Karnataka State Hockey Association, Bangalore
Conducted from April 16, 2003 to June 28, 2003
| Class 1 | Class 2 | Class 3 |
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Class 4 | Class 5 | Class 6 |
| Shri Ramesh Parameswaran, the
course conductor, is the Vice-Chairman of the Coaching Sub-Committee of the KSHA.
He represented Karnataka from 1969-1981, represented India in the 1978 Bangkok Asian Games and is coaching Karnataka since 1985. He was the assistant coach to the Indian team for the Junior World Cup (1997), World Cup (1998) and Commonwealth Games (1998). |
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| Class 7 | Class 8 | Class 9 | Class 10 | Class 11 | Class 12 | |
Synthetic surface was first introduced in the Olympics at Montreal in 1976. Along with the turf, there were a lot of changes in the general play and execution of basic technique. We also witnessed the emergence of European teams in world hockey, hitherto dominated by the two Asian giants India and Pakistan.
The role of the coach also gained importance and relevance after the introduction of the synthetic surface. For a long time, most of the Indian teams never had a dedicated coach. A person designated as the manager would also act as the coach.
Today's coach should evolve a coaching system that trains his wards in the perfection and execution of the basic skills, general play, fitness level, etc. The coach has to play the role of a teacher, friend/philosopher/guide, guardian/parent and a task master.
GOOD COACHING HABITS
Develop the habit of jotting down points during practice or games. Always carry your notepad, pen, whistle and any stationery items with you.
Prepare a profile of your players in the beginning of the camp with their photographs affixed. Regularly update this file and jot down the progress of the players from time to time. Conduct an evaluation of the performance/progress of the players once in three months.
Players should also carry with them a notepad and pen, and jot down details of their day-to-day training sessions - this should be reviewed by the coach.
Have a coaching strategy based on which team you are coaching – school/college/university or club/district/state/country.
Prepare your training schedule based on the available timeframe, and set a reachable target. Spell out your target to the management.
Every human being craves for acknowledgement/response, including the coach. You should get the right feedback from your management regarding your coaching system and strategy.
You should communicate in the language known to the majority of the players.
Your body language should always give positive signals that are easily identified and reachable to your wards.
Assess the strength and weakness of your players. Improve on the strengths to achieving perfection, and avoid exposing the weakness of your wards.
Create a sense of oneness amongst your wards. Treat your wards like your own children – on and off the field. You should make them feel secure and confident under you.
Have a briefing session before practice/match. Avoid debriefing soon after the tournament match.
Your motivation is as critical as the players' motivation. It is very important that you choose a known and trustworthy management team to achieve the desired results. Your management team consists of an assistant coach, physiotherapist/trainer, doctor and manager.
TEAM SELECTION
Remember that a winning coach needs winning players – identify the right players for your team. Some of the basic qualities you have to see in a:
Goalkeeper
Defender
Attacker
Remember that you need players with a good hockey sense. You can take such a player and then develop/improve his:
GENERAL COACHING SUGGESTIONS
You need to build your team over a period of time. Have four stages in your coaching system:
Most of our players have a very good hockey sense and they play on instinct. Your emphasis should be mainly on perfection of the following:
Your players should understand the concept of ball possession. As long as the ball is in your possession, the opponent cannot get the goal. Emphasis on effective ball rotation/shifting the ball to safe zone/attack zone can only be achieved with good basics of transferring the ball a minimum of 25 yards to 30 yards.
Good shadow tackling to take the attacker to less dangerous zone/body play in safe zones/time consuming – recovery tactics.
Productive off-the-ball running during counter attacks.
Educate your players to take advantage of playing to the whistle.
Change your game plan/strategy according to the type of the tournament - league cum knockout/knockout tournaments.
Although every team evolves around a couple of special players, ensure that every player contributes consistently. Your stern message to all the players 'no player is indispensable'.
Do not neglect your bench/substitute players – they play a vital role in the team's performance.
Concentrate only on three or four penalty corner variations. Aim for perfection in penalty corners attack and defence. All your 18 players should be involved in the penalty corner drills because substitutions during the game can hamper our penalty corner conversions if the second line has not been trained properly.
You should use a system or formation based on the available strength with you. Do not play any system or formation without enough practice.
If you do not enjoy being with the boys, take a break.
Do not play 365 days a year on the synthetic turf. Thrice a week practice on the synthetic turf is advisable. Your practice on the turf should be productive, purposeful and enjoyable.
Take responsibility for defeats/failures. Remember that nobody has got the time to listen to your sob story – 'played well but lost'.
Do not blame your players for one bad performance or miss. Do not form opinions with one match/tournament.
Champion players make a champion coach – it is very important that you identify the right players and play them in the appropriate positions.
With the available strength, if your wards perform to your expected target, then you can claim to be a successful coach. Remember that with Rs. 10 in hand, you cannot expect to spend Rs. 20.
HOW TO BECOME A SUCCESSFUL COACH
1. Be sincere and honest in your job.
2. Set your target and brief the management of your expected result. Note that a target cannot be achieved overnight, but is achieved over a definite time frame.
3. Identify the right players – emphasis on top-level fitness/good basics/adaptation to the system or formation/motivation to perform as a team.
4. Ensure that you get the right kind of backing from your management – you cannot work freely or with the expected tempo if your job is uncertain. You should convince the management of your plan/strategy from time to time.
5. Choose your right team management of assistant coach/physical trainer/doctor/etc.
6. Have a good playing kit.
7. Always carry enough cash with you to meet an emergency demand from any team member. They will be looking up to you and not the management.
8. Analysing the opponent in the shortest possible time and executing the new plan effectively – this can be achieved only by enough practice, practice and more practice.
9. Since you will be playing seven to eight matches within fifteen days (tournaments), plan on a judicious use of your special players and the bench players.
10. You are the boss of the team. Everyone's movement during the tournament should be only with your consent.
11. Delegate certain work to your assistant coach and others. That way you can create an atmosphere of oneness/involvement/accountability among your team management, which is every essential for the good performance of your team.
12. Always insist on a week's rectification camp soon after a tournament – self-assessment/rectification by the players. This period can be without playing kit, called 'Active Rest Period' with only video sessions.
13. For marking a special player, man-to-man can be effective. If using the zonal defence, use left, center and right zones.
14.Your team cannot fail easily if your preparation is good before any tournament.
15. Low intensity practice matches before any big tournament are advisable for good exposure.
16. No need to socialise with every Tom, Dick and Harry. Often times 'Silence is Golden'.
17. Give your report to the official concerned after every tournament.
18. Inculcate discipline, sincerity, hard work, respect for elders, commitment and honesty in your wards along with your hockey coaching. If your hockey wards grow up as good citizens of our great country, you can call yourself a successful coach.