HOCKEY: England hockey camp at Lilleshall for Oscar

Success has come again for 16-year-old Rugby resident Oscar Kay, who has been selected to attend this year’s England Hockey U17 High Performance Assessment Camp (HiPAC) in Shropshire.

The annual three-day residential training camp, run by England Hockey at the Lilleshall National Sports Centre, is for talented players in the U15 and U17 age groups who have been selected from the Junior Regional Performance Centres throughout the UK.

The intensive hockey camp offers first-hand experience of an international training camp environment, in preparation for potential future involvement in an England Hockey National Age Group Squad (NAGS).

Selected players for the camp receive top-level coaching, as well as key support with strength and conditioning, physiotherapy and nutrition from the England Hockey performance staff.

This will be the third year that the Princethorpe College Sports Scholar has represented the Midland Region at this high level, as part of the Mercia Lynx squad.

As a forward in last year’s U16 Futures Cup, Kay helped his team to be crowned champions after winning all their matches, and then went on to be selected for the England Hockey U16 ‘NAGS’ training squad.

“I had a great experience of HiPAC two years ago and I’m really looking forward to returning to this year’s camp,” said Oscar.

“The camp is full on and challenging but I’m feeling ready to return to Lilleshall and train with the best U17 boys in the country!”