TWO of Wotton-under-Edge Hockey Club’s youth players have been selected to attend a performance centre as part of England Hockey’s ‘Player Pathway’ to identify potential players of national standard.

Jo York and Elodie Sparrow have been selected to attend the Bristol Hockey Performance Centre, where they will start training in September 2017.

Jo York is a goalie for Wotton-under-Edge’s youth section and Elodie Sparrow is an outfield player for the club’s youth section as well as the ladies senior teams.

Being selected for a performance centre is a fine achievement, given the intensity of competition at that level. There are seventeen performance centres across the country to maximise opportunity and player development.

The aim of performance centres is to supply high calibre players for national age group squads by providing appropriate coaching and competition to support player development.

Wotton-under-Edge Hockey Club has seen huge development over the last two years, particularly in the junior and youth sections.

The club takes great pride in nurturing and supporting all players whatever their ability, and plays a key part in its players’ progression from club to county and on to regional level.

The culmination of the performance centre cycle will be the Futures Cup which will take place from Wednesday, August 22, 2018 to Saturday, August 25, 2018. Selected players will be able to play in this high-intensity best v best tournament which emulates an international competition environment.

Hockey club chairman Stuart Emms commented: “I am delighted that these two players have been recognised in this way and that the club continues to develop high calibre talent recognised by our governing body. In addition to that, the fact that these players’ parents and siblings are all actively involved in the club in some way, speaks volumes about the family friendly, sport-for-all environment that the club also stands for.”