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News 19 June 2014

All the news for Thursday 19 June 2014


Charlesworth to finish early

Kookaburras coach won't lead Australian men in Glasgow


Kookaburras coaches (left to right) Graham Reid, Ric Charlesworth, Paul Gaudoin and Ben Bishop with the World Cup trophy.

Following the Kookaburras’ World Cup triumph in The Hague on Sunday, National Coach Ric Charlesworth has decided not to lead the Australian’s men’s hockey team at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next month.

Charlesworth, who announced in March that he would step down from his role following the Commonwealth Games, has elected to finish his duties ahead of schedule.

He said, “Last Sunday’s World Cup final is the best full stop I could wish for in my coaching career. I believe it would be indulgent for me to go to the Commonwealth Games.

“I have thought about it a lot. The high point of my year was the World Cup. The team will be moving on and it’s my personal decision - I don’t want to be packing up and away for another three weeks.”

The now four-time World Cup winning coach will continue to work with the squad over the next four weeks prior to its departure for Glasgow on 19 July.

Cam Vale, Hockey Australia Chief Executive, said, “Ric told me of his intentions after Sunday’s final.  While I was initially disappointed, his reasoning makes sense and I accepted his decision. He has worked tirelessly towards the World Cup goal and deserves the respect of the hockey community to choose this early departure.

“There is a strong belief in our men’s high performance program that oversaw such a dominant World Cup performance and I have full confidence in the staff and athletes that we can manage an interim solution towards our very important goal of Commonwealth Games success in Glasgow.”

An announcement on the coaching structure to take the squad to the Commonwealth Games will be made in the coming days.

The Kookaburras won hockey’s World Cup on Sunday, beating the Netherlands 6-1 in a thrilling final to retain the title won in 2010.

Australia’s men’s and women’s hockey teams for the Commonwealth Games will be announced by the Australian Commonwealth Games Association on Tuesday 24 June. The Australian men – winners of all four Commonwealth Games gold medals to date - commence their campaign against Wales on 26 July.

The application process to succeed Ric Charlesworth as National Coach opened on Tuesday and will close Tuesday 8 July. The process is being overseen by a six person panel led by Cam Vale.

Hockey Australia media release



Charlesworth exit ends glorious hockey era

Ian McCullough

After orchestrating the Kookaburras' Hockey World Cup defence, Ric Charlesworth decided there was nothing more to achieve in a glittering coaching career.

The 62-year-old West Australian was due to stand down after the Commonwealth Games in August but, after witnessing his side destroy hosts the Netherlands 6-1 in Saturday's final, his mind was made up to walk away.

"Last Sunday's World Cup final is the best full stop I could wish for in my coaching career," said Charlesworth.

"I believe it would be indulgent for me to go to the Commonwealth Games."

His exit brings down the curtain on a brilliant career in which he won five World Cups as a player and coach and two Olympic golds.

Not content with winning three Sheffield Shields with the powerful WA cricket side of the mid-1970s, he also qualified as a doctor of medicine and spent a decade serving as a Labor Federal member.

But it's on the hockey field where Charlesworth achieved his finest results, first as skipper of the Kookaburras' side who won a first World Cup in 1986, 10 years after being a member of the side that claimed silver at the Montreal Olympics.

As a coach, his record is unparalleled with the Hockeyroos winning successive Olympic golds in 1996 and 2000, two World Cups, four Champions Trophies and Commonwealth gold under his leadership.

A stint working as an adviser to Indian and New Zealand hockey preceded his appointment as Kookaburras boss in 2009 where he oversaw a sustained run of success.

In a golden 2010, the team retained the Champions Trophy, won a second World Cup and claimed Commonwealth gold.

But despite red-hot favouritism in London 2012, they were shocked to lose to eventual winners Germany in the semi-final and had to settle for bronze.

Charlesworth said the prospect of having to spend more time away from his family was the final straw in his decision to walk away before the team flies out for Glasgow next month.

"I have thought about it a lot. The high point of my year was the World Cup," he said.

"The team will be moving on and it's my personal decision - I don't want to be packing up and away for another three weeks."

Hockey Australia chief executive Cam Vale said an announcement on the coaching structure at the Games would be made in the next few days.

Graham Read, Charlesworth's assistant coach, is likely to be a contender with former Olympians Colin Batch and Mark Hager, who's the current coach of the New Zealand women's side, also set to be in the mix.

"Ric told me of his intentions after Sunday's final," said Vale.

"While I was initially disappointed, his reasoning makes sense and I accepted his decision.

"He has worked tirelessly towards the World Cup goal and deserves the respect of the hockey community to choose this early departure.

"There is a strong belief in our men's high performance program that oversaw such a dominant World Cup performance and I have full confidence in the staff and athletes that we can manage an interim solution towards our very important goal of Commonwealth Games success in Glasgow."

WA Today



Charlesworth quits as Aussie coach before Glasgow

SYDNEY: Ric Charlesworth will step down as Australia's coach before next month's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Hockey Australia said on Thursday.

Australia beat the Netherlands 6-1 to win the World Cup final in The Hague last weekend and Charlesworth, 62, believed now was the best time to quit.

"Last Sunday's World Cup final is the best full stop I could wish for in my coaching career. I believe it would be indulgent for me to go to the Commonwealth Games," he said in a statement.

"I have thought about it a lot. The high point of my year was the World Cup. The team will be moving on and it's my personal decision -- I don't want to be packing up and away for another three weeks."

The now four-time World Cup winning coach will continue to work with the Australian squad over the next four weeks prior to its departure for Glasgow on July 19.

There was no immediate word on who will take over from him. Under Charlesworth, Australia returned to the top of the world rankings in 2010, five years after they last held the number one spot.

Charlesworth represented Australia 227 times in a playing career spanning 17 years from his debut in 1972 to his retirement following the 1988 Olympic Games.

He also was the coach of the Australian women's field hockey team from 1993-2000, and a technical advisor to Indian field hockey teams from 2007-08.

The Times of India



Australia coach Charlesworth bows out on top

MELBOURNE - Australia's Ric Charlesworth has decided to step down as head coach of the national men's hockey team after leading them to the World Cup title on Sunday.

A giant in the sport, five-time Olympian Charlesworth won a silver medal as a player at the 1976 Montreal Olympics before coaching the Australian women's team to back-to-back gold medals at the 1996 Atlanta Games and at Sydney in 2000.

Charlesworth, who also won four World Cups with both the men's and women's teams, had planned to step down after the Glasgow Commonwealth Games starting next month.

"I have thought about it a lot. The high point of my year was the World Cup," the Perth-born 62-year-old said in a statement.

"The team will be moving on and it's my personal decision - I don't want to be packing up and away for another three weeks."

A former first class cricketer for Western Australia and a Member of Parliament, Charlesworth's coaching nous has been in high demand, leading to a role as a high performance manager for New Zealand cricket among various other consultancies.

As Hockey Australia searches for a successor, he will continue to prepare the Australian men for another month before they leave for Glasgow, where they will bid for a fifth successive gold medal in the July 23 - Aug. 4 Games.

The Star of Malaysia



Ireland v Scotland - 2 Tests (Women)



National Hockey Coach Darren Smith has named his squads for the upcoming Scottish and Italian series. The squads of 21 and 20 athletes are selected from Smith’s national panel of 25 athletes and is the start of a busy summer period for the team as they continue preparations for the World League 2 set for Dublin in March 2015.

These series will see Loreto’s Hannah Mathews and Pembroke keeper Stella Davis making their debut. Aine Connery returns to the international stage after 15 months and the experienced Alex Speers is back in action in the green jersey for the first times since the Europeans in Belgium August 2013.

Talking about the upcoming series Coach Smith said "We are looking forward to getting back out on the pitch with the new national squad for 2014. All squad members will play over the two series as we look to build toward 2015"

"After the Champions Challenge tournament it will be great to see the girls who played in Glasgow alongside some who narrowly missed selection or were unavailable. The more competition in the squad the better for Arlene, Graham, Mary and I to assess. Scotland will be a tough 2 games as they narrow their focus to the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. We expect that they will be fit, drilled and ready to go"

Ireland v Scotland (Glasgow)

June 20th Ireland v Scotland 19.00

June 22nd Ireland v Scotland 12.00

All matches will be tweeted live by Scottish Hockey

3 Nations: Ireland; Italy; Wales (Mori, Italy)

June 26th Ireland v Italy 17.30

June 27th Ireland v Wales 17.30

 + 1 Test June 29th Ireland v Italy 15.00

Scotland series, 19-22 June 2014

    Emily Beatty (UCD)
    Chloe Brown (Ards)
    Naomi Carroll (Catholic Institute)
    Kate Dillon (Railway Union)
    Deirdre Duke (UCD)
    Nikki Evans (UCD)
    Megan Frazer – Captain (Holcombe HC / Ballymoney)
    Shirley McCay (Old Alex)
    Ayeisha Mcferran (GK) (Randalstown)
    Katie Mullan (UCD)
    Stella Davis (GK) (Pembroke Wanderers)
    Ali Meeke (Loreto)
    Yvonne O'Byrne (Cork Harelquins)
    Anna O'Flanagan (UCD)
    Audrey O'Flynn (Hermes)
    Gillian Pinder (UCD)
    Cliodhna Sargent - Vice Captain (Cork Harlequins)
    Emma Smyth (Railway Union)
    Alex Speers (Railway Union)
    Vanessa Surgeoner (Pegasus)
    Chloe Watkins (Club De Campo / UCD)

3 Nations Ireland, Italy, Wales 25-29 June 2014

    Naomi Carroll (Catholic Institute)
    Aine Connery (Hermes)
    Nicci Daly (Holcombe / Loreto)
    Kate Dillon (Railway Union)
    Deirdre Duke (UCD)
    Nikki Evans (UCD)
    Megan Frazer – Captain (Holcombe HC / Ballymoney)
    Emma Gray (GK) (Hermes)
    Hannah Matthews (Loreto)
    Stella Davis (GK) (Pembroke Wanderers)
    Ali Meeke (Loreto)
    Yvonne O'Byrne (Cork Harlequins)
    Anna O'Flanagan (UCD)
    Audrey O'Flynn (Hermes)
    Gillian Pinder (UCD)
    Cliodhna Sargent - Vice Captain (Cork Harlequins)
    Emma Smyth (Railway Union)
    Alex Speers (Railway Union)
    Vanessa Surgeoner (Pegasus)
    Chloe Watkins (Club De Campo / UCD)

Irish Hockey Association media release



V Baskaran is now Manager of High Performance (South Zone)

New Delhi - Hockey India today announced the appointment of Olympic Gold Medalist Vasudevan Baskaran as the Manager, High Performance (South Zone) Hockey India. He will be working under Director High Performance, Roelant Oltmans.

VasudevanBaskaran will implemen Hockey India development programme as part of overall High Performance programme for men and women hockey at the grassroots level including school, college and district level hockey in the South Zone of the country.

Baskaran will closely work with Hockey India State Member Units to ensure consistency and delivery of Hockey India High Performance coaching programmes. Also, he will monitor and evaluate the performance of coaches in Hockey India Member Units and Academies and identify the talent for elite coaching opportunities. In consultation with Director, High Performance,Baskaran will create, maintain and develop technical content for dissemination. Apart from it all, he will also look to identify junior and sub junior players who can be further brushed up for the national program.

Mr. Baskaran will assume office starting 1st July 2014. He will be responsible for the South Zone which comprises of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andaman and Nicobar, Puducherry, Telangana and Seemandhra.

Stick2Hockey.com



Poland's top four battle it out for national title

Grunwald Poznan, AZS AWF Poznan, Pomorzanin Torun and Start 1954 Gniezno will battle it out for the Polish championship title on June 28 and 29 in Torun following the completion of the regular season last weekend.

The top four finished well clear of the chasing pack with ten points separating them from fifth place AZS Politechnika Poznanska who miss out on a return to the Euro Hockey League as a result.

WKS Grunwald Poznan are the clear favourites for the title having dropped just four points in their 18 games, going unbeaten in normal time though they will be concerned that both times they drew, they lost shoot-outs to AZS AWF Poznan.

The vastly experienced Artur Mikula scored 21 times in their impressive tally of 113 goals this season - averaging over six goals a game - while Karol Majchrzak, Tomasz Dutkiewicz and Waldemar Rataj also have been prolific.

Grunwald will play Start 1954 and will need to keep tabs on 24-goal Marcin Grotowski in the semi-finals but they nabbed a 4-2 win last time out so will be confident of success. Torun, who beat MKS Siemianowiczanka 6-2 last weekend, play AZS AWF Poznan who ended their regular season with a 1-0 win over Warta Poznan.

The finals action will be covered live online on www.tvtorun.net via three cameras in the stadium.

Euro Hockey League media release



The Dutch Secret to Soccer Success: Field Hockey

The Netherlands Draws Tactical Inspiration From Its Other Favorite Sport

By Jonathan Clegg


Arjen Robben of the Netherlands celebrates after scoring a goal against Spain. Reuters

When the Netherlands opened its World Cup campaign with a shocking 5-1 defeat of defending champion Spain last week, it did more than send a seismic jolt through this tournament.

It also served as a glorious reminder that when the Dutch are on their game, they can make the best teams in the world look like they're playing in wooden clogs.

How a nation with roughly half the land mass of Indiana became a powerhouse in international soccer has been variously attributed to the country's superior coaching set-up, its progressive politics and even its low-lying topography, which helped to foster a possession-oriented game. But it may be that what makes the Netherlands such a fearsome football opponent is its long history of success in a decidedly less celebrated endeavor: Field hockey.

Last weekend, as millions of soccer fans tuned in to the opening weekend of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, devotees of field hockey were captivated by the closing stages of the FIH Hockey World Cup in the Netherlands. The Dutch women's team was crowned world champions for a record seventh time, while the men's team finished as silver medalists. Those results maintained a proud tradition of hockey success in the Netherlands, one that stretches back to the 1960s and which has exerted a profound influence on Dutch soccer ever since.

Manager Louis van Gaal, whose team faces Australia Wednesday, has two former professional field-hockey players on his coaching staff in Brazil. "If you look back over many years, we can say [field hockey] has had a big impact on the Dutch game," said former Netherlands star Edgar Davids.

The Netherlands played Australia in the finals of the Field Hockey World Cup. Associated Press

It may come as a surprise to learn that a country that has produced some of soccer's most sublime talents—from Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten to Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben—is quietly indebted to a sport less popular in the U.S. than Ultimate Frisbee. Moreover, while both sports feature a ball, a net and 22 players running up and down a field, there don't appear to be many other similarities. Hockey, after all, involves moving at full speed while controlling a small ball with a long stick. It is primarily a game of hand-eye coordination.

But a basic overview of field hockey begins to explain how it has informed the Dutch approach to soccer. For starters, a hockey pitch is a little more than 54,000 square feet, or about 70% of a standard soccer pitch, which puts an outsize value on economical motion. The use of sticks further constricts the space available to each player, meaning that expert close control and intelligent off-the-ball movement are the game's key qualities.

It is also a sport in which the ball rarely leaves the ground. Rules to protect player safety mean any ball lifted above the knee can be penalized, which means advancing toward goal is achieved almost entirely by rapid passing combinations and speedy dribbling. Every player must be equally comfortable in possession, which is why seamlessly switching positions has long been one of the sport's essential strategies.

If all that sounds oddly familiar, it's because those have been the fundamental characteristics of Dutch soccer since the 1970s, when a team led by Cruyff dazzled fans with their mastery of the ball, quick passing moves and nonstop movement.

Marc Lammers, a former coach of the Dutch women's hockey team, says that it's no exaggeration to say that the revolutionary style which came to be known as Total Football had its roots in the country's hockey fields.

"Hockey in Holland at that time was all about speed, creativity and individual skills. They interchanged positions constantly," he said. "Dutch hockey has brought a lot of innovation and football has learned from it."

Dutch soccer has also drawn more direct lessons from field hockey. The tactic of "pressing," which was arguably the most radical aspect of Total Football, had long since been a hallmark of top-level hockey, where limits on physical contact force teams to pursue turnovers and interceptions by pressuring opponents high up the field.

Legendary field-hockey coach Horst Wein says that generations of Dutch soccer coaches have looked to the sport for inspiration, adding that Cruyff regularly attended the Dutch national hockey team's games while coaching at Ajax Amsterdam.

"He wasn't just there to enjoy the matches," Wein said. "He took whatever he saw and applied it to his teams."

The Dutch aren't the only nation to have drawn inspiration from the hockey pitch. In 2006, the German Football Federation appointed a former national hockey coach, Bernhard Peters, as a technical consultant to overhaul the country's youth set-up.

Others have looked to field hockey for tactical innovation. Before the 1978 World Cup, Argentina coach Cesar Luis Menotti attended a training camp held by the Pakistan hockey team, whose virtuoso wing play made them the world's dominant side at the time. Three months later, Menotti's Argentina were crowned world champions.

"He was very interested in Pakistan's use of passing triangles and give-and-go combinations," said Shiv Jagday, a former coach of the U.S. men's national hockey team. "He even sent them a thank-you note after Argentina won the World Cup."

For all that, there may be no coach in soccer history who has been as mesmerized by hockey as Van Gaal. The Dutch national team coach is so convinced of the tactical crossover that exists between the two sports that he has two former hockey players on his Netherlands coaching staff.

Team manager Hans Jorritsma was a member of the Dutch hockey team at the 1976 Olympics, while Max Reckers was pro hockey player before he was hired by Van Gaal as a performance analyst. He has already agreed to join Van Gaal's staff at Manchester United after the tournament.

"Van Gaal is someone who is always looking to get a 2% improvement in his team," said Lammers. "So of course he wants to know why Holland is always winning the women's Hockey World Cup and the men are always in the top three [in the world rankings.] He is always watching other sports and looking at their processes."

The Wall Street Journal

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