ALTON Hockey Club has welcomed a wealth of national and international talent to the club to lead a two-day coaching camp at Amery Hill School.

Junior members were joined on the first day by Holly Hunter, who represents Great Britain under-23s and is part of the England senior squad; Sam Ward, who is one of England’s highest scoring forwards; Nick Bandurak, who plays for Holcombe men’s first XI; and Tylo Remke, who plays for Guildford and South Africa under-20s.

They covered all sorts of skills including stick and dribbling, passing and spacial awareness, striking, deflecting the ball, 3D skills, and reverse striking.

They also took part in a question-and-answer session covering wide-ranging questions about hockey, playing for national teams, fitness regimes, and socialising as a professional athlete.

On the second day, Holly, Nick and Tylo returned to lead some small-sided games, possession games, and a jungle dribble obstacle course. They were joined by a specialist goalkeeping coach and Nick Catlin, who played 65 games for GB and 120 games in midfield for England.

Club spokesman Vicky Small said: “The juniors were absolutely thrilled to be learning from such talented athletes and were really excited and encouraged by the enthusiasm and genuine love for hockey that the coaches shared. Hopefully, the club will be able to work with these amazing hockey players again in the future.”

In this its 40th anniversary year, Alton Hockey Club will start celebrations on September 1 with an open day. Adults of all abilities are invited to play from 11am at Amery Hill School, while juniors can take part in fun and games on Sunday, September 2.