Hockey Training in Cheltenham

Training and coaching takes place on a Thursday evening at Balcarras School.

Women's Training: 6.30pm – 8pm.

Contact Daisy Noble at for more information.

Men's Training: 8pm – 9.30pm.

Contact Mark Gaylor at for more information

Hockey Coaching in Cheltenham

CHC has a dedicated team of coaches who run Thursday night training and who are pitch-side during Saturday games, to ensure the development of individual players and the optimal performance of each team.

Women's Coaching

Women's training for all players takes place at Balcarras School from 6.30 - 8.00pm on Thursday evenings. Players are expected to arrive at 6.00pm to take part in the club training run and warm up prior to stepping on to the pitch. A typical training session covers work on basic skills, stick and ball work, set pieces and sessions on game play, either new or prompted by events from the previous weekend's match. Sessions are split into squads with Graham Cartmell responsible for overall training and the Senior squad, assisted by Pete Hay, with Gareth Lewis for the Development squad and Chris Purnell looking after goalkeeping coaching.

Graham Cartmell Profile

Started playing hockey when I was 15 as I was told that I couldn't tackle at rugby (I was only 7stone when wet!) Scored a hat trick in my first ever game for my school against the adjoining girls school and I was hooked. Played at all levels up until about 2003 and started doing a bit of coaching around that time just to earn a bit of spare cash but realised I loved teaching people what I have learned from some of the very best coaches around. I used to be a forward so I love flowing attacking hockey and my teams reflect that. I also want all the teams I coach to be winners but to play with a smile on their faces (there's no point playing otherwise). I've started playing Vets hockey to keep my hand in so to speak and really enjoy it. I have 2 children and a lovely wife Gail and we live in Quedgeley. Coaching the ladies for the first time this year should be great fun and I am really looking forward to it.

Graham Cartmell
  • Coach: Level 2
  • CRB Check: Current
  • First Aid: Current
  • Child Protection: Current

Men's Coaching

Men's coaching for all players takes place at Balcarras School from 8.00pm - 9.30pm on Thursday evenings. Players are expected to arrive at 7.20pm to take part in the club training run and warm up prior to stepping on to the pitch. A typical training session covers work on core skills, stick and ball work, set pieces and sessions on game play, either new or prompted by events from the previous weekend's match. Sessions are split into squads with Lee Robson being responsible for overall training and the senior squad, various 1st X1 players helping with the Development squad and 1st X1 goal keeper Giles Rooke leading the goalkeeping training.

Lee Robson Profile

Hockey is a major focus in Lee Robson's life. Although his game has been cut short due to injury, he takes great pleasure out of coaching a good committed team. He relishes the tactical challenges from week to week and is already starting to wish he knew as much about the game when he was a player as he does now. Every time he coaches he tries to emphasise 'positive, flowing hockey'. He wants a team to dictate the whole game. Offensively he wants to play a combination of possession and attacking hockey. He has always altered his particular style to suit the skills of players (that includes the system) but ideally it would be a high-tempo game with a lot of interchange and quick, relatively short passes. Defensively he wants to force the maximum amount of pressure on another team so that they must execute their skills under high pressure.

Lee Robson
  • Coach: Level 2
  • Umpire: Level 1
  • CRB Check: Current
  • First Aid: Current
  • Child Protection: Current