News 15 October 2014
All the news for Wednesday 15 October 2014
Ireland 2-0 Belgium (w) Test 1
Ireland won the first test in a two test series against Belgium tonight 2-0. The first goal coming from an Audrey O'Flynn's drag in the 3rd minute and second goal coming from a Chloe Watkins finish after some free flowing hockey in the 51st minute.
Ireland dominated the chances with 11 opportunities on goal to Belgium's 2. The Green Army will be back in action for another competitive game tomorrow 3.30pm
Irish Hockey Association media release
It’s the same old story
By Jugjet Singh
AFTER two decades of watching and writing about hockey, it can be safely concluded that the Malaysian team are still struggling to connect the third dot, and still do not have a clue on how to hold on, and work a lead into a win.
The Sultan of Johor Cup is like watching a replay of Arul Selvaraj and his teammates at the 1998 Utrecht World Cup. The same mistakes the current coach and his teammates made decades ago, are being replayed by his charges in Johor Baru.
Arul admitted that the third pass was lacking in his charges, as after two brilliant moves, connecting the third dot is still elusive and that is why the goals are hard to come by. Then there is the sore point of discipline, like pushing the ball away after the whistle is blown and earning a card for this stupidity, and pushing the ball out deliberately at the back line and giving away a penalty corner.
Also after taking a lead, the present batch of defenders seem to enter “sleep mode”, and this was exactly the same problem with previous junior and senior sides. In Utrecht, we had many promising players, but still, they went on to finish 11th out of 12 teams. And their only achievement was a 1-1 draw in Group B against Poland, and then a 5-4 win over Poland in the 11th-12th placing match.
England, Spain, Australia and Pakistan hammered Arul and his mates in Utrecht, but the player-turned coach is now tasked with trying to help his charges connect the dot, and hold on to a winning start.
In the Sultan of Johor Cup, Malaysia took the lead against Australia, but lost 2-1. And then took the lead against New Zealand, but then gave away a 1-1 draw to the Kiwis.
Arul summarised that except for three, the other 15 players have not even played in the Malaysia Hockey League, leave alone an international match. And that was why they were too excited before the Australia match, and could not settle down even after 70 minutes.
There was better composure against New Zealand, but still, the holding power was lacking. And today, they are expected to face their toughest match of the tournament against raging favourites Britain.
The British have brought down almost the same side that played in the previous SOJC and have scored seven goals in two matches, without conceding a goal.
Malaysia are the third Asian side in their line of fire, and it could be a massacre at Taman Daya if the players go on “sleep mode” more often than “attack mode”.
The plus side is that Malaysia have shown that they are the fittest side in the tournament, and have better skills than players from Pakistan and India. And only missing from the recipe to success was building on the third pass in the opponents 25-yard line.
For Arul has uncut gems in his hands, and he needs to be careful when he shapes them, because once cut, diamonds remain the same shape for millions of years.
If Arul can grind the right attitude into these boys in the SOJC, winning the Junior Asia Cup and qualifying for the 2016 Junior World Cup would be a breeze and not a heart-break.
Note: Arul Selvaraj has 81 international caps and he retired after the 1998 Utrecht World Cup at the age of 24. His philosophy is that coaching is NOT just being present on the field during matches or training sessions, but also as a friend, teacher, manager and psychologist to his charges.
New Straits Times
Experienced players let us down, says Arulselvaraj
by Aftar Singh
Malaysia's Muhammad Omar (yellow) tried to snatch the ball with Australia's Ryan Proctor during their Sultan Johor Cup 2014 match on Sunday at stadium Taman Daya, Johor Baru.
JOHOR BARU: National Juniors coach S. Arulselvaraj has blamed his “experienced” players for letting the team down.
Malaysia lost 2-1 to Australia and drew 1-1 with New Zealand in the Sultan of Johor Cup.
“Some of the experienced players have let us down in the first two matches. We took the lead in both matches, but lapses in defence let us down.
“We also failed to score a field goal in the two matches.”
And the first player to hold his hands up is none other than forward Mohd Shahril Saabah, who top scored for Malaysia in the tournament last year with eight goals in five matches.
This year, though, he has drawn a blank after two matches.
“I’m disappointed with my performance in the first two matches. I also failed to score a single goal in the Incheon Asian Games,” said Shahril.
“I’m definitely concerned with my performance as well as that of my team-mates. The fans are banking on me, as one of the experienced players, to deliver the goals.”
The 20-year-old Shahril certainly has experience on his side, having featured in five major tournaments this year – the Sultan of Azlan Cup in Ipoh in March, Champions Challenge I in Kuantan in April, World Cup in The Hague in June, Glasgow Commonwealth Games in July and Incheon Asian Games last month.
And he has vowed to make amends for his poor performances by doing better against Britain today.
But Shahril and his Project 2016 team-mates will face a tough task trying to break down Britain’s defence, which has yet to concede a goal in two matches – hammering Pakistan 5-0 and defeating defending champions India 2-0.
They also have a good penalty corner drag flicker in towering defender Luke Taylor. He netted a hat-trick against Pakistan by converting two penalty corners and a penalty stroke.
Malaysia played two friendlies against Britain last week in Johor Baru and lost 2-1 and 5-0.
So, can Malaysia stop Britain and get their first win?
The Star of Malaysia
Goad gets a late call-up for USA series
North Harbour’s Erin Goad has had a late call-up from Black Sticks Women’s head coach Mark Hager to play in the six-test series against the USA starting this Saturday in Taranaki.
The Development Squad player was taking her dog for a walk when she got the surprise call from Hager to tell her the news that she was a big step closer to debuting for her country.
A spot opened up when Jordan Grant, who has played 25 international tests including at this year’s Commonwealth Games, didn’t come through the routine fitness test due to injury following the Ford National Hockey League.
Goad, who has been to the 2010 Youth Olympics and last year’s Junior World Cup, said the Black Sticks environment is really good and she can’t wait to be more immersed in the team culture over the next fortnight.
“I have learnt to be much stronger and mentally tough since training with them over the last year, my fitness has improved so much and I just hope that I do get the chance to get off the bench and debut,” said Goad, aged 21.
Goad, who is a defender/midfielder, is not the only player on debut for this series, Midlands’ Shiloh Gloyn and North Harbour’s Kathryn Henry are also new to the team. The side is co-captained by Sam Charlton and Anita Punt.
The Black Sticks Women who arrive in New Plymouth this afternoon will face the USA twice in Stratford (2pm, 18 & 19 October), Palmerston North (6.30pm, 21 & 23 Oct) and Carterton (25 & 26 Oct).
Tickets are cheaper online at www.dashtickets.co.nz than at the gate with family, student and child discounts available.
Hockey New Zealand Media release
Black Sticks Women vs USA to be streamed live
Hockey New Zealand has confirmed all six tests from the Black Sticks Women vs USA series will be streamed live online!
The Kiwis will play six tests against the United States, with games scheduled for Stratford, Palmerston North and Wairarapa from 18-26 October.
All games will be available both live and on demand along with expert commentary on the Hockey New Zealand website (www.hockeynz.co.nz)
CLICK HERE for the live streaming page
Hockey New Zealand Media release
Shorting out
By Graham Wilson
THE LIGHTS went out on East Grinstead but fuses were still being blown after their first-round exit in the Euro Hockey League in Barcelona.
Grinstead were left reeling by a decision to award a controversial penalty stroke to Dutch club Kampong after a penalty corner struck Simon Faulkner on the head. It came after floodlight failure had temporarily halted the match and Kampong converted the chance to equalise before scoring a late goal to win 3-2.
Mark Gleghorne, the scorer against Kampong, earlier hit two goals as Grinstead beat Russians Dinamo Stroitel 4-3.
Daily Express
Kemperman hails Kampong's mental strength to beat EG
Robbert Kemperman says he is “really proud” with how his Kampong team fought back on Saturday evening against East Grinstead to win 3-2 despite trailing with five minutes to go.
The roving midfielder played a key role over the EHL weekend and was nominated by coach Alexander Cox as Kampong’s player of the match in that win over EG due to a rousing performance in driving his team forward in a thrilling battle.
He was more subdued in a low-key 7-0 win over Dinamo Stroitel but Kemperman told the EHL website that the win over the English side revealed serious character.
“Saturday was the tough match,” he said. “We had to win against East Grinstead and I am really proud of the team because we were behind 1-0 and 2-1 and then turned it around. That was the key game and we did it very well.
“Your mentality is the toughest thing to get right. Coming from behind with less than ten minutes on the clock, it shows the power of this team to keep on fighting and trust each other.”
While the outcome of the game was affected by many talking points in the final quarter including a floodlight outage, a disallowed Loick Luypaert penalty corner goal and a hotly contested penalty stroke decision, Kemperman felt his side produced enough chances to win the tie.
“I think we were the better team. If you see the statistics, we had 20 circle penetrations to their four so that paints a picture. We didn’t finish every chance that we had but I think we deserved to win.
“They have some great players who can make a difference like Ashley Jackson and Mark Gleghorne but I am proud of how we fought back.”
As for the Dinamo Stroitel tie, he said the key thing was to get off to a strong start to take any sting out of the tie in pursuit of their KO16 ticket.
“The Dinamo game was an easy one. We had to start aggressively and get a first goal quickly and got 3-0 up early and it was easy from there.”
Euro Hockey League media release
MY LAST WORD: Will we consolidate the Incheon Success
K Arumugam
MY LAST WORD: This is what a noted hockey official wrote in the mid 1960s. “…it cannot be denied that today hockey in India is no longer a premier sport. The reasons for this gradual decline are not far to seek. As a sport, hockey is not a part of the big business racket. It cannot offer a five-day glamorous ‘Test’ fare, in which thousands of spectators can throng as if they were witnessing a festival. For some unknown reason it lacks the popular hold which football has on the public, and does not possess a box-office appeal which can support fabulous cash prizes for players and professionals….”
Just replace five-day Test with T20 and Football with ISL, the text will now seem written the other day, not certainly 50 years ago which it was.
What Ashwini Kumar, connoisseur of hockey sport and also former president of Indian Hockey Federation, observed in 1964 after India witnessed two successive loss of gold in the Asian Games, stands appropriate even today.
Despite field hockey has its own surviving league after death of two of its ilk, and hosting any number of tournaments on its soils, and the FIH claiming to make India its global hub, the fact remains, and validates, the first line of Ashwini’s above text wrote under the caption ‘India has lost ground’ in the eminently readable work ‘The Book of Hockey’, by the British trio of David Wiggins, Patrick Rowley and Brian Lewis.
Yes Hockey in India is no longer a premier sport, and doesn’t have a box-office appeal.
Poor stands during leading tournaments held in Delhi recently, drop out of Ranchi Rhinos from Hockey India League despite huge on-field success, are instances to prove so if anyone has doubt.
It is against the backdrop of reality that one needs to look at the Incheon success.
Coming after India possessing two FIH Master coaches on its pay rolls, and giving the players a great deal of experience by hosting leading tournaments in the last two years, the Incheon success provide as a great relief.
The relief is laden with twin factors
Firstly, we qualified for the next Olympics, which otherwise entail national anxiety. The real Gold somewhat overshadowed by the Rio ticket, due to Chile OQ disaster.
Secondly, the fact and fear over the scenario that would have invariably developed had we not won the gold.
Coaching staff would have been sacked either by HI or the feeder SAI and the all the good work at elite level would have come to a stand still.
We will then be pushed back to square syndrome. Media will be busy as to who is the next coach!
The irritating cycle.
The Incheon success at least stopped such recurring nonsense, ensure continuity. This is most important for further progress and is the most significant of Incheon gains.
Secondly, the Gold though coming after missing out on three occasions, cannot be defined either watershed or defining moment for the simple reason that the whole of Asia is way behind European, and Oceania-ns in terms quality of game, and even quantity of players they have in their feeder base.
I would have written the same had Pakistan won the title instead of India.
The mere fact that though Incheon success got its due share of limelight, it does not reflect in the emotional outpouring of the nation as was the case when India won the gold in 1998.
Right from ‘Hotmail’ Bhatia to many others opened the strings of their purses to emotionally enjoin Dhanraj-Ballal team.
Conversely, We have not seen single private organization or individual coming up with anything, proving, if at all, the growing distance of hockey from masses.
This pass is much against what a great feat that had been achieved at Incheon.
India defeats Pakistan in the Final of Asian Games after a gap of 48 years.
Can now we say the country received the Himalayan success the way it used to or the scale does it deserve? The answer will be mixed.
Mainly because both countries are not world leaders unlike in the past, in stead wallop somewhere in the bottom of G-15 in the world.
The advent of various leagues in India for every sporting discipline had taken emotional quotient of sport off, where only crude success count, that too success successively not once in a decade or two.
If at all, the media and the uncommitted sport (meaning non-fanatic hockey supporters) followers heaved a sigh of relief on the realization that hockey is not dead, still alive. There is a profound expression of satisfaction, not ecstasy unlike in the past where even a Sultan Azlan Shah Cup victory will bring tears on the cheeks of millions.
Indian hockey could have created great things had it capitalized the mood that the 1998 success ushered in, but it led it slip by, sacking Super Six players and robbing the next event, India-Pak test series, of its charm.
Past need not recur here, but the message is unmistakable.
Mere success doesn’t translate into eternity, transform its destiny unless built on.
There is therefore a greater need to build on the success.
Don’t just take the players to the doors of Corporate to get them more money. Instead take them to masses, say, colleges and branded Schools.
Motivate domestic tournament organizers, who keep hockey alive in every city and corner of the sprawling country, and ensure presence of these Goldies there ensure crowd and matching publicity.
In short, spread out is the message, not putting them into another camp for another tournament.
Use the occasion to enlarge base.
Approach Corporate for starting teams rather than co-sponsorship.
Approach government institutions to revive their teams, as most of them are only on paper.
Shake up University Hockey with a bit of incentive and see the sea change it can usher in.
What is required is many such things.
With a professional CEO at its appropriately staffed organization, Hockey India can headstart in many directions to make hockey truly national sport, some of which are mentioned above.
More so against the backdrop that the office-bearers of HI have ensured their bulk continuity with another four-year term granted in the latest Congress.
Its time for Narinder Batra, who elevated himself from Secretary General to President of HI, need to enlarge vision, entertain bigger goals, and prove the historical chance he has got to become a leader of wisdom, to make hockey truly a national sport, rather than turn into angry, indignant leader of a National Federation, however provocative the situation is.
Whether he and his brainchild Hockey India will do the best or rest in laurels is the moot point.
We are optimistic as usual.
Stick2Hockey.com
Sardar Singh's family kept bereavement a secret
NEW DELHI: When Sardar Singh was leading the Indian contingent at the Incheon Asian Games opening ceremony as flag bearer, the hockey skipper had no idea that everyone in his family was watching him save one man -- his grandfather.
Four days before the opening ceremony on September 19, Sardar's grandfather had passed away but his family did not let the sad news reach him.
"They did not want me to get distracted. I was very close to Dada ji (grandfather) since my childhood. I even called my family from Incheon, telling them I will be the flag bearer, watch me on TV but they did not divulge it to me," Sardar said on the sidelines of a felicitation function for the Asian Games medal winners by the Indian government.
"It was only after the Games were over that I got to know about it. My dada ji had always encouraged me to play this sport with passion and he was keen to see us doing well," he said.
The Indian skipper said the team was now focused on preparing well for the upcoming Champions Trophy, scheduled in Bhubaneswar from December 6-14.
Sardar said it will be much a "tougher competition" with presence of teams like Australia.
"If you see, the mistakes we committed during the World Cup, were not there during CWG and the mistakes we did during CWG were not there in Incheon. So we are improving. Hopefully we won't repeat the Incheon mistakes at Champions Trophy," he said.
"We still need to work on one versus two strategy, on penalty corner attack, defence," he said.
Talking about the historic gold medal feat in Incheon, where the India men's team became champion after a gap of 16 long years, the soft-spoken Sardar said the players have worked hard to overcome their shortcomings and it was a result of that process.
"For about 7-8 months, the players gave their sweat and blood in training camps with (coach) Terry Walsh. The young players specially worked very hard, a lot of credit to them for improvements in the showing," he said.
The captain also said that the team was rattled after losing to Pakistan in the group stage.
"We started slow. And that defeat against Pakistan woke us up. We put up some serious stuff after that. We won after 16 years and that too after defeating Pakistan, it could not have been better," he said.
Sardar said the team will reassemble for a training camp again in New Delhi in the next few days.
The Times of India
Comment: Hockey must pay the penalty for FIH’s shuffle
By Natasha Raheel
The International Hockey Federation More than a hundred rules have been changed since the 1960s. For comparison, the most popular sport in the world, football, has had almost no change to its basic elements. PHOTO: AFP
KARACHI: How to destroy the experience of a penalty shootout? The thrill of the split-second make-or-break shot, the slowing of time as the taker looks into the eye of the keeper before calmly slotting it home, the exhilaration of a penalty well saved and the slight reliance on lady luck.
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) answered that when they changed the rules in 2011. The shootout is now a shuffle; and the game as a whole must now pay the penalty.
For many in Pakistan, the change in rules went under the radar for three years, until it hit the nation all too clearly in the Asian Games final when the Greenshirts squandered their gold to India in the penalty shuffle.
The loss was disappointing, but perhaps what hit home more was that the experience of watching a classic penalty shootout is now maybe forever lost.
Some things are better left untouched and when the FIH tried to fix something that wasn’t broken, they managed to destroy an integral part of the sport.
Earlier this year, veteran hockey player Abdul Waheed Khan – part of the squad that won Pakistan their first ever Olympic gold in 1960 – told me how changing one aspect of the game drastically can be fatal to that sport. Hockey is now a perfect example.
More than a hundred rules have been changed since the 1960s. For comparison, the most popular sport in the world, football, has had almost no change to its basic elements.
So the question that now arises is; why would the FIH change the penalty shootout?
And perhaps more importantly, why didn’t the Indian and Pakistani hockey federations object to this idea? The two countries have dominated the sport – their national sport – for the better part of a century and have surely the most to lose with this nonsensical change in rules.
So where exactly did the penalty shuffle come from? Its most popular adaptation is employed in ice hockey; a sport that has little popularity outside of Northern America and almost none in Asia.
The shuffle values the player’s technical aspects and pits the goalkeeper in a one-on-one with the taker. The shootout, however, was more raw; it was a battle of steely nerves, a psychological chess game with even a slight involvement of lady luck.
The simple shootout is gone and with it, a little bit of hockey’s raw intensity that set it apart from other sports. Now, the penalties are more like mini eight-second matches after the final whistle.
The players have been disadvantaged just as much as the viewers. According to Pakistan coach Shahnaz Shekih, the team was involved in its first ever penalty shuffles in the Asian Games. And even at the Games, they had no reference point as how to take on the Indians, who had never taken part in a shuffle before.
India, on the other hand, had watched Pakistan win the match on shuffles against Malaysia in the semi-final, and were therefore at an advantage.
Sheikh, like Abdul Waheed, also believes hockey will no longer be the same again. Sheikh also said that due to the constant upheavals in the rules, Pakistan is struggling to keep up their aggressive approach to the game.
The coach told me that since 2011, Pakistan never took part in a single penalty shuffle before the Asian Games, but now this is the future of hockey.
However, the question that burns is that with so many changes being rung in the sport that we dominated for almost half a century, will Pakistan ever have the chance to reclaim their spot at the top again, or is hockey as Pakistan knew and loved, forever lost?
The Express Tribune
Rampaging Chandan Aind grounds Air India
Sunil Subbaiah
BANGALORE: Chandan Aind scored a fine hat-trick as Army XI defeated Air India 5-3 in Hockey Karnataka's Bengaluru Cup All India hockey tournament on Monday.
Besides Chandan, Binay Bhengra too played a key role, chipping in with two goals. The victory rekindled Army's hopes of progressing in the tournament following their 2-4 opening defeat against hosts Karnataka.
Indian Oil Corporation Limited are on top of the table with six points from two matches while Army are two behind the leaders after three outings. Air India have three from three outings.
The star-studded Air India, with as many as seven former India international in their ranks, failed to live up to expectations. Poor exchanges early in the contest and lack of co-ordination between their strikers and midfielders cost them dear.
Adding to their woes was the absence of their star striker Shivendra Singh, who was rested owing a left hamstring injury.
Four minutes into the contest, Army went ahead through Bhengra but seasoned campaigner Samir Dad cancelled out the lead in the 24th minute to go into the break one-all.
Former India international VS Vinay's fine solo in the 48th minute gave Air India the lead but Army responded immediately through Aind's accurate drag-flick.
Air India were soon back on top in the 50th minute when former international Vikram Pillai slotted the ball home following a goalmouth scramble. Thereafter it was Army who went on the rampage with Aind scoring twice through drag-flicks and Bhengra completing the rout.
Results:
Men: Army XI: 5 (Arun Kumar 4; Chandan Aind 58, 63, 68; Binay Bhengra 69) bt Air India: 3 (Samir Dad 28; VS Vinay 50; Vikram Pillai 60).
Women: MP Academy: 9 (R Ramngaihzuali 8, 40, 62; Shivani Singh 19, 35; Anuja Singh 17; Rakhi Prajapathi 22; Karishma Singh 30; Manmeeth Kaur 65) bt Tamil Nadu: 0.
Tuesday's matches: Women: 10am: Central Railway vs Haryana; 12noon: Tamil Nadu vs Karnataka; Men: 2pm: Air India vs Karnataka; 4 pm: BPCL vs IOCL.
The Times of India
Field Hockey Canada names inaugural Hall of Fame inductees
Western Canadian induction to be held in November
Vancouver, BC - Field Hockey Canada is proud to announce the Phase 1 inductees of its inaugural Hall of Fame class. Four extraordinary ambassadors of Canadian field hockey will be inducted into the Field Hockey Canada Hall of Fame in a ceremony on November 12, 2014.
After receiving and examining nominations of forty-seven highly qualified individuals, Harry Warren, Nancy Mollenhauer, Paul Chohan, and Sumesh Putra have been selected for induction based on their extensive and accomplished careers within the sport. Each has had a profound impact on field hockey in Canada.
Harry Warren – Pioneer
Widely regarded as the father of Canadian field hockey, Harry Warren paved the way for Canadian field hockey players to compete amongst the world’s elite. In 1964, as President of the Canadian Field Hockey Association he was responsible for field hockey being recognized by the Canadian Olympic Association as an Olympic sport. Harry’s passion and persistence resulted in generations of Canadian field hockey players having competed and continuing to compete on the world’s biggest stage: the Olympics Games.
Nancy Mollenhauer (nee Charlton) – Athlete
A member of the Canadian Women’s National Field Hockey dynasty team of the eighties, Nancy Mollenhauer was an integral part Canada’s ongoing international success. She competed in two Olympic Games (1984 and 1988), two World Cups (1983 and 1986), and a Pan-American Games (1987), at which she was named Canada’s flag bearer. Nancy won a silver and bronze medal at the 1983 and 1986 World Cups respectively.
Paul “Bubli” Chohan – Athlete
One of Canada’s most capped international field hockey players, with 317 caps, Paul “Bubli” Chohan was a staple in major international competition throughout his lengthy career. Paul competed in three Olympic Games (1976, 1984, and 1988), three World Cups (1976, 1986, 1990), and six Pan-American Games (1975, 1979, 1983, 1987, 1991, 1995). In these competitions, Paul was an essential part of a contingent that won two Pan-American gold and four silver medals, he also served as the Canadian flag bearer at the ’95 Pan-Am Games.
Sumesh Putra – Builder
A key to the growth and stability of field hockey in Canada, and a linchpin on the international scene, Sumesh Putra has enjoyed a distinguished career as an official in which he stood for over 100 international matches, including assignments in every major international field hockey tournament: at the Olympic Games, the World Cup, the Pan-American Games, the Commonwealth Games and the prestigious Champions Trophy.
The Phase 1 Hall of Fame class will be inducted at an invite only ceremony in front of family, friends, and multiple generations of Canadian field hockey players on November 12, 2014 in Vancouver.
Phase 2 inductees of the inaugural Hall of Fame class will be announced on January 12, 2015, with a second induction event to be held in Eastern Canada in conjunction with the Pan American Games in Toronto in the summer of 2015.
The creation of the Field Hockey Canada Hall of Fame along with its accompanying events could not be possible without the continued support from our partners at the Canadian Olympic Committee.
Field Hockey Canada media release
Field Hockey Canada Hall of Fame Phase 2 induction details
Four additional inductees to be announced in January
The excitement following the launch of Field Hockey Canada’s Hall of Fame will be continuing into the new year as the inaugural class of Hall of Fame inductees will be made whole with the announcement of the Phase 2 inductees on January 12, 2015.
Four more outstanding individuals, with storied and accomplished backgrounds in Canadian field hockey will be honoured in the second phase.
The induction of the Phase 1 honourees (Harry Warren, Nancy Mollenhauer, Paul Chohan, and Sumesh Putra), who will be inducted in a Western Canadian ceremony in Vancouver on November 12, 2014, will be followed by the announcement of four additional honourees from Eastern Canada, who have had a profound impact on field hockey in Canada.
A second regional induction event will be held in the summer of 2015 in conjunction with Canada’s National Field Hockey Teams’ competition in the Pan American Games in Toronto, and will complete the first the inaugural class of inductees into the Field Hockey Canada Hall of Fame.
There will be a total of eight inaugural inductees, representing both Eastern and Western Canada, and balanced among genders, to pay tribute to the tireless work done to bring both the Men’s and Women’s National Field Hockey Programs to where they are today.
Field Hockey Canada media release
Boys Only Clinic at Johns Hopkins University a Success
USA Field Hockey Region 7 Regional Development Manager Warren Prestwich details the weekend clinic and his future aspirations for boys play on the East Coast.
One of my objectives when I was employed as USA Field Hockey’s Regional Development Manager of Region 7 was to run a boys clinic. Over the summer, I met a rising senior at the Bullis School in Montgomery County, Md., who was on the Varsity Field Hockey team. She laid out her plan to have a Boys Only clinic at her school in the fall and asked me for help to promote. I immediately reached out to my Men’s Masters group and got several positive replies from all over the country. One of the replies was from the Johns Hopkins University goalkeeping Coach, Dave Peel, who suggested his team’s home ground as a venue for a boys clinic. With that in mind, I set about planning to have both these clinics in the fall. As it sometimes happens, the Bullis clinic didn’t eventuate this fall, but we are making plans to hold it in the spring.
With the generosity of the JHU Head Coach Megan Fraser, I was able to set a date for the clinic and also had the services of U.S. Men’s National Team player Ajai Dhadwal, who is a student at JHU and assistant coach of the JHU Field Hockey team, as guest coach. I had no shortage of coaches to volunteer their time for the clinic. On Saturday, the volunteers included Masters players Muzammal Malik (O45 2012 Masters World Cup), Alvaro Salcedo (O40 2014 Masters World Cup), Vernon Vassou (O40 2014 Masters World Cup), Walter Valasquez, Jesse Larson (USA Men’s Indoor Team), Luke Chopper and JHU staff Megan Fraser (O40 2014 Masters World Cup) and Dave Peel. When the Master’s program was established in 2012, the potential for what it could do was unknown. The growth it has seen in three years is outstanding and the way the Masters players are ready to give back to the game cannot be understated.
The day of the clinic dawned wet and overcast, but the spirits weren’t dampened as 31 boys showed up from as far away as Quakertown and Easton, Pa. and Stafford, Va. ready to improve their skills. Sisters leaned on the fence that went around the field and looked on in envy. Mothers and fathers looked on proud to see their sons finally having the opportunity to play field hockey in a totally boys only environment. As the clinic progressed, the rain disappeared and the boys were able to enjoy the instruction of all the coaches.
"Once it started to rain, I was skeptical; is everyone going to show up?” said Dhadwal. “Little did I know that these kids were as pumped as ever to play hockey on Homewood Field at 9:30 in the morning. It was a great time! About 30 boys of all ages showed up ready to go and despite the cold and rain, we had a blast. We focused on the fundamentals throughout most of the clinic and all of coaches gave them basic tips for sharpening their skills further. This was the first time that I was involved in something like this on the East Coast, and I hope to do it again soon."
During the clinic, I had a chance to speak directly with the parents who walked away with enthusiasm to develop the game for boys in their areas, with the knowledge that I am not far away to help and assist. My goal is to keep up the momentum, expand the offerings for boys only events in my region and stretch my reach beyond the boundaries of Region 7 into other areas of the Mid-Atlantic. There are already people in areas such as Philadelphia (Philly Field Hockey), York and Virginia Beach that are ready to welcome boys and help them to develop their game.
Warren Prestwich
Regional Development Manager, Region 7
USFHA media release