New concepts in hockey working, says TD
TECHNICAL director for the sport of hockey at next month’s CAC Games, Dr Michelle Holt, said she had “changed the school programme this year so it is an endorsement that the new concepts that I am studying and have been implementing… are working”.
Last week Jamaica named a 16-member women’s hockey team to the 21st CAC Games from July 21-31 in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, and Dr Holt, a former women’s president and national coach, has introduced some of the concepts to the senior team.
Despite lack of resources she remains eternally optimistic about the game.
“Resources are limited, the country’s and hockey’s. The potential value of sport in general, much less hockey, to this country isn’t recognised as yet, but it will be one day. Then the movers, the powerful, will help hockey with the things we need,” she noted.
“At this point it is only the passionate coaches and administrators that will persevere with the many hockey challenges, along with their personal challenges.
“Why would anyone coach hockey for little and nothing, when they can earn coaching football, netball, and track and field?” she pointed out.
Dr Holt called for the support of “a few salaried people, even seconded people, from government or private sector to help implement some of things we would like to do. I strongly believe the results would be seen”, she stressed.
Guiding St Andrew High to the Under-16 and Under-14 titles, and just missing out on the title in the Under-19 when they lost to Papine High in the final, Dr Holt, who is also head coach at the University of Technology (UTech), explained that she was very happy that “players have found a sport that they’re sticking with for life, that I find is a greater reward”.
She maintained that providing equipment and assisting with more places to play in schools and communities would facilitate the development of skills of players and stipends should be given to coaches.
At UTech now for two years, Dr Holt said she knew well “the vision they have for sports, including hockey. The amount of money to offer for scholarships is still limited. But players are happy for just getting places in the institution, so that’s an incentive.
“My objective at UTech is to create a top-class programme that players who have national ambitions will see coming to the university as crucial to that achievement and get the support in this endeavour,” said the 2010 Schoolgirl Coach of the Year.