Dutch master identifying local talent

Lower South East athletes tap into Hockey SA regional pathway program

Hockey SA pathways coordinator Roel van Maastrigt (pictured) has an impressive resume so it is little wonder local hockey talent are thrilled that over the past two weekends, they have been able to tap into that expertise as part of Hockey SA’s evolving regional pathway program.

The Dutch native started his hockey career at the biggest, and arguably the strongest, clubs in the world – Den Bosch. The Netherlands club boasts seven pitches and more than 2500 members and Roel both played and worked for the hockey juggernaut.

He then headed to Canada working for the provincial body as the high performance director, as well as working with Field Hockey Canada with their junior and senior national teams.

That Canadian role took care of the past four years of Roel’s career and now South Australian athletes can tap into his wealth of knowledge – South East athletes the most recent to do that with consecutive weekends of talent camps at Blue Lake Sports Park.

“After my work in Canada I was approached by Hugh Purvis, the South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) Head Coach, who is responsible for the development of the High Performance athletes,” Roel said. “He advised me there was a job available in South Australia and asked me if I would be interested. After having many conversations with Geoff Riddle (Hockey SA CEO), I decided to accept the role come over to South Australia.”

And it is not just a key role but a big one as Roel looks to create a clear pathway structure for aspiring athletes.

“Over the last few years, Hockey SA has had a big turnover when it comes to staff,” Roel said. “Although everyone has worked hard towards a good system, there were a lot of uncertainties when it came to talent development and talent recognition. The focus in this first year is to create a clear structure that is easy to understand for the athletes and all stakeholders.

“The plan for the second year is to give the program more ‘body’ by adding in more specialised trainers, physios, sports science etc, and doing so without raising the current costs of the programs.”

Roel is also spearheading Hockey SA’s foray into the regions and he has been impressed with the Lower South East Hockey Association – its athletes and its ability to cater for such high performance events.

“One of the Hockey SA core values is ‘stronger together’ and even though it is common in hockey across the world, that high performance programs centralise within the metro areas, we do recognise that a big part of the hockey community lives and loves hockey beyond the metro areas,” he said. “By taking the Zone Identification Camps out to the country regions, 50 per cent of our talent identification now happens outside of the city. Not only does this help and motivate local athletes, but it also brings a whole new dimension to the identification process.

“So far the country associations have been amazing,” Roel said. “The work that Lower South East hockey has put in to make this event come to life, and the number of volunteers who have come out to help make this camp successful, has been motivating for us to continue doing it this way.”

When assessing the local talent, Roel identified the Limestone Coast Regional Sporting Academy as an initiative that was certainly helping talent development in this region.

“I think initiatives like the academy are crucial for the talent development in these country regions,” he said. “At the local club levels it is hard to work with the athletes on their basic skills. Kids play lots of games within all different age groups but are not always technically challenged enough within their daily training environment.

“Country athletes can be disadvantaged when it comes to technical skills, although they are known for their hard work and no-nonsense mentality. Their commitment to the sport and love for the game are unmatched.”

Roel also realises that in the crowded Australian sporting environment, hockey was always having to fight for time in the limelight and to remain front of mind for kids as they look to select the sport of their choice.

“Like any other sport, Hockey struggles to compete with the major Australian sports like footy and cricket, however, our unique selling point is that we have a sport which is one of the biggest Olympic team sports in the country, and probably the most successful Olympic team sport with the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras,” he said.

“Our aim is to educate as many school kids as possible in the sport of hockey. This is being targeted through school sport programs and HookIn2Hockey centres. We’ve also taken the opportunity to conduct clinics for kids during the Adelaide Fire Hockey One season and the International Test Series by allowing them to experience hockey and engage with their National and Olympic heroes.

“What better way to experience our sport by being educated from those playing at the ultimate level.

This experience also creates a memorable moment in the journey of a future hockey champion.

“We look forward to hosting the Hockeyroos later this year, and continue to bring exposure to our sport and inspire our stars of the future.”