Field Hockey Camp

After many detours finally back in NY; God it was a horrible trip. Camp is over, the girls got many experiences and photographs (as got I) and normal life goes on. It was a tremendous week with a lot, really a lot of hockey, conditioning, little sleep, excellent food, amusing evening activities and many new friends.

The camp was situated in a beautiful surrounding with a lake and on a beautiful hill. The only thing what I didn't like from the whole week, was that we played on GRASS, instead of on turf or astroturf like we play on backhome and in the rest of Europe... The quality/level of playing is because of that also automatic a bit less than in Europe, as some moves and plays are impossible to do on grass. I have to admit that I do not play great on grass as well, as the last time I played on it was many years ago. There were girls that were certainly just as good and sometimes even better than I... It was nice to play on grass once again, but I don't want to think of having to play a competition on grass again.

The staff consisted mainly of Americans (players of the team of the organizer), 3 Spaniards, 3 English, 1 Australian and myself. It was a busy and very tiring week, but certainly worth coming and for repetition susceptible.

The program started with breakfast from around 7am, conditioning, practicing, 3V3 competitions, lunch, conditioning, master skills sessions (kind of training), 7V7 competitions, evening meal and world cup competitions (11v11). All coaches were responsible for 1 training group and 1 world cup group, thus meaning that you got to know and had to deal with 2 different groups of girls. Both consisting of approximately 12 girls per group. In total were there approximately 150 girls in the age of 11 until 17. I had one of the slightly older groups and trained Navy and coached Holland (what a coincidence). Both very amusing groups and we had many laughs. The men under us (3 Spaniards, 1 Englishman and myself) got all the attention, as we the only men in the camp. Several love-declarations, embraces and what not yet more we had to undergo this week. Borja and James were even so popular that they got a T-Shirt with "I love Borja and James" and "Do you want to marry me?" I only got a very romantic song, sang to me during one of the practices. :)