Wapping Kidds: EAST London hockey for all

Wapping Kidds (a nod to Captain Kidd of Wapping infamy - not just bad spelling) welcomes and nurtures all children, from complete starters to those who have years of experience. We are a mixed hockey club covering age groups 6-18 and operate on a non-committal basis - if your child wishes to try out hockey, just come along!

Where and when

Training sessions are currently held at the John Orwell Sports Centre in Wapping:

  • For children in Years 1-7 this is on Saturdays from 9:30-11:00am

  • For children in Years 8-13 this is on a Friday from 18:00-19:30pm 

And Introduction to Hockey sessions for children in Years 3-8 at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre in Stratford on the following dates from 16:15-17:30pm:

  • September 22nd

  • October 6th, 20th

  • November 10th, 24th

  • December 8th

Some children attend every week, and some once a month, all are very welcome!

How to join

If your child is interested in trying hockey with Wapping Kidds, please email us HERE.  We will reply and let you know when the next session takes place. You and your child can attend a taster session and then decide if you want to come back for more ☺️

Costs

Thanks to the generous support of Sport England and the Eastern City BID Community Fund, all junior training sessions will be completely FREE for the 2025/26 season.

If you'd like to support the continued development of our junior section, we welcome optional donations of £4 per session. Every penny goes directly back into youth hockey, helping fund initiatives like junior coaching and umpire development programs.

Equipment

We provide the hockey sticks needed for children to play with us, but they are also welcome to bring their own.

Clothing – we play on astroturf so ask that trainers or astroturf shoes are worn as well as comfortable clothing to run and play hockey in. It’s also important to bring suitable clothing for the weather (raincoats, gloves, sun hats etc) as we play in all weather - NB. peaked caps are not advisable for safety reasons.

Shin pads and gumshields – shin pads are necessary as hockey balls are hard! These can be bought cheaply online/from most sports shops. Gumshields are highly recommended and will be required for any children playing in matches and tournaments. Coaches can provide guidance on the above should you need.

Water – please bring a water bottle along to keep hydrated!

Coaches

Our Head Coach, Sandra Akinbolu, manages a friendly and enthusiastic voluntary coaching team who are passionate about helping young people enjoy hockey, and experienced in helping them integrate from their first session.

All coaches are DBS checked and our regular coaches complete England Hockey safeguarding courses. More information about Safeguarding at Wapping can be found here.

As the club grows we are always looking for new coaches/assistants. The sessions are planned and led by our lead coaches, and we provide training and support for our volunteer coaches including a junior coach program for 14-18 year olds. We welcome parents and supporters helping out, and even run free adult sessions for those who have never played! If you’re keen to be involved, drop us an email and we can chat.

Fixtures

Our U8, U10, U12 and U14 teams are invited to play in tournaments against other clubs in London on Sundays. Some over 13s also play in the senior hockey league on Saturdays as part of our men’s development team or with our women’s teams.

For the 2024/25 season, our terms will operate as follows:

  • Winter term: 6 September - 21 December (including half-term)

  • Spring term: 10 January - 5 April (excluding half-term)

  • Summer term: 25 April - 19 July (excluding half-term)

Follow us & Spread the word!

Follow us on Instagram here

And help us reach more children by downloading a flyer and sharing with your school or community groups via e-newsletters/WhatsApp.

Registration

The registration forms are all accessible on this link. Please complete one form per child. All email correspondence that is sent to your children’s registered email will also be sent to the guardian’s email address.

Contact

wappingkidds@gmail.com

Kidds’ Committee

Sponsor

We are currently looking for sponsors to support the free running of Wapping Kidds for the 2026-2028 seasons. If you, or an organisation you know might be interested, please get in touch with our sponsorship team.

Find out more about Wapping's sponsors and partners here