A View From the Side

Jacko shows his age this month...

Inside:Outside

In December 2007, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant took to the stage of the O2 arena together for the first time as Led Zeppelin since the passing of John Bonham. One of their classic albums is “in through the outdoor”, having polished off the dust and listened to it, it reminded me not only of some periods in my youth but also of my first experience of Huddersfield HC in 1990. During that short six month period I enjoyed two training sessions per week, playing Saturday and also on a Sunday……hockey was everything. Since those days at Holmfirth High and the long trail to Marley for home games, the club has changed on many fronts. The one evoking memory of this period was an odd form of hockey called indoor.

Now for a Northerner actually doing things indoor meant one of three things – eating, sleeping and ……..asking for money. Looking across the Channel at this time of year, you will find that most sports have stopped for a winter hiatus. The Europeans heading to the snow decked Alps for a bit of après. For the Brits no fear…it’s short sleeved shirts, oranges at half time and the driving rain at Driffield…….or in my case Morecambe (once experienced never forgotten or recovered from!!).

But looking back and then thinking forward, why is it that we do not play as much indoor hockey as we used to do? The Richard Dunn Centre (Bradford) was a Mecca for indoor. The honing of close control, the ability to beat people on the ground, the subtle deflections for goals were all in evidence at Holmfirth High. As a club we need to get back to doing indoor, and perhaps as a taster head off to Sheffield on 18th January to watch England (men’s and women’s sides) play in the Euro’s…….check it out you’ll be impressed. 

So in passing, perhaps we should be thinking a little bit like Led Zep, and consider “improving the indoor to improve the outdoor.”

Yours

The Cold and Outside Coach