High Hopes for youngsters joining the Pathway

September 20, 2025 | Paul Stimpson

Talented young players have attended their first training camp on the new-look England Hopes Programme.

Formerly known as Futures, the programme has been renamed to bring it into line with the international Hopes programme and ensure a clear pathway of progression for talented young players.

England Hopes is the first England national squad activity that players can be invited to and is for players in the U13 age group.

The main aim of the programme is to produce players who win medals internationally in the U13 age category and who are showing potential to progress on to elite programmes.

Click here to read more about the performance pathway, including the Pathway Guide and Performance Standards.

A total of 28 players were selected for the programme, though the exact number involved will vary across the season as the individual needs of players change and new talents emerge.

They will sit in two groups – a development group for the youngest members of the cohort, the nine-to-11-year-olds, and the main group for older, more experienced players who are capable of training over longer camp periods.

The group will meet for around 40-50 days of camp activity per year, but could be more if players are selected for international events.

The first training camp was held last month, led by lead Hopes coach Charlotte Carey, and supported by Ben Barlow, Olly Tyndall, and various high-level youth sparring partners.

In addition to this, England Hopes will sit as a feeder for players to be selected for European Hopes camps – there are currently three camps each year across Europe, at which players have the chance to be selected for the Eurotalents training programme. England’s Dimitar Dimitrov is currently on the Eurotalents programme.

Keep an eye on our website and social media channels for the latest from the England Hopes Programme.