Join OUR Youth Hockey Club!
Join our fun, friendly junior hockey club today for fantastic hockey training for kids
Join OUR Youth Hockey Club!
Join our fun, friendly junior hockey club today for fantastic hockey training for kids
Discover the Joy of Hockey WITH Wapping Kidds
Founded in 2016 by Wapping Hockey Club, Wapping Kidds was the first inner-London hockey club for school-age children. We’re proud to provide junior hockey in Tower Hamlets and Newham, with 100+ children playing every week, and we’re excited to keep growing Kidds as part of our mission to make sport more inclusive and accessible.
Wapping Kidds (a nod to Captain Kidd of Wapping fame – not just a bad spelling!) welcomes and nurtures all juniors, from complete beginners to experienced players. We’re a mixed hockey club for ages 6–18, and all children are welcome, whatever their experience or background.
Where and when
Training sessions are held at the John Orwell Sports Centre, E1W 2QD in Wapping, Tower Hamlets, on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings at the following times:
- U14-U18: Friday - 18:00-19:30
- U8-U12: Saturday - 9:30-11:00
For the 2026/27 season, our terms will operate as follows:
- Winter term: 4 September - 12 December
- Spring term: 8 January - 20 March
- Summer term: 16 April - 24 July
Fixtures
Our U8, U10, U12 and U14 teams get the chance to take part in fun Sunday tournaments against clubs from across London. From U13 onwards, juniors who are ready to take the next step can also play competitive senior hockey on Saturdays as part of our dedicated men’s and women’s development teams. And as their skills, confidence and experience grow, there’s the opportunity to progress into our higher-level senior teams and play alongside some of the club’s best players.
Our Under-8s play in mixed teams. From Under-10 onwards, we offer boys’ hockey and girls’ hockey teams at every age group, as well as opportunities to play mixed hockey.
COACHES
Our Head Coach, Sandra Akinbolu, manages a friendly and enthusiastic voluntary coaching team who are passionate about helping children enjoy youth hockey.
All coaches are DBS checked and our regular coaches complete England Hockey safeguarding courses.
As the club grows we are always looking for new hockey 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 hockey coach program for 14-18 year olds.
We welcome parents 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.
EQUIPMENT
We provide the hockey sticks needed for children to play with us, but they are also welcome to bring their own.
Clothing – trainers or astroturf shoes and comfortable clothing to run and play hockey in should be worn. 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.
Water – please bring a water bottle to keep hydrated!
More than hockey
At Wapping, we believe youth sports are about more than what happens on the pitch. We invest in helping our young hockey players develop confidence, responsibility and skills that will stay with them long after they leave junior hockey.
As our players get older, we give them opportunities to take on responsibility within the club, support younger players and learn new skills. We train young people to become qualified umpires and junior coaches, giving them the chance to earn money doing something they love — at university and beyond.
Whether they’re leading a younger hockey team, helping at the junior hockey training session or stepping onto the pitch as an umpire, our children learn to communicate, take responsibility and support others.