Declining junior provision in Hockey Clubs in Yorkshire: 1990-2011

David Barrett, Sheffield Hallam UniversityGeoff Nichols, University of SheffieldChristina Woods, SUBHC

Policy focus on young people

• Sport England’s strategy; 2012 to 2017;– (2012) focuses on 14 – 25 year olds

• NGBs ‘signed up to’ ‘Whole-Sport Plans’– 60% for this age group.

• England Hockey’s whole-sport plan received £12m in funding.– Runs from 2013 to 2017

Sport England Policy and Clubs

In the context of Participation Trends

• Trend towards more individual participation, out of club structure– Identified between 1987 and 1996 (Coalter, 1999) using GHS

• Continued from 2005 to 2010 (Active People Survey)• In this second period the biggest growth sports were:

– athletics (including road running and jogging), gym, cycling• Declines in:

– Golf, badminton, tennis, cricket, rugby union and rugby league (Gratton, et al. 2011)

Methods

• Handbooks of the Yorkshire HA used to estimate:– number of clubs in Yorkshire between 1990-1 and 2011-12– number of teams fielded by these clubs– number of junior clubs

• Confirmation through:– Yorkshire HA website– Fixtureslive.com– League officials

• Interviews with club officials to ask about reasons for changes

Main findings

• A reduction in the number of clubs• A reduction in the number of clubs with junior sections

– especially coinciding with introduction of CRB checks

Clubs:1990 to2001

47 4748

47 4746

4546 46

4342

27 2726

2827

2423

21 21

23 23

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

1990

-1

1991

-2

1992

-3

1993

-4

1994

-5

1995

-6

1996

-7

1997

-8

1998

-9

1999

-200

0

2000

-1

Men Juniors

Clubs:2000 to2011

4541 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 41

38

8279

75 74 73 7471

73

68 67 68

25 24 23 22 21 2016

1815 14 14

99

9187 86 85

8783 84

78 7773

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

2001

-2

2002

-3

2003

-4

2004

-5

2005

-6

2006

-7

2007

-8

2008

-9

2009

-10

2010

-11

2011

-12

Men Women Juniors Total

Teams:1990 to2001

183 180184

188 185181

173 172 170163

159

27 27 26 29 2824 23 21 21 23 23

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

1990

-1

1991

-2

1992

-3

1993

-4

1994

-5

1995

-6

1996

-7

1997

-8

1998

-9

1999

-200

0

2000

-1

Men Women Juniors

Teams:2000 to2011

155 154 154 156153 152 150 149 148

144141

145 145

138142 143

146 147144

141135 136

32 3036 36 35 37

3134

3134

37

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

2001

-2

2002

-3

2003

-4

2004

-5

2005

-6

2006

-7

2007

-8

2008

-9

2009

-10

2010

-11

2011

-12

Men Women Juniors

% ClubswithJuniors:1990 to2011

57% 57%

54%

60%57%

52%

51%

46% 46%

52%53%

25%

26% 26% 26% 25%23%

19%

21%19%

18%

19%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

1990

-1

1991

-2

1992

-3

1993

-4

1994

-5

1995

-6

1996

-7

1997

-8

1998

-9

1999

-200

0

2000

-1

2001

-2

2002

-3

2003

-4

2004

-5

2005

-6

2006

-7

2007

-8

2008

-9

2009

-10

2010

-11

2011

-12

Active People Survey:2005 to2013

Why fewer teams?Why fewer junior teams?

• Key Volunteers – not replaced• Competing demands – on volunteers’ and players’ time• Cross sport competition – via whole sport plans • Reduced access to specialist facilites - 3G pitches • Red tape – CRB checks – clubmark requirements• Less tuition in schools• Is there a ‘tescoisation’ of clubs – fewer provide for juniors?

Why do clubs fail?

Cost is also a factor, again, the high cost of astro pitch hire.  With hockey attracting little or no media attention... it does not therefore attract much sponsorship or funding. The reduction in the number of local hockey teams means that teams have to travel further and again, people’s weekend time is precious and many simply don’t want to spend their weekends travelling to and from hockey games. Volunteers are needed to officiate, coach, and do admin jobs – too few people stretched too thinly.

Club administrator, East Yorkshire

Cost

Why do (junior) clubs fail?

Another big factor is that hockey is no longer taught in many schools – many in Hull just don’t do it, partly because they don’t have an astro, partly because their teachers aren’t interested. The FA has thrown such a lot of money into football so the number of girls and boys football teams is on the rise and there’s only so much sport kids can play (and parents are already stretched so can only take children to so many sports).

Governing body administrator, Humberside

Schools disengaged; competition from football

Why do (junior) clubs fail?

Regarding the Kingfishers team, this was essentially a “badgers” team I set up within [the club I play for] to offer girls between the age of 13-16 match experience. They were not being picked for any of our senior teams as they weren’t ready, but turned up for training every week, so it was a way for them to get experience. After 2 years, they had progressed sufficiently to be selected for higher teams, so we reverted to 5 senior teams, rather than 4 plus a badgers side.

Club administrator, East Yorkshire

Players grow up and move on

Why do clubs fail?

There were a number of reasons. Some of the players gave up because they were getting old, and we didn't have a junior section as such, so there was no-one to replace them. And they played in key positions as well. One was a goalkeeper. Then there were one or two relationship breakdowns. There were two couples in the team who split up, and it wasn't nice. It left a bit of an atmosphere, and people couldn't be bothered after that.

Club member, South Yorkshire

Key people leave

A Policy Rethink?

• Is club sport the way forward for junior participation?• If so – what support is needed for clubs and facilities?• Is competition between NGBs useful?• CRB checks will still be there – how can clubs be helped though them, and clubmark.

• Is new forms of the game the way forward? – Informal / Casual– Rush Hockey anyone?

Thank you for listeningAny questions?

David BarrettSheffield Hallam Universityd.barrett@shu.ac.uk@SportInResearch

Geoff NicholsSheffield Universityg.nichols@Sheffield.ac.uk

Christina WoodsMSc student – Sheffield University