St John’s College in Houghton wishes their head hockey coach and head coach for the South African men’s hockey team Garreth Ewing all the best as he heads for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Ewing said he put a lot of time into coaching over the years, working with teams at every level and in many positions to have a good idea of what was required in all leadership roles around a hockey team.
Ewing added that though delays experienced as a result of Covid-19 have been a frustration, they have also brought opportunity.
“The break during lockdown was an opportunity in disguise,” said Ewing. “It gave us plenty of time to spend on different aspects of our team dynamic [all via Zoom, of course], which will hopefully allow us to have an even stronger team synergy when we compete under pressure in Tokyo.”
He said the team aimed to get out of the pool stages and into the knockout quarter-finals at the Olympics.
“It will be a huge challenge because we are the second lowest ranked team in the event, but we know the teams we will target to get the necessary results.”
Ewing said the team was taking a long view and using the experience gained in Tokyo as a springboard to stronger performances at the World Cup in 2023 and the Paris Olympics in 2024.
He explained that being in South Africa presented the team with some unique challenges. Being far from quality opposition was a struggle and lacking a title sponsor meant that players were constantly fundraising or having to pay out their own pockets.
Ewing said he had received good support from the sports department at St John’s College, with other members willing to step in and cover for him when he was out working with the national team.
He added that Covid-19 had also challenged the sports department at St John’s, with many boys missing out on a sports season due to restrictions.
“There are so many boys who love their sport and want to get out and play and train. Fortunately, at the moment, we can do some non-contact training and keep the guys busy.
“Hopefully, as we progress through the next few months, restrictions will ease again and we can get the boys back into competition.”
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