Field Hockey BC is excited to announce the launch of our regional Technical Development Training Program for 2023.

What is the FHBC Technical Development Program? 

The FHBC Technical Development Program is a prescriptive technical skills program designed to complement the technical training programs of Community Clubs and Leagues and deliver a learning experience that is focused on a specific technical skill or skills. The FHBC Technical Development Program offers an optional opportunity for athletes of all ability levels to sign up to a program with a specific prescriptive technical skill set as a focus.

The FHBC Technical Development Program follows a modular curriculum aligned to the National field hockey skills matrix with Program Modules offered on the basis of both single skills (for example – hitting the ball) and complementary skills (such as pushing and receiving). The FHBC Technical Development Program does not play a part in FHBC Athlete Evaluation nor a part in the FHBC Talent Identification Pathway.

While previous Technical Development modules offered through FHBC were designed to cover a wide range of skills and was broad in its delivery, future modules of the program will be more prescriptive in nature with the aim of providing athletes with a greater understanding of each skill – technique and use- therefore helping to increase an athlete’s confidence and improve their ability to execute skills at speed and under pressure.

Focus for the first two program modules for 2023

The first two modules of the year will focus on the technical skill of Receiving. Since the quality of the reception is influenced by the quality of the pass, the complementary skills of push pass, hit, and sweep will all be included.

Technical Development Program Structure

Modules in the Interior and Mainland will be offered in two progressive, four-week blocks designed to improve the skills of the athletes and transition them from the phases of acquisition (acquiring the skills) to performance (performing the skill at speed and under pressure). The Island will combine these two blocks into a 6-session program.

Block 1: Breaking it down to build it back up
An in-depth review of the basic skill to work on technique, and situational use with some introduction to decision-making.

Block 2: Turn up the tempo
Athletes will apply the skills learned in Block 1 to game situations. Athletes should expect an increase in the tempo and complexity to fire up their decision-making skills.

Note: This program is ability-based, therefore the first session will act as an opportunity for the head coach to determine the athletes’ abilities and needs before placing them into the appropriate skill-level group. This may result in some athletes moving from one session into the other within their region for best chance of development.

The Technical Development programs will focus on the development of the field player technical skills, while providing the opportunity for goalkeepers to participate in an integrated program format.

A coach-to-athlete ratio of 1:8 is to be expected each week.

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See region-specific program information below:

Interior

Kelowna

Block 1
Dates: January 15 – February 5 (4 x 90min sessions) @ CNC 
Times: U14/U16 program: 11:15am – 12:45pm; U18 program: 12:45pm – 2:15pm 
Cost: $99 
Register here: http://fhbcprograms.rampregistrations.com/
Register by January 10th.

Block 2
Dates: February 12 – March 5 (4 x 90 sessions) @ CNC
Registration for Block 2 will open in late January.

Penticton 

Field Hockey BC is also pleased to support Southern Okanagan Field Hockey in Penticton. Athletes in the South Okanagan can join this 7-session program. This program will run January 8th to March 5th, 3:00 – 4:30 @ Adidas Sportsplex.

For more information and to register, please visit: https://sites.google.com/view/pentictonfieldhockey?pli=1 

Island

U18 Male & Female Island Athletes
Thursday January 19 – February 23 (6 sessions), 6:00 – 8:00pm @ UVic

U16/U14 Male & Female Island Athletes
Friday January 20 – February 24 (6 sessions), 6:00 – 8:00pm @ UVic

Cost: $145
Register here: http://fhbcprograms.rampregistrations.com/
Register by January 13th.

Mainland (Surrey)

Block 1
Dates: January 15 – February 5 (4 sessions) @ Tamanawis
Times: U14/U16s 5:00 – 6:30pm; U18s 6:30 – 8pm
Cost: $85
Register here: http://fhbcprograms.rampregistrations.com/
Register by January 10th.

Block 2
Dates: Feb 19 – March 12 (4 sessions) @ Tamanawis
Registration will open for Block 2 in late January.

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Coaching in the Technical Development Program

Interested in becoming a coach in the Technical Development Program? Contact Patricia Wright-Alexis at patricia@fieldhockeybritishcolumbia.com for more information.

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Field Hockey BC is excited to announce key dates and information about the 2023 FHBC Provincial Program Pathway. FHBC will hold a series of athlete evaluations throughout the Province to select Team BC Provincial teams (Tier 1) and, if viable, Regional-representative teams (Tier 2) to compete at the 2023 FHC National Championships in Ontario this Summer.

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Female Provincial Athlete Talent ID, Evaluation, and Selection 

Stage 1 Evaluation 

The Stage 1 athlete evaluations are the beginning of the selection process for athletes interested in being selected to a Provincial team. Athletes will need to be nominated by a club, PSO, NSO, high school and/or private academy coach.  

Note: NextGen athletes and CSI Provincial Targeted Athletes are exempt from the Stage 1 evaluation. Targeted Athletes for 2023 will be notified of their status via email before Christmas 2022.

Athlete Nomination window: January 11th – 31st  
More information on how coaches can nominate athletes will be released in January. 
Once nominated, athletes will be invited to register for the evaluations between February 1st – 15th. 

Evaluation Dates 

The Stage 1 evaluations will be held in regional hubs to reduce travel costs: 

• Interior
  • Mid-April
• Island
  • Early March at UVic 
• Mainland 
  • March 24th – 26th (Location TBC) 

Exact dates and locations will be released before athletes are invited to register. 

Selected athletes from the Stage 1 evaluations will be invited to attend the Stage 2 evaluation. Other athletes may be considered for selection to a Regional (Tier 2) team, should Regional-representative teams be deemed viable. 

Stage 2 Trials 

The Stage 2 evaluation is for previously identified athletes (NextGen or CSI Targeted athletes) and those athletes selected from Stage 1 evaluations. 

Stage 2 evaluations for both U16 and U18 athletes will be held at the University of Victoria in a tournament format from May 20th – 22nd, 2023 (athletes will be drafted into teams prior to the event).  

FHBC is also pleased to announce the addition of an optional 4-week training program in April, ahead of the Stage 2 evaluations. This training program is designed to better prepare athletes tactically for the competition element of the Stage 2 evaluation, thus improving the experience of the athletes and the overall quality of the event.  

More information about registration for Stage 2 and the preparation training program will be released in March. 

Please note that the number of Provincial teams selected will depend on the competitive depth of the athlete pool at Stage 2. FHBC will select as many teams as they feel can be competitive in Tier 1 of National Championships. 

To find out more information about the evolution of Stage 2 evaluations from the 2022 program to the 2023 program, please click here.

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Male Provincial Athlete Talent ID, Evaluation, and Selection 

Due to the estimated number of male U16 & U18 athletes, there will only be a single, centralized athlete evaluation event per age group. 

U16 & U18 Male Provincial Program Evaluations: April 7th – 10th @ Tamanawis 

U16 and U18 male athletes that are interested in being selected to a Provincial Team will need to be nominated for the evaluation event by a club, PSO, NSO, high school and/or private academy coach.  

Athlete Nomination window: January 11th – 31st
More information on how coaches can nominate athletes will be released in January. 

Note: NextGen athletes and CSI Provincial Targeted Athletes will receive a direct invitation to the evaluation and do not need to be nominated. Targeted Athletes for 2023 will be notified of their status via email next week. 

Nominated athletes will be invited to register for the evaluation between February 1st – 15th.

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Regional (Tier 2) Teams 

FHBC will consider Regional-representative (Tier 2) teams, pending viability and interest from the athlete pool. Should a Regional Representative Team be considered viable by FHBC, selection for a Regional (Tier 2) Team may include both Stage 1 athletes that were not invited to Stage 2, as well as Stage 2 athletes that were not selected to a Provincial (Tier 1) team.  

If you have any questions about the representative and/or stage of development difference between a Team BC Provincial (Tier 1) team and a Regional-representative (Tier 2) team, please contact a member of staff.

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Provincial & Regional Team Training 

Provincial team training will begin after June 23rd. Regional Tier 2 team training on the Island and in the Interior may start at the beginning of June.  

As a reminder, Provincial programming is  prohibited for FHBC during the Greater Vancouver Junior Field Hockey League Season as mandated in 2020 by Lower Mainland community clubs. These same restrictions do not apply to the Island or Interior, as such training may begin earlier in those regions. 

For more information, please reference the Final Report from the 2020 Provincial Athlete Pathway Review Project.

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2023 FHC National Championships 

U18 Female & Male National Championships
July 25th – 30th
Cassie Campbell Community Center, Brampton, Ontario
Athletes born in 2005 & 2006 

U16 Female & Male National Championships
August 8th – 13th 
Cassie Campbell Community Center, Brampton, Ontario
Athletes born in 2007, 2008 & 2009 

As families begin to plan their Winter, Spring & Summer vacations, we thought it prudent to provide an estimate of the levy for the 2023 Provincial Program, which could range between $2700 and $3500. This figure includes expenses such as team training, as well as National Championship travel and accommodation to Ontario.

This estimated levy does not include costs associated with the Stage 1 or Stage 2  Evaluation Pathway but FHBC will look to keep these costs to a minimum wherever feasible Athletes will travel to Ontario for National Championships as a team and stay in team accommodation for the full duration of the Championships. 

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