Our congratulations go out to Ruth Sealey, who has made it to the short list of England Hockey's England Hockey Club Champion 2015 award. Without her commitment and enthusiasm, Yateley Hockey club would not have flourished through past and present seasons.

Since completing her Level 2 coaching qualification last summer, she has taken every opportunity going. Ruth is the manager and lead coach of our under 8 and 10 minis section.

As well as a full time job and lead coaching herself, Ruth does all the day to day running of the section, organisation of festivals and managing 4 assistant coaches. She has then inspired and mentored so many in the club to take their own coaching further. This season she has resurrecting our girls under 18 squad, which hasn’t been in place at the club for over 5 years.

Many of these girls are now playing 1 XI hockey, coming through from our development ladies squads. Yateley have also continued their primary outreach programme teaching Quicksticks, which Ruth took on single handed. This has been a massive success, to the point where we have had to cap our minis membership, and start a waiting list for the first time ever.

Her most recent coaching programme was the setting and heading up of our Satellite Club Programme at Edgebarrow School. Several of these players loved the coaching, and have now joined the club’s junior section. All of this work is done completely voluntarily, which shows just how much the club means to her, and how much she deserves this award!

Ruth's nomination was done completely behind her back and was supported by a video made by her fellow junior coaches. The video is available here

Ruth will be attending the award ceremony on Saturday 23 May 2015: Best of luck Ruth!!