As the Junior season starts to come to a close, we came together to celebrate what has been one of the most successful seasons for our Junior section and to get some exciting updates on what the future holds. With the Juniors having grown massively in number over the course of the season, it necessitated a larger venue so we turned to the Elms Social and Services Club in Wigston as one of the few places that could accommodate us.
The Junior Coaches were in attendance en masse, together with James Woolley (Club President), Damon Fleming (Chair) and Dave Dytham (Head Junior Coach) looking on proudly. We were also honoured to be joined by David Cawthorn B.E.M., a former Westleigh President, who has a wealth of hockey knowledge having coached England and otherwise done almost every role imaginable within the world of hockey!
After some food, we got down to business with Davi giving us some insight into his hockey journey with Wesleigh and presenting the Juniors with their awards. It was fantastic to hear from David and it will no doubt have given the Juniors (and some of the adults!) renewed enthusiasm and ambition for their hockey careers in the future. The awards themselves were separated into age categories, with the girls and boys voting for their player of the season, and coaches voting for most improved. In total, 13 awards were handed out across the U8, U10, U12 and Badgers teams.
Dave Dytham then gave an update on the future for the club, confirming that next season we will be starting new U14 Boys and Girls teams which will be entered into the Hockey National Tier competitions, playing against some of the top teams from around the Country. Dave also confirmed that he was handing over the role of Head Junior Coach to Ali Lewis who will come in next year and Head up both the Junior Section as well as coaching the Mens 1’s and 2’s. Dave will still be heavily involved, but a massive thanks to him for all the work he’s done! There was then one final (and huge!) announcement demonstrating our commitment to grass roots hockey – next season there will be free hockey for all Foundation Stage, Year 1 and Year 2 children! Please make sure you tell your friends and help the club to grow even more!
We bid a sad farewell to Ali Brennan, and all his family, who have been heavily involved in our Junior Section for the last two years. As they relocate to Norfolk for some new adventures, we thank Ali for his tireless efforts and commitment in supporting the Junior Section and helping it to grow. David presented Ali with a gift from the coaches to thank him for everything he has done and we wish him all the best for the future.
The afternoon was finished off with a raffle, with children winning some fantastic prizes, including new sticks, bags and balls, to set them up for next season, and then the obligatory disco (which included some impromptu karaoke from the U12 girls) which the children loved!
It’s been a hugely successful season for our Junior section and one we are extremely proud of. We have grown to more than 100 players and been involved in more tournaments than ever. We have strengthened existing relationships with other clubs and built new ones. We have had our best ever results at the County and Midlands Hockey Championships, with particular congratulations going to the Boys U10 team and Girls U12 who each won the Leicestershire Hockey Championships and did a superb job in representing Westleigh at Midlands, with the Boys U10 finishing 7th overall and the Girls U12 coming 11th. Needless to say, the future is looking very bright.
Congratulations to all of those who won awards, but also to the whole of the Junior Section – it has been fantastic to see the Juniors develop over the course of the year and we are constantly proud, and frequently amazed, by the enthusiasm, hockey skills and support that are shown by all.
A huge thank you also goes to all of the Junior Coaches, Young Leaders and volunteers who give their time so generously to turn up, rain or shine, to deliver sessions and help manage tournaments. Thank you as well to all the parents – without your support we couldn’t do any of this! Finally, a huge thanks to David Cawthorn B.E.M. for giving his time so generously – the children were delighted to hear his pearls of wisdom and also to see what hockey sticks looked like in the “olden days”! These are exciting times for Westleigh and already we can’t wait to see what next season holds in store.
We finish the season with our Tournament on Saturday 17 May 2025, which is looking to be bigger and better than ever, and look forward to seeing many of you there. Otherwise, we will see you all back with hockey sticks in hands in September (if not before!).