Local Future International Hockey Stars
Jonty Griffiths, Luke Taylor and Robert Farrington are three outstanding Hockey players. All went to Whitgift, my current school, go to Loughborough University and got named in the U21 Great Britain Hockey squad for the Sultan of Johor Cup in October, a huge opportunity for young stars to burst onto English and International Hockey scenes as part of the build-up to the Junior World Cup in 2016.
Farrington plays for NOW:Pensions Men's Premier League side Cannock whilst Griffiths and Taylor fight for Loughborough Students' promotion from the North Conference.
Unfortunately, Griffiths injured his AC ligament in his shoulder shortly before the Cup Competition.
I managed to catch up with Griffiths and ask him some questions about his hockey career:
Q: How have England Hockey helped you recover from your injury?
A: "They worked together with the University to see that I get lots of physiotherapy treatment at the University to get me fit."
Q: Do England Hockey give you regimes to complete to make sure you're fit for international hockey?
A: "I have two gym sessions a week, two hockey training sessions for the University a week and then two games a week, so between that I keep fit. Meal wise, it's just important to keep the right balance of protein and carbohydrates, especially before matches."
Q: Do you receive any sponsorships?
A: "I get my kit from Adidas which includes sticks, shoes etc. I'm also sponsored by Loughborough University to keep me fit by using the gym and eating healthily so that I can perform well for them."
Q: With all of these training sessions and matches going on plus international trips do the University allow you extra time to complete work?
A: "Not generally as I have free time to catch up at University as I sometimes only have one or two hours of lectures. However, if I go abroad then I get an extension."
Q: How much of an impact did Whitgift have on your game and hockey career?
A: "It had a massive impact. To have coaches of that quality at that age was brilliant. You won't get that at any other school and most universities."
The Sultan of Johor Cup brought success to the U21 Great Britain Men, coming second to India (beaten 2-1 with 14 seconds remaining) whom GB defeated 2-0 in their second game. Altogether, Luke Taylor netted 8 attempts in his 6 games - an impressive performance from penalty corners, he racked up two hat-tricks and one man of the match. A penalty corner is awarded when a foul is committed in the D and it creates a great chance for the drag flicker or hitter to convert.
These former Croydon schoolboys are talents for the future that may well one day inspire the nation by winning Commonwealth, European or Olympic Gold. To keep up with their progress to the 2016 World Cup, follow this link to the England Hockey website: http://www.englandhockey.co.uk/
By Christian Wilkinson, Whitgift School
