+ WHAT MAKES EVO SO GREAT?

We're glad you asked! See Our Story, where we explain the philosophy behind EVO Hockey and what sets us apart. But here's the short version -

Our camps are coached by the world's top senior players, up and coming junior internationals and some of the best creative coaching talent out there. Read more about our amazing coaching team.

We are trusted & recognised by the international hockey community. Our camps have been featured by the FIH (hockey's world governing body) and we have been invited to showcase at international hockey events such as the Champions Trophy. We regularly attract the world's best players to coach and young players travel from across the UK to attend, on recommendation from players and coaches.

Our camps are tailored to the players attending. You provide your playing information on registration and we make sure that, whatever your level, the programme you are on is optimised for you. In this way we have successfully developed players, from complete beginner to junior international level.

Our camps are creative, innovative and fun. We show young players hockey styles, philosophies and ideas from around the world, inspiring them to learn new skills and think about hockey in different ways. Sport psychology, strength & conditioning, video work and more are used to ensure maximum development benefit and enjoyment for all players.

+ WHY SHOULD WE TRUST YOU WITH OUR YOUNG PLAYERS?

At EVO Hockey we are extremely serious about the welfare of all players. Our camps have been designed by people with significant experience in coaching youth, club and school hockey. Chris Bowen, who designed and oversees the EVO camps program, has previously been Head of Hockey at Epsom College, Head of Hockey Development at Whitgift School and is currently Performance Director of Hockey at Reigate Grammar School.

With EVO, you can be confident that your young players are under the supervision of top coaches who have experience in working with children, the required DBS checks and appropriate first aid training.

+ WHAT EQUIPMENT DO WE NEED TO BRING?

For outfield players, gumshields and shinpads are an absolute requirement and no young player will be allowed to take part in the camps without these, unless parents sign a consent recognising the risks of doing so. We would NEVER advise playing hockey without gumshields and shinpads, at any age! Beyond that, clothes suitable for outdoor sport and the weather at the time are advised and astroturf shoes should be worn (not football boots). A hockey stick should be brought by your child but please note that we can supply a limited amount of sticks on request, so if one is needed please ask us beforehand to ensure availability!

For goalkeepers, it is essential to bring a FULL goalkeeper kit to the camp, as we only have a very limited amount of equipment available at EVO. If your child doesn't own a kit but plays for a club or school, we recommend you ask them for use of their equipment during our camps - our experience is that those organisations will often be willing to assist. However, please check any borrowed kit to ensure you have a complete set. If you are unable to source a kit, please contact us.

+ WHAT HAPPENS ON A TYPICAL CAMP DAY?

There is no 'typical' day, but we do have a guideline format, as follows:

Camp days begin with registration, which is usually at 10.30am, unless otherwise indicated on the camp event page. At 11am, the camp officially opens. Players are welcomed, introduced to their coaches, we run through the format of the day and a few health and safety aspects. Then we head to the turf!

Out on the turf, players spend the day training with their coaches. They will work with every single EVO coach on camp that day and are encouraged to ask them questions and get to know them - specially if they want to learn what the life and training of an elite athlete is like! There is no 'typical' camp day, but across a three day camp players should experience some/all of: skills and drills, assault courses, penalty shootouts, Q&As and coaches skill challenges. And, of course, matches - where you can put what you learned into practice!

Each day is broken up with drinks / snack breaks and lunch - make sure to pack these for your players!

Camp days finish at 5pm and we often give out prizes on the last day.

+ ARE ALL CAMPS / CAMP DAYS THE SAME?

No! Within each camp, every day has different coaching themes we work on with the players. Camps are structured so that skills learnt in previous days are progressively built upon throughout the camps. Due to the international nature of our coaches, we often have coaches flying in for 1 or 2 days of camp, with different coaching lineups each day.

No two EVO camps are ever the same! We have a coaching team of over 70 different international players, from more than 17 different countries. So at each EVO event you will have different coaches, from different hockey backgrounds, bringing a host of new and different ideas!

+ MY CHILD IS NEW TO HOCKEY - IS THE CAMP SUITABLE?

Yes! When you book your place online, you can tell us their level in the registration form.

At every camp, we have groups that are suitable for complete beginners. Players come away from camps inspired by meeting top internationals (sometimes getting to see and hold their Olympic and World Cup medals!) and in love with a new sport. So don't be shy!

+ MY CHILD IS AMAZING AT HOCKEY - IS THE CAMP SUITABLE?

Yes! What better way to push your training to new levels than to work with some of the world's top international players and coaches?

We have high performance training groups on each camp day, catering for older youth players and those from County up to and including NAGS standards. Our technical program is designed so that high performance players can flourish in a creative and intensive training atmosphere, with the opportunity for them to get the attention to detail they need.

Because our camps are not selection environments, players can explore new skills and make mistakes without fear of 'looking bad' or 'being dropped'. This freedom to push their limits means players almost always come away from EVO Hockey camps stronger and more technically able than before.

Couple this with the ability to pick the brains of hockey athletes who have made it to the top of the game (many suffering bumps in the road along the way) and you have the perfect performance training environment.

+ I CAN'T BRING MY CHILD FOR EVERY CAMP DAY, IS THAT OK?

Yes it is! With EVO camps you can book onto all, some or even just one day.

Our camp program is progressive, with each day building on the last. Booking onto the full camp is therefore highly recommended where possible, in order to gain the maximum benefit. However, we know that young players (and you, the parents!) have busy lives, so each day has also been designed to work as a stand-alone day, regardless of your player's level.

Just bear in mind that our international hockey players and coaches attending the camp can vary from day to day, due to their training and playing commitments.

+ HOW DO YOU WORK OUT THE GROUPINGS?

We group players according to both age and playing experience, to ensure each player is able to maximise their pitch time with the coaches. We keep all players under review and there is the flexibility for individual players to be moved into higher age group sessions (subject to coaching assessments) so that we can ensure we get the best development outcomes for them.

Sometimes it is the right call to move a talented player up a level, to challenge them to deal with faster / stronger / bigger / more experienced players. Sometimes it is better to keep them within their age group, in order that they can 'stretch their wings' and continue to develop their talent. It is often a fine balance, but one our coaches are well placed to make!

+ WHAT IF WE HAVE TO CANCEL OUR PLACE?

Although we cannot offer refunds, we can sometimes defer your place to a future date. Please make any requests to defer before your camp by email - no-shows cannot be rescheduled after the event. We cannot always defer your place, but we will try to help wherever we can! See our Cancellations & Returns policy for more information.

+ WHAT IF THE WEATHER IS BAD?

This is the UK and we are made of strong stuff! We play on all-weather pitches, so expect the camp to run, rain or shine! Please ensure your children have sufficient clothing for the vagiaries of the British weather!

Fear not, however. If the weather gets too bad, most of our venues have some indoor space that we can use for cover if needed.

The only thing that can scupper us is if the pitches are unplayable, because they are frozen. Therefore, for camps in December and February, we operate an Adverse Weather Policy, which sets out what will happen in the event of bad conditions, when any decisions will be made, how they will be communicated to you and what will happen to any bookings.

+ LOVE THE EVO SHIRTS IN THE PHOTOS & VIDEOS! HOW DO WE GET ONE?

You are in luck! Every NEW player registering on an EVO Hockey camp gets an EVO training shirt FOR FREE! Train with it on camp, get it signed by the stars, wear it to you club, school events and bring it back to wear on future EVO days.

Returning players, please bring your EVO shirt back with you to wear on the camp. It's your training gear and will make you look awesome :) If you need new training shirts, you can purchase them in our Shop.

+ DO YOU PROVIDE LUNCH & / OR REFRESHMENTS?

No. Please provide a packed lunch and drinks / refreshment for the day.