Double Hockey Success as U16s Crowned County Champions and U14s Secure Regional Qualification!
Leighton Park School is celebrating an outstanding week of hockey success after both its U16 and U14 Girls' Hockey Teams secured places at the Regional Championships, with the U16s crowned Berkshire County Champions for the second consecutive year.
Having entered the competition as reigning U15 County Champions, Leighton Park's U16 side faced a strong field of opposition. Despite beginning the tournament with a narrow defeat, the team responded impressively, winning their remaining five matches to progress through the competition; displaying composure, maturity and attacking flair throughout the day.
After a semi-final victory over LVS, the team Leighton Park defeated in last year's county final, rematched against The Marist in the final. Leighton Park showed their resilience and quality, retaining the county title with a convincing 3-1 victory.
Head of Hockey, Matt Richards, praised the team's character and commitment throughout the day: "In the final they just trusted the process. They didn't panic, they didn't drop their heads and they didn't give up. They played to their strengths and trusted that opportunities would come and they did. They scored some really, really good goals. We're now going on to represent Berkshire as the champions at regional finals. It's incredibly special and obviously it's a proud thing for me to see with those girls that I've worked with for four or five years and just seeing them develop and trust the process that we've been putting in place for that many years here."
The success continued just a week later when Leighton Park's U14 Girls' Hockey Team finished as runners-up in the Berkshire County Tournament to secure their own place at the Regional Championships.
The squad, with many players playing up a year, enjoyed an exceptional group stage, winning all three matches without conceding a goal. They continued their impressive run with a 1-0 quarter-final victory over Claire's Court before overcoming Wellington College in a dramatic penalty shootout semi-final.
Although the team narrowly missed out on the county title, their runners-up finish means they will join the U16s at the Regional Championships, making them the second Leighton Park hockey team in a week, and the third school team this calendar year, to qualify for regional competition.
Richards beamed: "This past week has been something pretty special for me to experience. This is another truly special group of athletes who have listened so well over the last few years and who have shown real determination and resilience to become better hockey players. I am really excited to see where this group can go moving forward. Not just in the regional finals on Tuesday 24 November, but even further into their time at LP."
With one team crowned county champions, another finishing county runners-up, and both progressing to represent Berkshire at regional level, the achievements highlight the continued strength and development of girls' hockey at Leighton Park. The school now looks forward to testing itself against the best teams from across the region in the coming weeks.
Through scholarships and bursaries, Leighton Park encourages brilliance across the curriculum and foster equal opportunities for academic and personal growth. The Sport Scholarship programme brings a range of extra opportunities to support growth and development, including access to the Advanced Performer Programme, Sport Science support packages and feedback from professionals. Apply for a Sport Scholarship at Leighton Park. Applications close 9th November for Lower Sixth and 13th November for Years 7 & 9.