Book Review: The Hockey-Kids The Adventure begins by Sabine Hahn

For a while now, I have been wondering why there are no books for children's books on the sport I am most passionate about, hockey. For a long time now we have seen children's books in Australia which cover the sports of AFL, NRL, Netball, and cricket but nothing on hockey, well until now.

I want to introduce you to a great little book it is the first in the series written by a fantastic author from Germany Sabine Hahn, check out her website-

www.sabinehahn.net

The book is called "The Hockey-Kids: The Adventure begins," by Sabine Hahn and its a great little read for all the young hockey superstars out there. The story is about three friends, Lena, Max, and Lars and their adventures on and off the hockey field, as their new hockey team comes together despite many setbacks.

This is the first in a series of books on hockey by Sabine, and like I say its well worth the read and would make a great little gift for your budding hockey superstar out there.

If you are interested in getting a copy you can purchase it online through-

https://www.bookdepository.com/Hockey-Kids-Sabine-Hahn/9783981797077

http://www.moncoq-edition.com/English/

You can also check out Sabine and the book through Facebook-

www.facebook.com/diehockeykids

I urge everyone to do themselves a favor and get a copy to read.

Future Hockey Coaching Direction: Part 1

Since the introduction of quarters to International level hockey in 2015, I have felt that know one coach has really found a way to harness this to its full potential and maximize the benefits for their team over all the others.

Before the introduction of quarters we saw the Australian Kookaburras Men's team transform the game with a fast, free flowing running, attack through the top of the circle game which was built on momentum, but once quarters were introduced the Australian coaching staff, in my opinion, failed to adjust this plan and as a result they slipped out of the medal in Rio two years after their triumphant World Cup. Why did this happen, in part it was quarters hockey, it changes that game of momentum hockey as there are breaks which stop the momentum of teams.

So what am I thinking, well I believe the key is your rotations, I don't think anyone has really used the rotations in a way that works well, the closest I have seen to anyone doing this wasn't even at International level, it was in Hobart in 2016 at the Australian Women's Masters when WA Over 40's seemed to be doing something very different with their bench running rotations at a constant rate through the midfield, this seemed to allow them to keep the momentum from quarter to quarter much better.

So my thoughts are that you virtually carry only midfielders, and forwards on your bench and constant rotate every quarter at high levels through this lines, and try to create a sense in the opposition of being overwhelmed and allow for fresh legs late in the final quarter which will allow your team to have the momentum when it counts.

Standing for something

Ok so this blog post is going to be just a smidge different, it's going to be in a sense a little bit of perhaps what you would call a rant, and I apologize in advance to my regular readers, but I feel its time this was said about certain people in the sport of hockey a sport I am very passionate and proud to be a part of.

Ok so what I want to say, is I am someone who prides myself on saying what I mean and speaking my mind on issues that are and have affected our game, and I do this out in the open and I never ever hide behind a fake name, or persona in order to do this.

Now I know there are allot of others involved in my sport of hockey who do just that use persona's and hide behind fake names on forums etc, to give an opinion, and in my personal opinion I think that lacks courage. I know these people will say they do that so they can give an honest opinion, well how is hiding behind a persona or fake name and giving your opinion really all that honest, like I say I think it lacks courage, if you are passionate about the sport of hockey as you say and your concerned about the direction of the sport then why do you not have the courage to voice that opinion with your real name behind.

Look I understand that's how you feel you need to do it and that's perfectly fine, but don't then try to claim the high moral ground in doing it, because in my view it's a way to give a cheap shot and it's an easy snipe. Know one in any walk of life should be afraid of criticism and if you have to hide are you showing real courage like you say or is it actually that you lack the courage to be up front.

Anyway, that's my thoughts, I know this I won't change I will continue to speak my mind and tell it like it is and I will continue to offer my opinions and back it up by putting my own name on it.

JEROME BUCK