Hockey Academy
The facilities available at the Hockey Academy are some of the best in the country. With state of the art training equipment like water-based facilities and un-manned training machines available for students, we have everything you need to perfect your hockey skills while gaining an FE education.
Elite players are given eight hours a week of specialised training which is delivered to students across the Elba Sports Ground and Ashleigh Road playing fields. Many players have moved on to play first class hockey, representative hockey and gained places at prestigious sports universities.
More than hockey training
The training and development provided at the academy goes further than playing the sport. It’s about physical well-being, skill, technical knowledge and nutrition too. Here is just some of the knowledge students are provided with at the hockey academy:
• Enhancing hockey skills
• Personal fitness – strength and conditioning
• Technical development, execution and match analysis
• Coaching skills
• Bespoke training programme
• One-on-one advice and support/sports psychology
• Guidance on diet and nutrition
At Gower College Swansea our Hockey Academy training programme has nurtured some real talent over the years, with many players going on to play at an international level to achieve great successes at competitions.
“Being part of the Hockey Academy over the past two years has really helped me to learn basic skills as well as develop my level of fitness. It is a welcoming break in-between lectures and a great way to make new friends whilst within a competitive environment.”
Beth Bingham, Wales Senior and GB Aspire player
Focus on coaches
Sian Fowler, Hockey Academy Director
Bio: Sian is women’s and men’s Head Coach and is currently studying towards a UKCC Level 3 qualification. A former Senior International, British Universities and British Colleges in U21/U18/U16 player, she is a Swansea Ladies first team player and a highly-qualified sports massage therapist. Sian is also a highly-skilled coach, and is a 360 Swansea Centre Coach, RSS Assistant Coach and a Wales Assistant Coach for the U16 team.
Experience: Sian has been with the Academy for eight years, and in that time has guided the College teams to some awesome victories including winning the Welsh Colleges Championship and the Welsh U18 Schools competition. The College have also previously been British Cup U19 semi-finalists and British Colleges Silver medallists.
Sion Cairns, Strength and Conditioning Coach, Men’s Head Coach and Women’s Assistant Coach
Bio: Sion has been working at the Hockey Academy for nine years, and in this time has played a vital role in progressing successful women’s and men’s teams and developing innovative training programmes.
Experience: In nine years the men’s team has won the Welsh Colleges competition nine years running and represented well at the British Colleges Championships.
Teams on tour
As part of the Hockey Academy, there will be many opportunities to tour around the UK and beyond. Recent tours have taken teams to North Wales, Gloucester, Bath and Taunton. Plans are currently being finalised to send teams on international tours to Belgium, Ireland and even Australia within the next couple of years! Touring is not only a chance to practice your skills on the pitch, it’s also an opportunity to get to know your team mates, build life-long friendships and visit new places.
The College offers academy students opportunities to gain qualifications in coaching too. Coaching is a great way to really get to the core of what makes a world-class player. It takes skill, patience, dedication and communication skills. At the Hockey Academy students can take progression routes to develop coaching ability and gain the 4689 Leadership Award and a UK Coaching Certificate (UKCC) at Level 1.
To learn more about the Hockey Academy contact:
01792 284000
academy@gowercollegeswansea.ac.uk
sian.fowler@gowercollegeswansea.ac.uk