Worksop College boasts a total of 22 hockey teams, encompassing students from Year 7 to Upper Sixth Form, comprising 12 girls and 10 boys. Additionally, the school offers an indoor programme, providing students the opportunity to engage in various fixtures and tournaments. The mixed first team, comprising both boys and girls, competes against other schools.
Our hockey program at Worksop College is designed to unlock unique benefits for our athletes. It not only fosters the development of new skills but also provides a platform for engaging in competitive games, enabling athletes to evolve into well-rounded players.
We understand and cater to the diverse needs of our students at Worksop College, whether they are aspiring performance athletes or individuals seeking participation and camaraderie within a team. Our comprehensive program includes well-structured training sessions, strength & conditioning sessions, and off-field video analysis sessions. To further enrich the experience, we offer an indoor program during the winter months, allowing students to acquire and enhance new skills while representing the school in regional competitions.
The school takes pride in its range of teams, ensuring that every hockey player has the opportunity to represent Worksop College. Those selected for their age group's 1st team often go on to represent the school at county, regional, and national levels through participation in multiple age group competitions.
Scholarship Programme
Coaches
Mr Hearne joined us in 2022 from a small prep school in Bakewell. He has had a long and successful playing and coaching career since picking up a stick, relatively late, at the age of 11. He worked his way through the Junior England programme playing for the U16’s, U18’s and U21’s claiming over 60 caps and scoring in multiple countries. He has played at National League level since turning 14, including 3 years in the Premier League. After university, he went on to play/coach Sheffield Hockey Club, securing their first ever promotion to the newly formed Premier North Division and keeping them there for 3 years. More recently he has moved to Doncaster to help them push promotion to that same league. He is also working through the Great Britain Advanced Coach Programme (ACP). Since joining Worksop College, he has implemented a rigorous hockey programme that is growing each year, focusing on development from grass roots to elite level.
Grace Sanderson, Graduate Assistant
Grace joined us in September 2023 after completing her degree in Sports Coaching at Leeds Beckett. When growing up, Grace was involved in county hockey, Sheffield Hallam HC, Doncaster HC, Leeds HC and HiPAC. Whilst completing her degree, Grace played for the universities 1st team whilst coaching their 2nd team. Grace currently coaches outside of school at Doncaster Hockey club working with the u16 girls, and West Yorkshire u11 and u14 boys.
Mckenzie Brailsford, Hockey Coach
Mr Brailsford is an Old Worksopian and rejoined the College’s Hockey programme back in January 2022. During his time as a pupil he led the U16’s Boy’s to the Indoor National Finals in 2018 and Captained the Boy’s 1st XI in his final year. On completion of his A-Levels he moved to the South West and joined Dean Close Preparatory School as a Resident Boarding House Tutor. During that time we worked across all aspects of School life with key focuses on boarding, pupil welfare, safeguarding and the major games program. He worked closely with the Prep School Director of Sport and Whole School Director of Hockey and delivered multiple sessions over the course of the week to both Prep and Senior School Pupils. A move back home and pursuit of other opportunities meant Mckenzie could rejoin the School as a member of staff and support the Hockey programme.
Why Worksop College?
Worksop College has close relationships with local hockey clubs surrounding Worksop College, being Doncaster Hockey Club, Worksop Hockey Club, Sheffield Hallam Hockey Club, Rotherham Hockey Club, North Notts Hockey Club and Wakefield Hockey Club. These links allow for us to find a suitable club hockey experience for all the pupils who wish to join.
Wolf Academy is co-owned by the head of hockey Will Hearne. Wolf Academy is a specific coaching organisation that delivers school holiday coaching camps as well as small group and individual coaching sessions to both junior and senior hockey players. This allows students at Worksop College to develop their skills both in term time and out of term time.
Worksop College is also partnered with Catalyst Hockey that supports the school with top of the range hockey equipment, ensuring our players have the best resources to enhance their performance.
Worksop College is centrally located to a number of local clubs and we strongly encourage pupils to play outside of school. Worksop Hockey Club uses the College’s facilities so its walking distance for pupils to access an additional training session in the week and league matches at the weekend. Our Senior performance hockey players can access Doncaster Hockey Club and Sheffield Hockey Club in under an hour's drive and both clubs currently play in the England Hockey National Conference League.
