Elliot Foweraker

@MRHARESULTS Still a negative structure for hockey. More playoffs & promotion spots needed. Currently 2–3 teams compete for one place up, 4–5 fight relegation, and a large middle group has little to play for. More meaningful games = more excitement and better for growing the game.

With the bottom of the Mens Midlands conference looking like this .1 extra relegation is expected ⬇️ Prem 3 down D1 3 down D2 5 down D3WE 3 down D4 3 down And so on

@sportisthething Possibly not a dramatic shift day-to-day, but culturally it feels significant. How adaptable our competition models are probably matters more long term, UK has tight playing windows inevitably limit flexibility and growth.

@FowerakerE Well it’s either Saturday or Sunday given most people still work on weekdays. Is that really such a shift? A lot of hockey already on Sundays in U.K. - National League, Junior, Age-Group, cups etc.

Forward thinking! Open to changes that make the sport better 👍

Having heard good things from friends at the club, it was my first visit to @OxfordHawks today. Bar the result for our ladies 1s... what a brilliant club and or set up. Genuinely thought it was brilliant 👏

❓What actually improves collective decision-making in your environment ? Repetition, clarity of intention, or something else?

@MarriottCoach Agree there are fundamental concepts (some sport-specific) across invasion games. I’m seeing principles as interdependent behaviours, guiding how players respond to recurring opportunities on and off the ball, with collective intention emerging through those interactions.

@FowerakerE I think that teaching the fundamental principles of the game are vital as these are the building blocks from which tactical strategies are built. Passing lines, balance, cover, support angles, cutting off passing lines, marking, closing down etc.

Coaching thought: Structure does not restrict players. Structure liberates decision-making by aligning intention.

@MarriottCoach Agreed. For me, structure isn’t rigid patterns, it’s shared intention and clarity. Exposure to chaos matters. The challenge is designing constraints that help players make sense of it rather than scripting it.

@FowerakerE Agree, but important I think that players understand the “unstructured” before we go too heavy on the structured.

@russellearnshaw @MentorSixP @SBarnesRugby Video and data can highlight problems or opportunities. But players still need the right environments to recognise and solve them in real time.

@MentorSixP @SBarnesRugby think about who you give information to, how you might prompt, allow players to call time outs, have a framework for problem solving to help them. the problem with most ‘elite’ environments is they are run by GPS not the 🧠

The game is poker, not chess. Coaches need to develop and allow players to problem-solve. This is a hard watch. Wonder if the grow ups will reflect on how much of the week was practising solutions rather than setting problems… 🧠

This….. 👇🏼

We need your feedback... Midlands Hockey are trying to understand more about what we can do to support state school hockey across the area. To help please answer the short survey below by 1st January. shorturl.at/K8QJ8

@FowerakerE Too far North for EH to care

JWC: US Colleges 2 Loughborough & UoN/UoB 1

@RussellLuke24 Well no, it’s not good, also shows with 4 x uni teams in the women’s prem v none in men’s side, odd there’s no representation from Durham who are above the other 3 🤷🏻‍♂️

@FowerakerE Don’t think it really matters, standard isn’t great in any of our leagues. The Women’s prem is a very poor standard in comparison to other countries

@RussellLuke24 Certainly interesting that all the U21 women are playing prem, yet our boys on the whole are not!

@FowerakerE I think it proves that can have all the setup in the World but if we don’t have high quality regular competition it’s irrelevant

@RussellLuke24 No, I agree, I think 🇺🇸 do a good job with fitness, however I thought that given the 3 x unis we’ve sent out there & their nearly full time nature & 🇬🇧/ 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 support, that fitness wouldn’t be a factor, but it seems to have been noticeable vs a few nations.

@FowerakerE Not surprised

@RussellLuke24 They looked fitter… which is interesting.

@FowerakerE Which system is better 😂

National league 2025 underway with @stourporthockey ✅ Two close games at home for the men & women, nice to finally get going 👊

Pair the TA with the ACP & add waffle from people pushing likes on instagram, we are in a wild west, where not only players must be lost, but coaches wanting to develop & improve have no reference point to what good coaching or good hockey looks like. Huge change needed.

@ospreyalex Huge congrats to you both!

Our perfect day