National hockey players fuel dreams
SUNNINGHILL – National hockey players fuel the dreams of youngsters at coaching course.
Six South African national hockey players imparted their knowledge and skill to youngsters during a coaching course at St Peter’s College, Sunninghill.
The Investec Hockey Academy event on 9 March saw girls aged eight to 18 train with the country’s best in order to improve their game. The national hockey players involved in coaching were Shelley Jones, Sullette Damons, Kara Botes, Kaila Willemse, Louise de Jager and Taylor Dart.
“We have been going over the basics with the youngest players, such as moving with the ball,” said Damons.
“The older players have been going over the finer skills such as protecting the ball.”
Damons said she was impressed by the level of skill shown by the girls. Jones said the youngsters would only improve even more after the private coaching they received from the national players.
“When I was younger I was fortunate to have a former national player as my coach and at high school, I did too, so I was exposed to their top-level of playing,” Jones said.
She added that she personally felt inspired when her team of young players once went to the Olympics and spent time with international players.
“I decided right then that I wanted to go compete in the Olympics and a few years later I had the opportunity to do so.”
Jones represented South Africa at the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics in Beijing and London respectively.
She concluded that she hoped she and the other national players could also fuel the dreams of the young players at the event in Sunninghill.
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