Our culture is the most important part of our club, and it is always good to remind each other what it is that makes our club a special place where adults, young people, children, and families want to be. Some key points are set out below.
We are a community-based, led and run club. We run ourselves and we all work to make it possible to have a hockey club for all, where we can train and play some good, competitive, and enjoyable hockey – with some success – which is what we aim for! To this end, our volunteers are our life blood. Without them the club cannot exist and function, with them we thrive. Happily, we have many fantastic volunteers, although we are always looking for more as the club grows.
- We enjoy our hockey and each other’s company: enjoyment can manifest itself in different ways – all our teams play to win but also understand that we have to cope with not winning sometimes and that we should show respect for all others at all times, including our team mates, opposition and officials – who also seek enjoyment. Let’s enjoy our hockey and help all others to do so including the umpires, captains and coaches.
- The club is a friendly environment with a place for everyone who embraces our culture: for many of us the club is an extension of our families. We would like that to be the case for all our members. In line with these values, we have also adopted the England Hockey Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy, a link to which is on our club policies page here. BSHC Policies Let’s be welcoming to all.
- The club is run by volunteers: we have up to 100 volunteers captaining, coaching, umpiring, being a club officer on the committee, administering the juniors and in many other roles. Our volunteers give up many hours of their time to help us to be able to play hockey and enjoy our club. Let’s remember that at all times – and think constructively about development points and suggestions we may kindly make to our volunteers – and also how we might be able to help resolve any perceived issues or concerns.
- We should behave with each other as we would want others to treat us: remember to think twice, that there may be an alternative point of view, different sensitivities, context that we are not aware of, etc. Let’s encourage, support and respect each other.
- Communication is vital: it matters how we communicate within the club, to our captains and coaches, to our team-mates, to the opposition and to umpires home and away. Let’s communicate appropriately and respectfully at all times, remembering that captains and coaches are volunteers with added workloads. Be aware of being overly self-focused/demanding. Think if you could offer to help to deliver the improvement you can see for the club.
- Very importantly to us, we encourage junior players to participate in our junior coaching and teams and, from at least age 13 as long as they are ready to do so, our senior teams. Let’s take selection decisions having regard to what is best for the development of an individual junior player and let’s be extra encouraging to junior players in our senior teams.
- It is about the club not the individual teams within it: each team is only as strong as the strength of the overall club will allow it to be and relies on the framework supplied by the club. We have a selection policy available on our policies page – BSHC Policies. Let’s make and communicate selection decisions in the best interests of the club and receive those decisions positively in that light.
- Club kit costs money and also takes time to replace: let’s treat the club kit with as much (or more!) care as our own – collect balls and bibs and cones at training and matches, leave team shirts in team bags and where we forget, take immediate steps to get the kit back to the right place.