Meet the Dedicated Coaching Team at Adel Hockey Club Juniors
At Adel Hockey Club, our junior coaching team is the heart of our youth section. Based in North Leeds, our qualified coaches and parent volunteers are dedicated to creating a safe, encouraging, and highly engaging environment where young players of all abilities can thrive.
Adel’s Coaching Principles
- Above all else, provide a safe and fun environment for our juniors
- Provide an experience to the players that pushes them to fulfill their potential, is enjoyable, yet challenging
- Introduce and develop playing themes to develop each player’s Hockey Intelligence appropriate to their level
- Provide a pathway from beginner junior through to lifelong participant in adult hockey
Get Involved: Coaching & Volunteer Opportunities
Adel is a vibrant, community-run club that thrives on the passion of our volunteers. We are always keen to welcome new lead coaches, assistant coaches, team managers, and pitch-side helpers. Whether you are an experienced player wanting to give back, or a parent eager to muck in on training days, we provide full support and funding through England Hockey courses.
Junior Coaches
U10 Boys Lead Coach –
Dave McCollum
David brings valuable experience from Ben Rhydding, where he coached U10/U12 teams and played National League defender for over a decade. He represented England at U16/U18 levels and captained Ben Rhydding’s Over 35s to National Cup victory.
‘I’m excited to play a part in Adel’s junior hockey programme and delighted to be working with a great team of coaches.’
U10 Girls Lead Coach –
Cesca Ackerman
Cesca started at Adel as a U10 junior and played through to the womens section. A qualified teacher playing for Women’s 1s/2s, she brings extensive regional setup knowledge to managing our largest junior section.
‘I’m really excited to get involved with coaching as Adel is where I learnt to play and taught me everything I know!’
U12 Boys Lead Coach –
Nat Innes
Women’s 1s captain Nat leads our U12 Boys and Junior Umpire Programme while coaching U14 Boys. She played National League North Conference hockey with Harrogate and previously coached Adel U16 Girls and Women’s 5s.
‘It has been great to see the U12 boys grow from a single team in division 3 to three teams across the league.’
U12 Girls Lead Coach –
Owen Leask
England Hockey Level 3 & FIH Level 2 coach. Owen serves as Men’s Performance Head Coach at Wakefield HC and Head of PE at QEGS. He brings 20+ years of National League playing and coaching experience.
‘Coaching Adel U12 girls is one of my favourite things to do. I look forward to Friday training and Sunday tournaments.’
U14 Boys Lead Coach –
Sam Jackson
Adel HC Chairperson, Sam expanded the U12 boys setup from 6 to 30 players, and now works with the U14s. He applies lessons from international junior triathlon competition to build competitive drive alongside a fun team environment.
‘I try to bring in competitive spirit while ensuring social activities and love of the club are valued just as highly.’
U14 Girls Lead Coach –
Jim Robinson
Former Adel Men’s 1s captain and current Yorkshire & NE Masters Over 45s player. Jim brings North Premier Division experience and a supportive style that fosters confidence and belonging.
‘Adel is a great environment for juniors to develop, whether picking up a stick for the first time or playing representative hockey.’
U16 Boys Lead Coach –
Stuart Boomer
Stuart represented Ulster at U18/U21 level as well as Northern Ireland and Combined Irish Universities. He has played for Adel across all senior teams for 20 years, guiding juniors into adult hockey.
U16 Girls Lead Coach –
Mike Gillingham
Adel’s Coach of the Season, Mike is a senior goalkeeper and Women’s 4s coach. Known for an encouraging, inclusive approach focused on helping young players transition into adult teams.
‘Through coaching juniors I love to help young players develop and start their journey into adult hockey.’
Development Squad Lead Coach –
Richard Partner
At Adel since 2000, Rich has coached Men’s, Women’s, and Juniors at all levels. He captained Yorkshire & NE Over 45s and now leads Adel’s first development teams bridging junior and adult hockey.
‘I love seeing young players gain confidence so they can grow as hockey players.’