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News for 18 February 2021

All the news for Thursday 18 February 2021


Former hockey legends to visit junior training camp

KARACHI: Pakistan junior hockey team head coach Olympian Danish Kaleem has said that the players in the training camp in Karachi at Abdul Sattar Hockey stadium are progressing well and the team management is working on their physical fitness as well as hockey skills.

While talking to ‘The News’ on Wednesday, he said that former hockey greats would also be invited during the training camp to give the boys useful tips and share their experience with the young players about how to defeat strong rivals.

The former hockey legends would give them lectures, and tips how they can improve their performance in difficult circumstances and how they can improve their hockey skills and tactics when they compete in big international tournaments.

Pakistan juniors have not played any big international tournaments for a long time. They missed the junior world cup 2016.

Danish said that the junior boys are talented, skillful and energetic and their only weak point is that they do not have much experience of international hockey. But to address this weakness PHF is trying its level best that before the Junior Asia Cup 2021 in July, the junior team play some international matches with any strong foreign team.

He further said that to give the boys match experience PHF has also planned a dozen hockey matches series with Pakistan senior team. It would give the juniors a lot of benefit as far as the match experience is concerned.

He was of the view that some of the junior players would emerge as wonderful forwards, PC specialist and goalkeepers in the coming days. They (junior players) would provide great service in the future when they would be part of Pakistan hockey at senior level, he added.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan senior team desperately needs some good forwards, PC specialist and goalkeepers.

Danish refused to disclose the names of those junior players whom he considers “future stars of world hockey”.

He said that COVID 19 pandemic has slowed down hockey activities all over the world. “It is affecting our preparation but we have adopted an alternative plan to arrange and organise extensive training and organise maximum domestic matches so that our boys do not sit idle. There is no other option. We have to play rigorous and extensive hockey with physical fitness plan,” he said.

The News International



Oranje Rood get their man… Phil Roper signs.



After Oranje-Rood cancelled his initial transfer due to the Corona Virus pandemic, they can now confirm the signing of former England captain Phil Roper on a two-year deal.





Who is Jack Rolfe??

What is ‘The Coaching Lab’?



In 2014, aged 18, fresh out of school I was offered a job as a Cover Supervisor at Aylesbury Grammar School by Headmaster Stephen Lehec, he said something that has stayed with me ever since; “Make the most of every opportunity”. Making the most of opportunities has led me to currently living a coaches dream in Perth Australia working for Jamie Dwyer, Hockey Western Australia and running my business, The Coaching Lab, from Perth’s best coffee shops.





YUP! – helping young umpires gain confidence



Hawke’s Bay Hockey in New Zealand has come up with a fun and appealing way to encourage youth into umpiring – and they’ve even slapped a cool brand on it calling the initiative YUP!

The YUP! (Youth Umpiring Programme) was designed by the team at Hawke’s Bay Hockey to help grow and nurture youngsters keen to progress their umpiring. Participants are partnered up with a mentor, they’re given YUP! branded clothing and there’s a prizegiving for those who progress to the next level.

As hockey works alongside Sport NZ and the other main team sports to combat the fact we’re losing kids to sport, the YUP! initiative provides an aspirational pathway for upcoming umpires.

Hawke’s Bay Hockey Community Manager Andrea Leydesdorff, who established the programme in 2019, says the goal was to help grow confidence in youth umpires while providing a safe and fun environment to learn.

“It’s all about giving youth the confidence to umpire hockey at a pace they are comfortable with. The programme is appealing to our youth participants as it is youth surrounded by youth, with their own little community of kids who share the same interest in umpiring.

“The programme is rewarding and reflects the age and stage of our participants.”

The tiered level programme helps the youngsters gain confidence in umpiring through different age group hockey from quarter-field to full-field games. It also prepares participants for the Hockey NZ Junior and Community Badge accreditation.

Leydesdorff says YUP! allows the young umpires to work through three levels of competency, so they can umpire games for years three and four through to 11-a-side games.

The three levels are:

        Level 1 – competent in quarter-field hockey (Mini Sticks and Kiwi Sticks Development)
        Level 2 – competent in half-field hockey (Kiwi Sticks and Kwik Sticks half-field competitions)
        Level 3 – competent in full-field hockey (Kwik Sticks and Secondary School competitions)

To achieve the above levels (and corresponding badges) the teenagers are required to umpire consistently through a seasonal competition, with help from mentors who review, assess and give feedback on key indicators through their games.

Every umpire is issued with a logbook to track their progress through the programme and to set goals for each game they umpire.

Leydesdorff says 24 youngsters took part last year with each one progressing up a level over the course of the season.

She added the programme would not be possible without the support of their sponsor Indigo Napier, and without their fantastic mentors and hard-working programme co-ordinator Georgia Mayo.

Hockey NZ Technical Manager Colin French says Hawke’s Bay Hockey is leading the way in the junior umpiring space.

“The YUP! programme is a fantastic initiative that I would encourage other Associations to take a look at and see what they can do to encourage youngsters into umpiring.”

French adds that Hockey NZ has certificates and resources available for junior umpires, as well as the national gradings system to support any locally run programmes.

Hockey New Zealand Media release



Lara Bateson the January Volunteer of the Month



Irish club Monkstown’s Lara Bateson has been awarded the January 2021 Volunteer of the Month Award.  

Recognised by the club as one of their leading volunteers, one of Lara’s initial aims was to raise the club’s social media profile which has proven to be a huge success.  

She has also updated the  Monkstown HC website and produced the 2021 Academy calendar.

Lara coaches in the club’s Academy and Ladies 4th XI and, prior to lockdown, was part of the team running a four week “into hockey programme” which had over 50 people in attendance.

The club hailed her volunteerism, saying Lara is “someone whose enthusiasm, commitment and excellent interpersonal skills stimulates and enthuses children and adults alike and she is a skilled coach” adding that she “has taken great interest in the Monkstown Strikers (Parahockey) and is always on hand to meet and talk with the players.”  

Lara has also turned her hand to fundraising within the club, helping out with their recent “12 days of Christmas” series.

Commenting on the announcement, Fiona Walshe (LHA Director for Development), congratulated Lara on the achievement adding that “it is fantastic to see a club member, who joined the junior section, give of herself so willingly for the betterment of the whole club”.  

As well as helping out with the club social media and website, coaching and fundraising, Lara also sits on the club’s Ladies Committee.

The Hook

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