Comments on: Austin Smith Interview

By: john100

john100 — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 11:46:26 +0000

Playing in the English Premier League made the biggest difference in my game. The standard of the training sessions was what I enjoyed the most. Although we only trained for two hours twice a week with a game on the weekend, the quality of what we did and with the players I had around me made it top quality. I chose Reading Hockey Club because of the level of players that were already there. It meant that every time I trained I needed to be at my best, and my game rapidly developed in all aspects. You get shown up quickly when you’re having an off day and that motivated me to get better when I trained on my own. Tactically, I have also gained a deeper understanding of the game. We had a great coach who taught me a number of new concepts which has given me a great understanding of the movements required within a team to become successful

By: Allan

Allan — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:05:06 +0000

An interesting article. Yes a National league would be a solution to improve the overall strength of SA Hockey. Unfortunately it comes down to the one major problem which is MONEY !!!! another sad fact is SA is a little off the beaten track.

By: Austin Smith

Austin Smith — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:06:57 +0000

Mark, to reply to your question about where you can find ‘top hockey’. Obviously the Dutch, Spanish, German and UK leagues are the strongest and where the competition is fiercest every week. I do however believe there are a number of good training centres in South Africa with good coaches. If you are really interested in playing top hockey in South African I would suggest contacting your provincial hockey association, and ask them what they can offer you.

By: Mark Kokoropo

Mark Kokoropo — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:02:07 +0000

Really enjoyed the interview, but just the point on playing prem hockey in the UK is quite hard to make, especially if the area your playing for isn’t near anyone. Where do you suggest the best places are to find top hockey?