About the West Panthers U13s

The West Panthers Trials are our annual selection process for young hockey players across the South West of England.

The trials are designed to identify talented, committed and enthusiastic players who have the skills, attitude and ability to represent the West Panthers at some of the UK’s leading youth hockey competitions.

Through the trials, players are considered for selection for two boys’ teams and two girls’ teams to compete at the UK Festival of Hockey in Nottingham, as well as one boys’ team and one girls’ team to compete in the U12 Mercia Cup.

Further information about both competitions is provided below.

The Trialling Process

Our trialling process is thorough and designed to give every player the opportunity to demonstrate their ability.

During the trials, players are assessed across a range of areas, including:

Core hockey skills, including dribbling, passing, receiving and shooting

Game play, including their ability to read the game, make decisions and apply their skills in a full-pitch environment

Teamwork, communication and their ability to work effectively as part of a team

Fitness and work rate, including their ability to cope with the demands of full-pitch hockey

Attitude and sportsmanship, both on and off the pitch

We believe that technical ability is only one part of being a successful Panther. We are looking for players who demonstrate a positive attitude, commitment, teamwork and good sportsmanship alongside their hockey ability.

Attendance

Players must attend at least three of the four trials to be eligible for selection.

If a player is unable to attend three trials due to exceptional circumstances, please let us know. At our discretion, we may allow a player to attend two trials and still be considered for selection.

How Teams Are Selected

Following the four trials, our coaches will select players for the teams competing in the two competitions.

UK Festival of Hockey

We select two boys’ teams and two girls’ teams to represent the West Panthers at the UK Festival of Hockey in Nottingham.

Selection for these teams is based on performances throughout the West Panthers Trials, taking into account each player’s technical ability, game play, fitness, teamwork, attitude and overall suitability for the team.

U12 Mercia Cup

We also select two boys’ teams and two girls’ teams to compete in the U12 Mercia Cup.

The selection process considers the same criteria used for our Festival of Hockey teams, with coaches selecting the players they feel are best suited to represent the Panthers at this competition.

More info about both the compeitions and dates for your diary are below.

Eligibility

Selection for the West Panthers Trials is open to players who live in, or attend school within, our catchment area of:

Cornwall • Devon • Bristol • Dorset • Somerset • Wiltshire • Gloucestershire • Channel Islands

You’ve Been Selected! 🎉

Congratulations! If you have made it through the selection process, you are officially a West Panther!

Following team selection, all selected players must attend two additional training sessions. Attendance at both sessions is essential, and missing either session could jeopardise your place on the team.

These sessions are an important part of preparing for competition. We will work on:

Short corners

Set pieces

Presses

Team structure and tactics

Positions and player combinations

We will also use these sessions to select our team captains and begin formalising player positions.

We can’t wait to welcome you to the Panthers and get the season underway! 🏑

Dates For Your Diary

If you have been selected for the West Panthers, there is a cost of approximately £440 to pay for the UK Festival of Hockey and £230 to pay for the Mercia Cup. This includes the two training sessions, entry into the competition, accommodation for the players, all meals provided and playing kit. If you follow our Instagram page... we're partial to the odd goodie bag too.

UK Lions

The UK Lions is an unofficial UK U13 squad selected from the Nottingham Festival. It offers a thrilling opportunity for players who wish to perform at their very best. However, we do not discuss the UK Lions during our West Panthers process. Our goal is to ensure that all players enjoy their roles within the team and focus on playing well for the Panthers, without the added pressure of selection for the Lions. 

It is also important to note that we have no involvement in the selection process for both boys and girls. We are informed of the chosen players towards the end of the competition and may provide some input. However, we choose not to announce the selections to the players on the weekend itself. Instead, we contact the selected players the following day. We emphasise that the tournament is about the Panthers, and we do not want to send any hopeful players home disappointed.

We must also stress that not being selected for either the Panthers or the UK Lions is not the end of the road for achieving your hockey dreams. There are many more opportunities, and numerous players have gone on to play high-level hockey despite not being selected at this stage.

For more information about the UK Lions, please visit their website here.