Just recently my Dad watched the Belgium National Men's Team compete at the World League in South Africa and was in aww, how well they played and how efficient they were in moving the ball from one end of the pitch to the other, also how silky smooth they were in the skills department, and he asked me why is this. I answered with this simple answer they play allot of Indoor Hockey which does help with skills and ball movement.
Now Belgium is not the only country that does this, Germany, Netherlands and most of the European countries also do this, as does the United States, and this is why it is my belief that their players skill base is much more superior than Australia. For a long time, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands also embraced small sided and modified versions of the game for juniors, so that juniors could get a better handle on the game before they moved to full field 11 on 11. In simple terms, the Belgium, Germany, and Netherlands have a system and a curriculum in place which lays out from year to year the skills that young players should be acquiring as they move through the ages.
Don't get me wrong Australia has had a few goes at this over the years, and it's sort of taken off for a while then died a slow death again, however in recent years we are seeing more and more effort by Hockey Australia, and the Eastern States to embrace the change of having more indoor, more modified versions of the game and a system and curriculum for the sport.
I am now convinced more than ever know that indoor hockey must be embraced by all nations, not only as a version of the game to play, but a version of the game that will help to improve the skills of the young players coming through, if they want to stay with and compete with the Belgium's and Germany's of this world.
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