The European Championships performed in Antwerp made it potential for me to speak to a number of attention-grabbing hockey individuals head to head for our podcast. So we made a mini sequence of 12 brief (15-Half-hour) day by day podcasts we referred to as the EHCdaily. Under you’ll discover some quotes from these that caught with me, plus the hyperlink to the total podcast with every of those quotes…
The gamers
Jamie Dwyer and Taco van den Honert represented the legends class among the many gamers. David Harte and Maddie Hinch the goalies. Abi Raye, Lidewij Welten, Nike Lorenz & co have been my feminine prime gamers. Tom Boon, Mats Grambusch, Kenny Bain, Adam Dixon, Simon Gougnard & co shared the male prime hockey gamers factors of view.
Abigail Raye had an uncommon pathway to her begin with the Belgian ladies on this European Championship. Born in England she moved to Canada as a youngster. Performed +150 caps for Canada earlier than shifting to Belgium. Modified nationality and earned her first cap for the Belgian ladies at this EC. Requested concerning the distinction between hockey in Canada and Belgium she stated:
“In Canada the ladies begin enjoying rather a lot later. Primarily due to a scarcity of alternative… The city that I performed in solely had… the one league that we had was like a blended grownup league. And in class you solely begin enjoying hockey as of highschool…. and then you definately’re enjoying on grass as properly. So technically we’re enjoying catch up…”
Abigail Raye – #EHCdaily2
Taco van den Honert, may even have been a characteristic among the many coaches right here. Since a number of years he’s been a member of the teaching employees for the Dutch nationwide males’s staff. However being such a legend from his personal enjoying days he’ll alway be, at the start, a participant. Concerning the distinction between his period (the ’80s and ’90s) and modern-day hockey he stated:
“Properly, in right now’s sport the tempo is way larger. Bodily necessities are a lot larger. Again then there in all probability was some extra space for particular person gamers. There are nonetheless gamers like that, however I believe the sport has grow to be rather more extra bodily and high-paced. At the moment it’s extra concerning the staff and fewer about particular person.”
Taco van den Honert – #EHCdaily5
Jamie Dwyer, is the Australian legend, described by Taco van den Honert as an excellent participant who was in a position to make the transition from the earlier period (extra emphasis on people) to the fashionable period of hockey (extra emphasis on the staff). When requested about what is required for the Australian staff to beat the European nations in Tokyo or vice versa, he instructed us:
“If I used to be teaching I’d search for a alternative ways of attacking a zonal protection. As a result of in the mean time the persons are nonetheless going by way of the identical routines, wether it’s man on man or zonal. So I believe it is best to adapt a little bit bit if persons are enjoying a zonal protection.”
Jamie Dwyer – #EHCdaily5
Mats Grambusch is the captain of the Germans. Germany is and has at all times been one of many stronger membership competitions on this planet. However like many different European nations they’re having a tough time discovering the suitable stability between the home membership leagues and the calls for of worldwide hockey imposed by the FIH:
“It’s fairly onerous since you simply don’t practice as a lot as you used to. Since you play so many matches inside a yr, there may be not a lot time to really practice. As a result of you need to get better on a regular basis, since you don’t need to get injured. (I remark it’s much like the NBA the place it’s all about play, journey, play, journey…) Sure, however the good factor within the NBA system is that they have a very lengthy pre-season. To allow them to get match within the pre-season. We don’t have a pre-season anymore. We simply play and play and play! We don’t have one month a yr which is a coaching month. There isn’t a month of coaching anymore!”
Mats Grambusch – #EHCdaily6
Kenny Bain is a Scottish striker who has performed within the Netherlands for a few years now and he takes on the selection for a central coaching system for Workforce GB versus permitting the gamers to play the strongest membership leagues all over the world:
“You can begin to see the issues within the system they’ve been utilizing. I at all times say enjoying overseas will assist gamers and a few have carried out that already, however there’s extra gamers that would try this. I believe they must encourage that for a few years. As a result of world hockey is world hockey and that’s why it’s on the stage it’s. (…) They must get out of their bubble and increase their horizon. Let the gamers unfold their wings…”
Kenny Bain — #EHCdaily6
Nike Lorenz performs her hockey in Germany. I requested her what it might take for her staff to beat the almighty Dutch, earlier than her very first ultimate in a European Championship. With a variety of confidence she stated:
“Properly, you simply must need it. (…) It relies upon a lot on the day, who has a little bit bit extra luck, who has a little bit bit higher contact, who desires it extra… It’s such a small distinction. A sport can swap so shortly…
Nike Lorenz – #EHCdaily9
The coaches
A number of coaches had hockey knowledge to share as properly. Xavier Reckinger, Todd Williams, Shane McLeod, Adam Commens…
Xavier Reckinger is the Belgian coach for the German ladies. He performed his personal hockey in Belgium, the Netherlands and New Zealand and coached membership groups on the highest stage in Belgium, the Netherlands and now the German nationwide ladies. Requested concerning the totally different cultures he skilled he instructed us:
“As regards to Holland and Belgium it was actually an eyeopener for me how open and energetic the alternate is between me (as a nationwide staff coach) and the membership coaches and I actually suppose that could be a power that we now have in Germany, that’s distinctive to our system.”
Xavier Reckinger – #EHCdaily3
Shane McLeod is from and coached New Zealand. However he has spent a variety of his personal hockey profession, enjoying and training in Belgium earlier than he took over the Belgian nationwide males’s staff earlier than Rio2016. We spoke to him earlier than the beginning of the EC:
“Germany is actually a staff that we’re very aware of. They’ve acquired in all probability probably the most potential. I believe they’re a little bit untapped in some methods… for those who take a look at what they might grow to be. I believe they’ve acquired an immense quantity of star gamers of their aspect. Gamers that I’d be very pleased to work with, blessed with velocity and expertise…”
Shane McLeod – #EHCdaily4
Todd Williams is initially from Australia however is concerned in English hockey as a coach (membership & college) and a columnist for The Hockey Paper. Evaluating college hockey versus membership hockey in Australia and England and their added worth for the sport he stated the next:
“Australia is the mannequin try to be , actually combining college and membership hockey. (…) The issue with hockey in English non-public colleges is that they compete with membership hockey. They don’t match collectively. (…) If I take a look at the very best older gamers in my college staff, they will be unable to play for the membership staff I coach as a result of the fixtures will conflict. It’s dysfunctional and that is at all times the battle. The faculties are very large highly effective entities, not ruled by the sports activities federation. (…) It was described to me as soon as by somebody from England Hockey, they very politely stated: if it was a enterprise, you wouldn’t set it up this manner!”
Todd Williams – #EHCdaily7
Adam Commens is the Australian excessive efficiency director for Belgian hockey and one of many necessary actors within the rise of Belgian hockey. He defined a few of his concepts about values based mostly teaching:
“Principally you need to get your groups to have the ability to stay by tradition, a sure way of life and considering. And also you strive as a coach to permit your gamers to develop that. So that you ask them what do you imagine characterize the values of this staff. What are the sort of behaviours you want to this staff to face for. (…) So we now have some values now we name TYPE: staff, you, ardour and excellence. (…) We communicate rather a lot concerning the behaviours that underpin these values, the sorts of behaviours that improve or those that derail our values. So if you’re teaching and have these values entrance of thoughts you may hyperlink these to the best way you play hockey as properly and you’ll at all times lean on these values. (…) It provides you a pleasant anchor as a coach, to lean on as a coach in occasions the place the outcomes may not go as you want. (…) Success isn’t at all times profitable the match, success is displaying that you simply’re representing these values on the pitch.”
Adam Commens – #EHCdaily10
The directors
Totally different sorts of directors additionally made their manner in entrance of our microphone. Marc Coudron, Marijke Fleuren, Bob Verbeeck, sports activities marketeer from Golazo and sponsor Tom van Kuyk from Rabobank shared their views.
Marc Coudron is president of the Belgian hockey federation and one of many key gamers within the rise of Belgian hockey. One in every of his quotes that caught with me was:
“We’re too unfavorable about ourselves. We’re the one sport with a 50/50 gender stability. We’re one of many solely sports activities who’re freed from doping, freed from betting scandals, practically no scandals in any respect even… Now we have many qualities however we’re at all times different sports activities, saying they’re higher than us. Possibly, but additionally perhaps not…”
Marc Coudron – #EHCdaily1
Marijke Fleuren isn’t just the president of the European Hockey Federation, nor only a member of the manager board on the FIH. She’s is spearheading the #EquallyAmazing motion battling for equal alternatives for each genders on all fields of play. As a typical middle-aged, white man from a privileged atmosphere, I get nervous when gender stability is compelled upon us. How will we keep away from appointing or selling much less succesful ladies over extra succesful males, simply to get to this stability. An argument I’m positive has been introduced up many occasions earlier than, so I requested her what was her response to this fear. Her reply was brief and to the purpose 🙂
“I believe the final 100 years we’ve had a variety of males on boards who weren’t probably the most succesful, as a result of it was not requested to us ladies… It’s not a measure of being extra succesful. We’re totally different and collectively we’re higher.”
Marijke Fleuren – #EHCdaily12
