Exciting development for hockey at Worth

In an exciting development for our hockey coaching programme, Worth is now running goalkeeper specific sessions for students.

Thomas Brocklehurst, an experienced hockey goalkeeper and coach, has joined the School for 2024-25 as a Graduate Sports Assistant and will be working alongside Head of Hockey and double Olympian, Mr Calum Giles.

Mr Brocklehurst will be working specifically with girls and boys who wish to focus on goalkeeping and his sessions will run during and alongside our regular hockey coaching provision.

Having first played hockey at the age of five, Mr Brocklehurst took up goalkeeping when he was 11. He played 1st team hockey in his native South Africa from the equivalent of being in Year 9 and played provincial hockey (county level in the UK) at U14, U16 and U18 level. At U16 and U17 he attended the South Africa national age group camps but did not play any games for his country as that was an era impacted by COVID.

After moving to the UK, Mr Brocklehurst played for Sevenoaks – mainly for the 2nds but for the 1sts as well – and coached the juniors there. He is currently player-coach for the men’s first team at Horley Hockey Club which fits in alongside his work at Worth.

He said: “Playing outfield hockey is not for everyone and being a goalkeeper is a specialism. Goalkeeping requires very different skills to outfield players and that is where I come in.

“Calum is doing a great job with hockey here. You can coach and improve the outfield as much as you like but if you don’t have a strong goalkeeper you will struggle. Goalkeepers can win you games.”

This is a highly forward thinking move by the School and Mr Brocklehurst is impressed by the potential he has seen at Worth among our hockey players. He said: “We need strong goalkeepers but the first thing is we want to make sure they are enjoying the position. Calum and I are the same in that we believe you need to enjoy your sport, have fun when you are playing.

“They are enjoying it so far. There is a boy in Year 9 who I believe if he focuses on hockey and continues to develop he will play for England. There are some new up and coming goalkeepers with great potential at the School.”

For more on sport at Worth click here.