The European Championships performed in Antwerp made it attainable for me to speak to a number of attention-grabbing hockey individuals nose to nose for our podcast. So we made a mini collection of 12 brief (15-Half-hour) each day podcasts we referred to as the EHCdaily. Beneath you’ll discover some quotes from these that caught with me, plus the hyperlink to the complete 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 high gamers. Tom Boon, Mats Grambusch, Kenny Bain, Adam Dixon, Simon Gougnard & co shared the male high 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 an adolescent. 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 mentioned:
“In Canada the women begin enjoying lots 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 combined grownup league. And at school you solely begin enjoying hockey as of highschool…. and you then’re enjoying on grass as properly. So technically we’re enjoying catch up…”
Abigail Raye – #EHCdaily2
Taco van den Honert, might 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 crew. However being such a legend from his personal enjoying days he’ll alway be, in the beginning, a participant. Concerning the distinction between his period (the ’80s and ’90s) and modern-day hockey he mentioned:
“Properly, in immediately’s recreation the tempo is far increased. Bodily necessities are a lot increased. Again then there most likely was some extra space for particular person gamers. There are nonetheless gamers like that, however I believe the sport has turn out to be way more extra bodily and high-paced. Right this moment it’s extra concerning the crew and fewer about particular person.”
Taco van den Honert – #EHCdaily5
Jamie Dwyer, is the Australian legend, described by Taco van den Honert as an impressive participant who was capable of make the transition from the earlier period (extra emphasis on people) to the trendy period of hockey (extra emphasis on the crew). When requested about what is required for the Australian crew to beat the European nations in Tokyo or vice versa, he informed us:
“If I used to be teaching I might 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 all the time been one of many stronger membership competitions on this planet. However like many different European nations they’re having a tough time discovering the precise steadiness between the home membership leagues and the calls for of worldwide hockey imposed by the FIH:
“It’s fairly arduous since you simply don’t practice as a lot as you used to. Since you play so many matches inside a yr, there’s not a lot time to truly practice. As a result of it’s a must to recuperate 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 extremely 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 any 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 Group GB versus permitting the gamers to play the strongest membership leagues all over the world:
“You can begin to see the failings within the system they’ve been utilizing. I all the time say enjoying overseas will assist gamers and a few have performed that already, however there’s extra gamers that would do this. I believe they should encourage that for a few years. As a result of world hockey is world hockey and that’s why it’s on the degree it’s. (…) They need to 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 will take for her crew to beat the almighty Dutch, earlier than her very first ultimate in a European Championship. With a whole lot of confidence she mentioned:
“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 needs it extra… It’s such a small distinction. A recreation can change so rapidly…
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 degree in Belgium, the Netherlands and now the German nationwide ladies. Requested concerning the completely different cultures he skilled he informed us:
“On the subject of Holland and Belgium it was actually an eyeopener for me how open and lively the alternate is between me (as a nationwide crew coach) and the membership coaches and I actually suppose that could be a energy that we have now in Germany, that’s distinctive to our system.”
Xavier Reckinger – #EHCdaily3
Shane McLeod is from and coached New Zealand. However he has spent a whole lot of his personal hockey profession, enjoying and training in Belgium earlier than he took over the Belgian nationwide males’s crew earlier than Rio2016. We spoke to him earlier than the beginning of the EC:
“Germany is actually a crew that we’re very conscious of. They’ve obtained most likely essentially the most potential. I believe they’re a little bit untapped in some methods… should you have a look at what they may turn out to be. I believe they’ve obtained an immense quantity of star gamers of their aspect. Gamers that I might be very glad to work with, blessed with velocity and abilities…”
Shane McLeod – #EHCdaily4
Todd Williams is initially from Australia however is concerned in English hockey as a coach (membership & faculty) and a columnist for The Hockey Paper. Evaluating faculty hockey versus membership hockey in Australia and England and their added worth for the sport he mentioned the next:
“Australia is the mannequin you ought to be , actually combining faculty 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 have a look at one of the best older gamers in my faculty crew, they won’t be able to play for the membership crew I coach as a result of the fixtures will conflict. It’s dysfunctional and that is all the time the battle. The faculties are very massive 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 mentioned: if it was a enterprise, you wouldn’t set it up this fashion!”
Todd Williams – #EHCdaily7
Adam Commens is the Australian excessive efficiency director for Belgian hockey and one of many essential actors within the rise of Belgian hockey. He defined a few of his concepts about values primarily based teaching:
“Mainly you need to get your groups to have the ability to reside by tradition, a sure way of life and considering. And also you attempt as a coach to permit your gamers to develop that. So that you ask them what do you imagine signify the values of this crew. What are the form of behaviours you desire to this crew to face for. (…) So we have now some values now we name TYPE: crew, you, ardour and excellence. (…) We converse lots concerning the behaviours that underpin these values, the sorts of behaviours that improve or those that derail our values. So once you’re teaching and have these values entrance of thoughts you’ll be able to hyperlink these to the way in which you play hockey as properly and you’ll all the time lean on these values. (…) It provides you a pleasant anchor as a coach, to lean on as a coach in instances the place the outcomes won’t go as you want. (…) Success will not be all the time successful the match, success is exhibiting that you simply’re representing these values on the pitch.”
Adam Commens – #EHCdaily10
The directors
Completely different sorts of directors additionally made their method 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 all his quotes that caught with me was:
“We’re too unfavourable about ourselves. We’re the one sport with a 50/50 gender steadiness. We’re one of many solely sports activities who’re freed from doping, freed from betting scandals, almost no scandals in any respect even… We’ve many qualities however we’re all the time different sports activities, saying they’re higher than us. Perhaps, but in addition possibly not…”
Marc Coudron – #EHCdaily1
Marijke Fleuren is not only the president of the European Hockey Federation, nor only a member of the chief 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 surroundings, I get nervous when gender steadiness 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 steadiness. An argument I’m positive has been introduced up many instances 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 whole lot of males on boards who weren’t essentially 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 completely different and collectively we’re higher.”
Marijke Fleuren – #EHCdaily12