GOALS!!!!! GOALS!!!!! and MORE GOALS!!!!!

The game of hockey is classified as an invasion sport. This implies that the teams are attempting to invade an area of their oppositions to achieve a success (goal). To achieve this teams may try various methods of attack and defence to make sure their success rate is greater than their oppositions – score more than they do.

The methods used can be described in terms of principles of play on which the individual players skill level and the team strategies/tactics can be applied.

ACCORDING TO ………. England Hockey the principles of play in both attack and defence focus on:

Speed – of body and thought.
Improvisation and flair – doing the unexpected successfully
Concentration – doing it well and not making unnecessary mistakes.
Support – for your team’s players.
Team Spirit – working together to solve the game problems.

Additional principles exist when in attack –

Penetration – using speed, good passes and by making space.
Width – using the full width of the pitch And in defence – .
Cover – always having a player able to cover for a team-mate.
Delay – making time when we lose the ball for players to provide cover

The basic principles of play can be examined Players need to learn to recognise and decide upon a response to certain tactical situations and these could include;

How to react to winning and losing possession (Support).
How to get and keep the ball (Possession).
How to get more players in an appropriate area of the pitch than the opposition (Overload)
How to create scoring chances (Penetration).
How to respect their team-mates, opposition and umpires (Team Spirit).

The basic principles of play do not change whatever methods of play, team formation or positioning of players are used. When a team has the ball it attacks, when a team does not have the ball it defends. The role of players, the jobs they do, will vary depending on whether the team has the ball or not.

At Bolton Hockey Club we are striving towards playing a fast attacking style of hockey. This requires players to demonstrate:

Sound decision making – right choices in the game at the right time.
Be fully committed – to attend training, be available for all matches (and not just at home!!!) and undertake additional training (in other words work on fitness between sessions).
Be athletic – develops speed, strength, stamina and flexibility.
Have sound techniques – have a skill set that includes stop a ball in differing positions, propelling the ball, deceptive movements. (for more see the section on core hockey skills).

As players move up the sides each area should have developed to a level that merits a position higher up. It is unreasonable to expect to maintain a place in the first team with a lack of core skills, not turning up to training, not working on fitness away from training and repeating basic mistakes. So if you have aspirations to develop as a hockey player and get more from your Saturdays on Astroturf then turn up at training and think about how you could develop as a player. Hockey is a team game made up of eleven individuals, who have a responsibility to team mates and themselves. Nuff said.

Coaching Corner

GOALS!!!!! GOALS!!!!! and MORE GOALS!!!!!