As the end of the 2019/2020 season has arrived prematurely due to the lockdowns associated with the coronavirus pandemic, it’s time to reflect on the season and give thanks to those people who made it all possible.

Firstly, thank you to our umpires Gordon and Mike who gave their time up throughout the year to support all the fixtures, travelling across the South of the country to ensure matches could go ahead.

A big thank you must also go to all our coaches and volunteers who have turned out in all weather conditions throughout the year to deliver coaching sessions and take matches. Zoe, Charlotte, Meg, Lorraine, Ella, Dom BB, Zak, Jim, Hamish, Dom T, Trevor, Juliet – you’re all amazing.

And finally, to the parent’s/guardians/family members who’ve transported their own children (and on many occasions, other players) to matches and training throughout the year. Your dedication to engaging your child in the club makes it all happen and without you we simply wouldn’t have a junior section.

Mixed Mini’s (U6s – U10s) review
Our mixed mini’s group have been superbly led by Zoe and Charlotte all season and saw continually growing numbers joining throughout. The players developed their skills and understanding of game play with the emphasis of fun always being at the forefront. Towards the end of the season an U10s team entered the In2 Hockey U10s Buckinghamshire County Championships, finishing a credible 5th in what was for most, their first experience of tournament hockey. They will be taking on more fixtures next season with the hope getting some boys U10s and Girls U8s fixtures set up vs local clubs.

Girls U12s review
Once again led by Lorraine with the support of Megan, the U12s continued to compete in the Chiltern Leagues throughout the season culminating with the In2 Buckingham finals. The Girls A team fluctuated between the premier division and div 1 this season after losing several key players to the U16s squad; this gave the opportunity to new players to step into the A team and shine, gaining invaluable playing opportunities against other top-level teams.
The B team subsequently went from strength to strength with numbers at training averaging around 25. This gave the coaches some selection headaches but ensured that there were plenty of playing opportunities for so many of the girls. The B team also faced some fluctuation in their league position and ultimately finished in division 4 with loads of knowledge gained which will serve them all well going into next season.
As both teams entered the In2 Hockey Championships hosted at Stowe School in March, we knew that the competition would throw up some difficult opposition. This was the case as both Marlow and Amersham & Chalfont bought strong A & B teams who ultimately took the top 2 spots in both pools and therefore secured progression into the regional finals. The As secured a fine 5th placed finish whilst the B team came =9th and gained a lot from the day. Both teams should be proud of how they played and more importantly how the conducted themselves throughout the season. The future is looking bright for the U12s.

Boys U12s review (written by coach Zak)
The U12 boys squad have enjoyed an excellent season, and attendance at training has been brilliant in all weather conditions. The boys have been enthusiastic, fully committed, always been a lot of fun but have also worked hard and been an absolute pleasure to coach. It has been great that we have been able to get two U12 boys teams out to every fixture and all the boys hard work has paid off with some superb performances alongside the hard work and enjoyment.
The Pirates began the season in Division 2 but ended up finishing runners up in the Premier Division, whilst the Buccaneers started in Division 5 and ended up being promoted to Division 2 with both teams playing fine team hockey along the way. Towards the end of the season, the Pirates also created history in the county tournament. They finished unbeaten and top of a tight group that included a fine victory against Amersham and Chalfont. They then beat a strong High Wycombe side 3-2 in a thrilling semi-final, before losing a tight final to a quality Marlow team to finish runners up and qualify for the regional round for the first time in the clubs history.
I would like to say a huge thank you to all the boys and parents for all their enthusiasm and support throughout the season and also a massive thank you to Jim Bursell for all his help and assistance with the boys squad and also to Trevor McCallum and Dominic Blackmore-Beales for their help with the teams on match days.

U16s review
The reintroduction of an U16s squad consisting of a mixture of U16s and U14s player was brought in at the beginning of the 2019/2020 season due to several players moving up into this age group. A slim group to start with grew and thrived with expert coaching from Dom and Ella guiding them along the way. An early fixture vs Stowe U16s showed the potential that this group had and breathed confidence into the girls.
Entering into the England Hockey T2 U16s championships, fixtures home and away vs Bedford and Khalsa Leamington took place throughout the season; although the girls didn’t always achieve the results their efforts deserved, throughout they displayed superb enthusiasm, were continually encouraging towards their own team mates and did it all with a smile on their faces. We will look to organise more fixtures moving into next season and hopefully with the stronger links with Stowe school created, we will see more players through the doors joining in with training and matches.
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Obviously with hockey all on hold as things stand, we can only hope that the next season will go ahead as normal. However, keep your eyes peeled on our social media for our skills challenges and, if we’re lucky enough to be out of lock down, potential summer sessions at Stowe. For the time being, stay safe and keep sending in your videos of all thing’s hockey related that are going on at home.

The junior section at Buckingham HC is thriving and is also open to new players wishing to join regardless of their abilities. We run sessions for both boys and girls aged U6 – U16s at Stowe School on Tuesday evenings 6:15pm – 7:30pm and the first session is free. Those interested in attending should email juniors@buckinghamhc.co.uk.