Pre-season training builds strong foundations for hockey and rugby
Pre-season hockey and rugby training are valuable opportunities to reconnect players, establish clear standards and create strong foundations for the season ahead.
Across both camps, the emphasis was on long-term development, individual improvement and strengthening the sense of identity and belonging within each group. With a mixture of returning players and new pupils joining the programmes, the first few days provided an important opportunity to build relationships, welcome new faces and begin to understand what it means to be part of a Sedbergh team.
For the hockey players, the camp began with a keynote session from world-renowned squash coach Danny Mazzaro, who explored the relationship between focus, attention control and performance. Players were challenged to consider how effectively they refocus following distractions, errors and moments of pressure, recognising that success is often determined not by avoiding mistakes, but by the speed and quality of the response to them.
The session introduced practical strategies to improve concentration, emotional regulation and resilience in competitive environments. These themes became a recurring thread throughout the camp, with players encouraged to take ownership of their attentional habits and apply the principles during training and match-play.
Nick Davey, Head of Hockey, said:
“The emphasis was placed not on immediate results, but on long-term development, individual improvement, and strengthening our collective identity as a team.”
On the pitch, there was significant technical and tactical progress. Players demonstrated greater consistency in core skills, increased confidence when executing under pressure and a clearer awareness of the decisions required in competitive situations. Game-based activities, unit discussions and competitive scenarios helped develop a stronger understanding of team principles and individual responsibilities within the wider game model.
Communication, organisation and decision-making also improved as the week progressed, while repeated opportunities to practise, review and refine performance allowed players to identify both areas of progress and future focus.
The rugby camp followed many of the same principles. While there was naturally plenty of rugby across the three to four days, the focus was about much more than preparing teams for the first fixture. Coaches aimed to create an environment in which players could reconnect with one another, build relationships and begin developing the sense of belonging that will grow throughout the season.
Sam Moore, Head of Rugby, said:
“We wanted to create an environment where players could reconnect with one another, welcome new faces into the group and begin building the relationships and sense of belonging that will hopefully grow throughout the season.”
The camp gave coaches valuable time to introduce and reinforce key playing principles, gradually build players back into rugby-specific work and give individuals plenty of opportunity to train, compete and show what they could do. It also allowed coaches to get to know the wider playing groups and develop a clearer understanding of where each player is in their development.
Both programmes concluded with valuable match exposure.
The hockey players travelled to Glasgow for three challenging fixtures. The U15s faced a highly competitive Glasgow Academy side, providing useful insight into the standards required as they continue their development. The 2nd XI and 1st XI were involved in closely fought matches which demonstrated the progress made throughout the camp.
Despite the physical and mental demands of three intensive days of training, the girls showed strong commitment to implementing the key themes developed during the week. Improvements were particularly evident in communication, decision-making, resilience under pressure and the willingness to refocus following setbacks, reflecting many of the principles introduced during Danny Mazzaro’s opening session.
For rugby, the U15 and U16 groups travelled to George Watson’s College, while the Seniors travelled to Newcastle for an eight-school pre-season festival. Three extended squads were taken, allowing a large number of players to gain meaningful game time.
These pre-season fixtures provided the opportunity to rotate players, explore different combinations and give individuals opportunities across the whole playing group before the competitive season begins. For coaches, they offered a much clearer picture of where each programme is and what needs attention over the coming weeks. For players, they provided the chance to get competitive sport back into their legs, build confidence and begin developing important on-field connections.
Beyond the technical and tactical work, both camps placed strong emphasis on culture. Players displayed high levels of commitment, enthusiasm and support for one another, with collaboration, resilience and accountability central to the experience.
The willingness of players to learn, reflect and respond to coaching feedback helped create environments in which development could happen quickly. Just as importantly, the camps reinforced that continuous improvement, rather than short-term success, remains the key driver of individual and team development throughout the year.
For both hockey and rugby, pre-season achieved what it was designed to do: bring groups together, create opportunities for individual development and provide valuable competitive experiences before the season properly gets underway.