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May
31
Written by:
Sundeep Misra
Saturday, May 31, 2008
By Deepak Sheth
In many fields making a diagnosis is more important than the actual treatment.
The enthusiastic performance of the new look mainly junior team in the recently concluded Azlan Shah tournament not withstanding, tremendous amount of significant work needs to be done.
Knowledgeable, FIH respected, observers have alluded to the number of skilled players in the Indian towns, though there maybe a debate as regards quality in comparison with players from abroad. There is also no doubt as to this translating into the appropriate standing in world hockey at the under 21 and below level. A given fact is that something goes wrong in the transition to the senior level.
In following the travails of our national teams over the last 10 yrs some things have been consistent irrespective of change in players, coaches, selectors, be it a sub-junior, junior team or senior team and I enunciate them
Below in order of frequency and importance.
1. Penalty corners against us with opposing teams scoring from them at a high success rate.
2. Maximum number of opposing team forays or free hits within 25 yd line resulting in Penalty corners or Cautions.
3. Greatest numbers of yellow and green cards, in fact I am sure we have the dubious distinction of being one of the most penalized and cautioned nations in world hockey.
4. Innumerable number of long hits or long balls (scoops) done by our team, that go to no one in particular.
5. The team that consistently leaves gaps in their play on the pitch.
6. Poor passing, weak combination play particularly among the midfield, too much reliance on individual thrusts and skills.
7. Patchy earned Penalty corner conversion rate.
8. Shocking inability of getting out of our defensive danger zone.
Coaching Philosophy
I have always felt that building your teams from the back ie the goal keeper and six players in front of him/her, gives you more mileage than the other way around. I suspect that coaches in India subscribe to the latter theory, hence the concentration on the forward line, proof being majority of the roster of 18 players being forwards and in contrast only 3 defenders. This tendency goes down the ranks of Indian Hockey. How many “best in the team” players in school anywhere in India are midfielders or defenders. Kobe Bryant, the world’s best basketball player, an absolute attacking genius and sharpshooter has time and again talked about “making the stops if we want to win”. Hence not only is he a superb defender but he expects his team to do the defensive work, “to make the stops”, if they want to win. It will be very difficult to find a team with a weak defense that has ever won any modern tournament in any sport on the strength of their attacks skills alone.
So here is the first diagnosis that needs to be made ie what is wrong with Indian hockey, is it that the offence is defective or is it the defense?
Systemic Failure
Since all teams have these consistent weaknesses over the years, we need to debunk the theories of individual coaching or individual selectors’ bias, or favoritism or regionalism, or individual groups of players ie inexperienced vs seasoned, or their temperament a la Dhanraj Pillay, or problems vis a vis the coach and put the blame on systemic failure.
Education
It cannot be the lack of, since we have many teams that do reasonably well, so it has to be the type of education. What is missing, are wrong things being emphasized?
Infrastructure and its role in development: The much publicised lack of astroturfs.
Selection: How can different group of selectors be consistently wrong, unless they really do not know what is wrong and what is correct.
Penalty Corners Against
At 4/game, with a nearly 50% opponent conversion rate translating into 2 goals, tremendous pressure is put on our team to overcome that weakness. It seems to be a no brainer that any coach that can reduce this weakness will get the greatest amount of success. But there are 2 ways to do that. If the attack is stronger then the chances of giving away a PC are less, since the ball continuously stays in the opponents’ half. But we have tried this for years without much apparent success. The other is to strengthen our defense.
Free Hits Within 25 Yard Line For Our Opponents.
Obviously we do not want to give these away in our danger zone. But what are the reasons for these, is our defense weak? or the opponent’s offense strong, or is the problem with our tactics and positioning? If it is that, the team facing us, has better players, then we need to change our tactics and compensate for that.
Reducing Opponents Circle Penetrations
Why does this happen, we need to do a detailed analysis. How are other teams reducing these ?
Caution Cards
We need to eliminate these completely. We get them at 2.5/game, with at least 1 yellow, meaning playing 1 man short. Is it player specific, is it lack of education, is it our local hockey environment, is it our players are too emotional? If so, we need to cherish and select steady, cool under pressure, players. Have our junior players mastered the rules of hockey? All other fields in life do theory and practice. Is this done by our youngsters?
Long Balls
Is there a lack of confidence in the midfield, is it education? This is a classic counterattack manouevre, so why is it done at other times? What is the percentage success of this play?
Leaving of Gaps
Reasons? Why poor marking, is it because man to man is not taught or not utilised? Is it that forwards and half backs are not taught to defend?
Individualism
This seems to be a problem with grassroot coaching and a systemic problem. A hockey youngster in any situation has two broad category options, passing vs dribbling and control.
It is for the third party observer ie teacher, coach, colleague/captain, self video analysis, to help him/her make the call taking into consideration chances of success.
Technical Director Dr. Charlesworth, you now have the stage! You need to make these calls and with precision clarify them in the minds of all Indian coaches and players.
(Deepak Sheth lives in the United States and is a doctor by profession. Analysing hockey is a major past time).
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7 comment(s) so far...
Re: Make a hockey diagnosis
Deepak,
This is a great article. you are actually been able to sum up 90% of the issues with the team right now.
Just add endurance planning. the team is good.
By Garry on
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
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Re: Make a hockey diagnosis
Very clearly, access to better inputs, as well as a better focus and teamwork will make for a better showing for India.
By Milind Kher on
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
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Re: Make a hockey diagnosis
best of luck 4 all indian players !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
By ram7291 on
Saturday, June 14, 2008
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Re: Make a hockey diagnosis
Hi Deepak,
Very good analysis. Another thing that has emerged in last couple of years is "conceding late goals". Many won matches have been turned to either "Drawn" or "Lost". And, we tend to say, "Indian team dominated most of the game and was in lead till the last 5 minutes...", but the final score says something else. I would say "If the game is 70 minutes long...it is only after the hooter that players can only thinks they have won.
Hope things will be better in the coming years...
By Sandeep Tiwari on
Saturday, June 14, 2008
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Re: Make a hockey diagnosis
Mr Deepak,
Great article.... a lot of the major issues are addressed.
I hope we can do something about it.
Dr. Charlesworth is one of the most sought after experts, and im sure he can
make us a world class side given time.
Excellent work.
By Manav Shah on
Saturday, June 14, 2008
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Re: Make a hockey diagnosis
Mr Deepak,
Frankly you have done a great thing which a National coach is supposed to do.......
First of all I would like to say, our Indian Junior team is doing well at Junior level... that statement if you really analyze it is a wrong statement. The fact is that from ages when the Junior Asia cup and Junior world cup has started, the trend for players forging the age by 5-7 years and performing in a lower age category started. Hence, if you see, we are in a position to see the Junior performing exceptionally well.
If you observe the number of players who played the 1997 Junior World cup who got graduated to seniors were just 3-4. Because they could not match the seniors then.
In 2001, though most of them graduated, but the facts is that there were so many players who were overaged. The present manager Mr. Pargat Singh did make a hue and cry about the players who then won junior world cup then.
In 2004, Last Junior World cup Mr. Narendra Batra, former IHF Vice- prsident brought up an issue stating that many junior players were overage with some definite proof.
If you see the present squad, you can see that there are many players who played last Junior Asia Cup and had attended the national camp is still there in Juniors after 4 years have lapsed. How can these players be so talented when they are around 16?
The present squad boasts of a player from UP who is just 16 years and playing in the junior national squad? People around the world are not fools.
Have you ever realized that these players have been employed by various organisations in our country even though they claim to be below 18?
If we take a study on players who played Junior and sub junior India in the past with their office records (the company where they are employed) I am sure you can find the difference...
It is sad to see that some of the so called Hockey academies do tend to force the players to get a passport with forced age....
Some of schools/acdemies who participate in U/14 KD Singh Babu hockey tournament used to force the players to remove their molar teeth to determine if they were below 14.
Getting a fraud passport with age changes is a practice in all hockey academies currently... Some of the players forge the changes by getting a school leaving certificate where they identify similar names as of theirs and manage to get passports in which they dont even care about parents names - whosoever it is???
4-5 years back, 10 players of Karnataka Junior team were debarred from playing Junior Nationals.
Even many Olympains who also have achieved their performance heights are from this very category. Many of the yester Olympians who are at helm of affairs in hockey too have forced few players to forge.
I find only players like Dhanraj Pillay, Dileep Tirkey, Baljeet Dhillon who are genuine in their age as they were in a position to prolong their performance more than 33 years plus.
How can players who won Junior world cup in 2001 are no where in another 4 years?? What happened to 1997 batch? and 2005 batch? Can one analyze this?? and come out with facts that how many of these yester Juniors and Olympians forged their age to claim the status of an Olympian? or an International player?
Though there are ways to identify age through x-ray techniques to asses the ossification of bone - it does have and error of plus or minue 2 years. But the osssiifcation process seems to be completed by the age of 16-18 years. The question is when it comes to the age of 21? Do MRI or other methods do really benefit in analyzing the age of players.
In such instances, are we really faring well in the Junior level? It is a question to be asked. As long as we do not have a system of Identification right from birth and frequent renewal of the same may be every five years.. I think we may not be in a position to curb this fraud changes....
In such case, whatever analysis we do does not hold good. Even Charlesworth will not be in a position to identify the strength and weakness of each of these players and enable us to achieve higher laurels....Because by the time they are old enough for the game and to undertake the stress.....
In such case Hats off to players like Dhanraj, Baljeet Dhillon and Dileep Tirkey who could survive the hockey load even though they were genuinely 33 plus
By Stoneman on
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
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Re: Make a hockey diagnosis
Great article...defense and attack should be both emphasized....u focussed on attack...if attack were to be discussed....some of the points are: coordinated attack which has been glimpsed at times by India but not on consistent basis; PC strategies adaptation for particular teams and times; passing at the earliest with team effort being synergized than trying hard on individual skills;
What are those things that motivate the Indian Players: Love of the game, Money, Pride for Nation which I think are also same for other International Players but there are some imbalances.
Premier Hockey League has been a good manoeuvre as it provides a platform to implement these strategies.
The knowhow from the past should be gathered and analyzed with brainstorming sessions, proper communication strategies and players should be ingrained with some real psychological, physical and team dynamics that they should be aware of.
These well informed players will even after retiring will form a group which will provide a sustained long term path towards growth of Indian Hockey.
Demographic trends also favour Indian Hockey.
Indian Hockey is really great and fun to watch as it provides so many different colors and the passion among Indians is so strong that It can also come through this rough period as it is like a recession. I will definitely hope that Indian dream run of 8 goals was the foundation on which the future will be very bright.
I again want to emphasize that comprehensive training of Individual is most important in terms of abilities to understand the responsibilities they have been deemed to undertake:-they got to have the skillset to achieve the strategies that are adopted.
Champions trophy is going on and it has proven that how close the differences has become among the top countries.
Hoping for the best.
By Harinder Dhanoa on
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
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