South Wales U14 PDC Festival A Success
Last Sunday's South Wales U14 Performance Development Centre (PDC) festival at Swansea University provided a fitting conclusion for the players, coaches and parents associated with the six U14 PDCs running in South Wales from April to July. U14 girls' squads from all six PDCs and boys squads from four PDCs, played 7 a-side games in a round robin format. Coaches were encouraged to select those players who have shown the most potential during the 10 weeks of PDC coaching sessions and WHU staff were also present to identify any talented young players not already known. The festival was also a good development opportunity for local young umpires, and the WHU are very grateful to Chloe Guy, Ruth Morgan and Rhian Davies for umpiring many of the games, along with Chris Dunn from Pembrokeshire.
The overall standard of play was encouraging and it was particularly pleasing to see players executing well the core skills practiced at PDC training sessions. Pembrokeshire girls proved unbeatable during the course of the day, whilst the girls teams from Cardigan Bay, Cardiff & the Vale, Gwent, South Wales Valleys and West Glamorgan were all evenly matched. Matches between the four boys PDC teams were very competitive, with there being very little to separate the Cardiff & the Vale, Cardigan Bay and Gwent sides, whilst a relatively young Pembrokeshire squad acquitted themselves very well. The excellent performances of several boys from West Wales who do not belong to clubs, clearly demonstrated the need for the WHU to support the development of boys hockey in this region.
Cardigan Bay U14 boys with coaches and coordinator
Helen Thomas
Gwent boys at half time with Head Coach Danny Newcombe
Pembs girls with Coaches Angela Miles Brenda Scourfield
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Pembs U14 Boys with Darren Oddie (Coach)
South Wales Valleys girls with Head Coach Dave Roberts
Goalmouth action
