SAHA ARCHIVES
SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN'S TEAM TO TOUR AUSTRALIA
| Name | Prov | Caps | | Name | Prov | Caps
| Karen Roberts | SG (C) | 104 | | Lindsey Carlisle | SG (VC) | 82
| | Kerry Bee | KZN | 90 | | Caryn Bentley | KZN | 54
| | Pietie Coetzee | SG | 62 | | Sharon Cormack | SG | 85
| | Alison Dare | SG | 77 | | Megan Dobson | WP | 84
| | Jackie Geyser | Northerns | 57 | | Natalie Haynes | WP | 8
| | Anli Kotze | WP | 24 | | Karen Symons | SG | 51
| | Abigail van Schalkwyk | NW | 3 | | Inke van Wyk | NW | 20
| | Carina van Zijl | NW | 49 | | Paola Vidulich | SG | 2
| | Susan Wessels | Northerns | 57 | | | |
| | Officials
| | Coach - Gene Muller
| | Manager - Ann Neilson
| | Asst.Coach - Gill Montague
| | Video Technician - Greg Beling
| |
The South African Men's Team
to compete in a tri-nations along with England and Argentina over Easter in Buenos Aires contains one new cap in Rorie Wilson from Southern Gauteng.
The team is:
| Gregor Maier | (SG, 17 caps) | Emile Smith | (Northerns, 9)
|
| Brad Milne | (SG, 20) | Mike Cullen | (KZN, 105)
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| Warren Bond | (KZN, 22) | Clyde Abrahams | (EP, 20)
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| Craig Jackson | (SG, 96 - Captain) | Justin King | (KZN, 47)
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| Craig Fulton | (Northerns, 77) | Greg Nicol | (KZN, 97)
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| Brad Michalaro | (SG, 93) | Brenton Key | (SG, 59)
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| Gregg Clark | (KZN, 138) | Darryn Gallagher | (NM, 3)
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| Gareth Murray | (SG, 38) | Rorie Wilson | (SG, -)
|
| Officials: Giles Bonnet (Coach), Phil Wallis (Assistant Coach), Dave Carr (Manager), Duncan Cordell (Trainer), Winston Baatjies (Physio), Clinton Gahwiler (Psychologist) and Mark Ross (Umpire).
|
| The team departs on 24th March for the 6-match series. |
1999 U21 INDOOR TOURNAMENT FINAL POSITIONS
| WOMEN | | MEN
| KwaZulu Natal | | Natal Midlands
| | Natal Midlands | | KwaZulu Natal
| | KZN Colts | | Eastern Gauteng
| | KZN Mynahs | | Kzn Mynahs
| | Natal Midlands "B" | | Natal Midlands "B"
| | Natal Midlands "C" | | Southern Gauteng
| | Eastern Gauteng | | KZN Colts
|
| | Eastern Gauteng Colts
| |
A South African Men's U21 Indoor Invitational Team was named after the tournament:
| Craig Maud | Natal Midlands
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| Duncan Holmes | KwaZulu Natal
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| Ryan Ravenscroft | Southern Gauteng
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| Jonathan Diugan | Eastern Gauteng
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| Stuart Gower-Jackson | Natal Midlands
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| Dale Isaacs | Natal Midlands
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| Charl van der Merwe | Natal Midlands
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| Richard Stewart | Natal Midlands
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| Gareth Carr | Natal Midlands
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| Jodax Beaumont | KwaZulu Natal
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| Paul Hamlin | KwaZulu Natal
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| Grant James | KwaZulu Natal
|
TEN AREAS AREAS TO ADDRESS TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE WITH AUSTRALIA
1. ELIMINATION SKILLS
2. SHOOTING SKILLS
3. ONE ON ONE DEFENCE
4. CLOSING THE SPACE OF THE OPPONENT & TRANSFER OF PRESSURE
5. BREAKING DOWN PLAY AND WINNING TURNOVERS FROM POSSESSION PLAY
6. RECEIVING SKILLS
7. SHORT PASSING SKILLS & QUICK FREE HITS
8. LEADING & ROTATION SKILLS
9. FITNESS LEVELS
10. UPPER BODY STRENGTH
1. ELIMINATION SKILLS
Australia's one-on-one elimination skills are superior to ours. They make excellent use of the body, as well as changing their pace. They often have fewer touches on the ball (which is preferable) and favour using the stick, the body and the use of acceleration to eliminate the opponent. They also allow the ball to lift while carrying it and use this skill well to increase the speed and the difficulty for the defender to win it through the flat tackle, which is the preferred style of the South Africans.
2. SHOOTING SKILLS
Their backswing is shorter, and their hands are lower on the stick. Their footwork is better and they place a high emphasis on reducing the touches on the ball prior to the goal shot. Their accuracy in shooting is far greater than ours, as is their positioning. They particularly work the deflection (far post) and the square wing pass across goal better than any team in World Hockey.
They are either on one knee or sliding with the expanse of their stick on the surface to improve their percentage return. Their anticipation in the goal area is keener than ours, as is their technical proficiency.
3. ONE-ON-ONE DEFENCE
One of the most noticeable differences separating Australia from SA was their ability to defend with confidence one-versus-one in deep defensive areas of the field. This allows their team to prevent overloading of one area in defence, as well as ensuring that they are able to move the ball quickly into attack through the field.
They make sure that they are not eliminated and secondly that they delay the attack and then, if required break down the play. They make extensive use of the jab tackle. As a consequence of the speed that they have in this area, they allow themselves to tackle more in channels than meeting the player head on. This prevents the commit tackle and also reduces the risk of the player being eliminated. On the flanks they will get inside the attacker and contest the ball, this places the attacker under immense pressure at all times.
4. CLOSING THE SPACE OF THE OPPONENT & TRANSFER OF PRESSURE
Leading on from the above one versus one tackling ability is their skill of being able to close the space of the ball carrier and through this transfer pressure onto that individual and indirectly on his surrounding support players. Their speed to close the opponent is very high and intimidatory. It is continuous and made in channels which creates the perception that they are well organised in defence and that that avenue or channel is closed.
Once the attacker is engaged by a defender they will allow other defenders to close to assist in winning the ball. Their use of the jab and the body is done with the single purpose of reducing the opponents' time and upsetting their rhythm.
5. BREAKING DOWN PLAY AND WINNING TURNOVERS FROM POSSESSION PLAY
They have a very good team ability to break down any advantage that the opposition attempts to create through movement of the ball. This is especially evident in the midfield area. They look to professionally encourage the ball carrier to make a poor pass or to play a stop start pattern. Their game plan revolves around stifling their opponents and preventing them from getting fluidity and pace in their build-up.
They often place themselves between the ball carrier and the ball and in this way achieve the joint objectives of wearing their opponents down, as well as breaking the play. They are also adept at winning turnovers off the oppositions' sticks, whereas they continuously alter the line of their runs to prevent this happening to them. They are past masters at winning the ball effectively off the opponents' stick, because the opposition is often caught stationery with the ball in a static position.
6. RECEIVING SKILLS
This is an area where they are significantly better than us, specifically in the scope of making use of the space behind players. They often deflect the ball into these areas and in so doing eliminate the opponent. They hardly ever receive the ball with their back facing their opponents' goal, but prefer to angle their hips in a forward direction and also reduce the time that they receive the ball in a stationery position. They don't stop the ball dead as we encourage in our training drills at all levels of coaching.
7. SHORT PASSING SKILLS & QUICK FREE HITS
Their ability to pass the ball in small areas, and at the same time move (or hold) the opposition in one area, is executed with skill. This is often accompanied by very quickly taken free hits, especially when their play is broken down around the circle and also in the midfield. Approximately 90% of these quick free hits are taken in a forward direction.
8. LEADING & ROTATION SKILLS
Their ability to double lead, and to make longer leads is accentuated. They also encourage leading back in depth which we seem to have neglected in our structures. It seems that they initiate their leads the moment one of two instances occur: Firstly, when the ball carrier directly approaches their defender to engage him or the space that he occupies, or secondly when they initiate quick inter-passing amongst themselves at pace in a forward moving direction.
They continually rotate players high in the field and across channels, specifically when they are under pressure of an attack, with the view to set up the counter attack after dispossessing the player and attacking through his channel.
9. FITNESS LEVELS
As was shown in the last 20 minutes of every match, but specifically the last two tests, the SA team was shown up in this crucial area. Their base fitness levels and depth in personnel was such that their error rate was very low in these periods where SA's was unacceptably high, and accounted for soft turnovers and goals stemming from fatigue which led to technical and mental errors.
10. UPPER BODY STRENGTH
They were far stronger on the ball and in close quarters play. This is a major factor in their ability to intimidate a side and upset the opposition's rhythm and balance.
Giles Bonnet - March 1999
National Coach Accreditation Scheme
Quality coaching courses are an essential component for coaching development from the beginner player through to high performer.
It was with this in mind that the SAHA scheme was updated to ensure a competency based programme. This provides education and training that prepares coaches for the practical tasks of coaching at various levels and allows for effective learning experiences within an enjoyable, non-threatening and participative environment.
The National Coaching Accreditation Scheme is a progressive coach education programme with courses at four levels.
Goalkeeping Exercises
OBSCURED VISION REFLEX DRILL
AIM:
To improve reflexes within the 9 yard area.
METHOD:
With a minimum of 15 balls in one set, hit tennis balls with a racquet either side of the "vision obscurer" (i.e. another GK) in rapid fire.
REBOUND BOARD DRILLS
AIM:
* To make first save and close down second phase
* To improve reactions
To improve decision-making process in potential deflection situation
Women's Camp Feedback
INTRODUCTION: The women's national training camp was recently held at the Pretoria Technikon from 17 - 21 February 1999. The players underwent the most strenuous and demanding exercises before hockey training commenced. After the morning training, time was allocated for testing, with a match in the early evening. The main emphasis of the camp was to improve the defensive organisation of the team as a whole, as well as to work on attacking skills after possession has been regained. Most of the sessions were structured around small games, requiring individual and collective decision-making in terms of serving the groups' attacking or defensive goals.
DEFENCE: Exercises were developed that required the defensive team to be aware of, and respond to, the opposition threats. We need to be bolder in our attempts to win the ball, and to recognise defensive situations as the first part of setting up attacking possibilities. It is obvious that it will take match application to experiment with and master our defensive strategies.
The camp focused on the application of zonal defensive techniques and strategies in various areas of the field. The forwards were generally better than the other positions in the application of the zonal defence, as they have been dealing with the 4 vs. 3 situation for a long time. Specific emphasis was placed on the zonal defence in the midfield and the defence of the deeper areas of the field.
Communication from deeper players who have a better view of the attacking lines of the opponents is crucial, and these players must be encouraged to advise their team mates.
ATTACK: Attacking opportunities were created following situations in which the team first had to defend (in small game situations). The emphasis was placed on the first moments after possession had been regained, and the decisions that the attackers were making. This aspect of our play needs attention and players need to be encouraged to take risks when the opportunity to do so arises. Although the "possession is precious" mindset has a place, the result is that our players too often take the sensible, low risk option when attacking, with the subsequent low returns.
Time was allocated during the camp for incisive leading and passing exercises. The consensus of the players was that we tend to focus on the person leading in training situations, often neglecting the special skill required by the passer in situations like these.
TEMPO: One of the specific aims was to improve the performance of our players when playing high tempo opponents, or to be able to play at a higher tempo when playing against weaker opponents. The strategy to achieve this was to review the structure of training sessions (where we often train technique at a low intensity and progress to a more fluid mini-game environment). The majority of the training session was spent playing games, where it was possible to strive for match tempo. The length of the games was controlled and breaks were introduced before players needed to pace themselves. The games were regulated in terms of time (to adjust them to the players' level of conditioning). Games would become longer as we enter the competition phase of the season. Small games often had substitutes, which enabled players to rest when they were becoming tired, as well as maintain the required tempo of training.
TESTING: The camp provided the opportunity to test all the squad players at one time, at one venue. This testing is crucial as it sets the parameters from which we can plan for improvement and also provides norms for the future.
Players get tested under the encouragement and scrutiny of their peers, and they therefore see one another's weaknesses and strengths. An important step in developing a training ethos in the squad!
MATCHES: The 3 matches played served a selection purpose and provided the opportunity to try the skills and strategies that were worked on during the training sessions. It was noticeable that the quality of the matches kept improving, and that the players were becoming more adept at the tactical aspects that were being emphasised.
COACHES: Coaches who attended the camp were: Gene Muller (National Coach), Gill Montague (Assistant Coach), Kelly Fairweather (High Performance Manager), Bebé Steyn (National U/18 Coach) and Ros Howell (U/21 National Coach). Elsie Odendaal attended as an observer. Specialist input was limited to that of Nicky Du Toit who trained the Goalkeepers. She also acted as the video technician.
FEEDBACK: Players will receive feedback after the camp in an attempt to instil an ethic of player agency regarding their improvement and performance. The High Performance coaches in the specific players' regions will also receive this feedback.
Gene Muller