Bromsgrove School’s U18 boys’ hockey team is playing in the National Final of the Outdoor competition – this is the school’s third National Final appearance this season with the U18 girls and U16 boys both having participated in the Indoor Finals held in March.
A unique set of circumstances has brought together an incredible link which underlines the School’s commitment to sport and the enthusiasm of its players. This year the School has two former pupils coaching hockey and it happens that both these coaches have a younger sibling playing in the finals.
Coaches Lora Symonds and Ben Dudley were both educated at Bromsgrove School and played for their respective first teams. Returning to the School to coach, both now find themselves in charge of their younger siblings, with both Lora’s brother Aden (aged 18) and Ben’s brother Todd (aged 16) playing in the School teams.
In her Lower and Upper Sixth years at Bromsgrove Lora was part of the team that came runners up in the National Indoor Finals in the 2005 – 2006 season, as well as repeated appearances at the Midlands Outdoor Finals throughout her School career.
In 2003 Ben represented England U16 at the Four Nations Tournament in Berlin and the European Championships in Barcelona. In 2005, whilst in the Upper Sixth Form, he captained the 1st team to the National Indoor Finals where the team finished runners up, in addition to Ben receiving his School cap and the John Downey award.
Ben is now also a coach for England U16s, specialising in goalkeeper training and selection, and serves as Master in Charge of Hockey Development at the School.
This is a first in Bromsgrove School history and an example of how the School’s passion for sport ties together both former and current pupils.