potential for future improvement.

Previous winners of awards embrace Rio Olympic Video games gold medallists Maddie Hinch and Sophie Bray. 

Winners

Youth, Women 18 and beneath – Sienna Dunn (Repton Faculty, Repton HC, Isle of Man)  

Youth, Boys 18 and beneath – Tom Spreckley (Hitchin Boys Faculty, Cambridge Metropolis HC)

Junior, Women 16 and beneath – Hannah Cutler (Tynedale HC, Royal Grammar Faculty Newcastle) 

Junior, Boys 16 and beneath – Rohit Jakhu (Bishops Vesey GS, College of Birmingham HC) 

Profiles of Winners 2022

U16 Women – Hannah Cutler (Tynedale HC, The Royal Grammar Faculty Newcastle)

Hannah joined Tynedale HC aged 10 as a dynamic and skillful outfield participant. In February 2020 she had a attempt in objective, representing Tynedale U12s within the North East finals of the In2Hockey competitors and saved a sequence of fresh sheets.

Throughout lockdown she loaned a goalie equipment from the membership to apply in an open barn at residence, whereas she joined Tynedale Harriers as a budding runner. Aged 14, she was one of many youngest ever opponents to qualify for Staff GB on the U20 European Championship dash triathlon in Madrid 2023 and was nominated for Tynedale Younger Sportswoman of the Yr award. 

She is now a part of the England U16s, representing the North East of England. She is the primary participant from Tynedale Junior HC, which started in 2013, to symbolize them at this stage.

Hannah can be a eager artist, having the weird accolade of displaying her art work in each Antarctica and the worldwide house station. Hannah additionally created a bronze sculptured baton that travelled as a part of a nationwide cycle relay for psychological and bodily well being (following Covid) to each cathedral in England. 

U16 Boys – Rohit Jakhu (Bishops Vesey Grammar Faculty, College of Birmingham HC)

Rohit began enjoying in Yr 7 at Bishops Vesey Grammar Faculty and has been coached by Anton Lea at Sutton Coldfield HC ever since, in addition to Chris Howell and Mo Samak at college.

Aged 14, Rohit was the youngest participant to play for SCHC males’s 1s and was awarded the Younger Participant of the Yr for 2021/22. He was chosen for England U16s that yr the place he captained the group throughout a visit to Holland and within the Euro’s U16s Event in Frankfurt.

He was a part of the primary cohort to sit down full public examinations in Could/June 2022 following the Covid lockdown and achieved 10 Grade As in his GCSEs. In August 2022, he was a part of the England U17s group which received gold on the 2022 Faculty Video games Nationwide Finals held at Loughborough College. Having simply reached 16, Rohit was chosen for England U18 Boys final November. He performs at College of Birmingham HC.

England Hockey coaches say: “Rohit set a regular of enchancment and efficiency from the early days within the programme. He not solely has the expertise to push on the play at the next stage but additionally the work ethic to make it occur.”

U18 Women – Sienna Dunn (Repton Faculty, Repton HC, Isle of Man)

Sienna began her hockey journey aged eight enjoying on the Manx Youth Video games within the Isle of Man. Her love of hockey continued to develop on the island at her native membership Valkyrs in Peel. Right here she performed as a junior in all of the age teams and on turning 13 was allowed to play within the senior girls’s and combined leagues. 

She was chosen for England U16 trials and navigated by strict Covid restrictions on the island as she loved her first worldwide expertise enjoying a House Nations competitors.

She moved to Repton Faculty for sixth kind and 2022 concerned quite a few success with college and membership in each outside and indoor competitions. Within the England U18 programme, Sienna was made captain for the matches which ran alongside the Girls’s World Cup in Terrassa, Spain.

She has already loved success in 2023 after Repton Girls lifted the Tremendous 6 trophy on the Copper Field.

An England Hockey junior coach stated that Sienna was “a stand-out character within the England atmosphere”, including: “She leads by instance and delivers constantly on the pitch with a really relentless nature and he or she helps  ship a aggressive but supportive atmosphere.”

U18 Boys – Tom Spreckley (Hitchin Boys Faculty, Cambridge Metropolis HC)

After enjoying academy stage soccer and representing his county in hockey and cricket, Tom focussed on his hockey aged 14. Beginning out at Letchworth HC, he progressed shortly by the senior males’s groups enjoying East Regional Prem.

In 2019, he was put ahead for England U16 open trials however was not taken by. However this didn’t deter Tom from realising his dream of enjoying elite stage hockey.

At 16, he moved to Cambridge Metropolis HC. In 2021, he was chosen to play for Saxon Tigers at Futures Cup, which in flip led to trials and choice for the 2022 England U18 squad. Following his debut in February final yr, he captained the facet finally yr’s European event in Germany and has been chosen once more for the 2023 season. He’s at present learning for his A-levels at Hitchin Boys Faculty and hopes to check Train and Sports activities Science at college.

England Hockey stated: “The speed at which Tom improved over the course of the nine-month programme was excellent. From a timid, beneath assured and yr younger participant to captain, chief and dominating in opposition to a number of the finest U18 gamers in Europe was nice to see particularly given his state college and restricted coaching vary!”