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Field Hockey Canada |  |
July 19:  Scott Sandison | July 20 & 21:  Rob Short | July 22:  Steve Davis | ||
July 23:  Michael Oliver | July 24:  Michael Lee | July 26:  Rick Roberts | ||
July 28:  Sean Campbell | August 4:  Ken Pereira |
 Back to Schedule and Results |
|
Field Hockey Canada | |
| July 19: Scott Sandison | July 20 & 21: Rob Short | July 22: Steve Davis | ||
| July 23: Michael Oliver | July 24: Michael Lee | July 26: Rick Roberts | ||
| July 28: Sean Campbell | August 4: Ken Pereira |
| Back to Schedule and Results |
Hello everyone. We are finally here and what can I say except this is fantastic! But I`m getting ahead of myself here and I should start at the beginning.
All the BC boys arrived at the airport at 11AM Thursday morning to fly via Toronto to Manchester. It was a long haul with the joke of the trip being poor Ravi as he couldn't`t sit down for more than half an hour because of his back. We arrived a little worse for ware but all in good spirits as we were in and out of the airport with ease and managed to enjoy some entertainment with some live music and a juggling act.
We traveled from the airport to the accreditation site to have our bags and our identities checked and within the hour we were quickly under way to the village.
Upon arrival to the village we headed to our rooms to check out all the gear we received. All the boys were walking around with big smiles and in great spirits. Sean Campbell and I have taken to the muscle ts and visors and making guest appearances as the Canadian Beach Volleyball Team. (Beach volley ball didn't`t make it to the games unfortunately and I don`t think we were believed much anyway as both of us are under 6 foot).
We then grabbed a bit to eat. (I should make it clear here that this is my first major games and all of this is brand new to me so I've been feeling like a kid in candy store and where I am excited about almost everything some of the veterans might find this a bit more commonplace) Well the dining area is huge and there`s tons of selection. You can eat as many times as you want as much as you want at any time of the day. This can actually pose a problem of people over eating which is easy to do.
After a bite we came back to change our Zeller's kit that didn't fit us. Followed by a trip to the Canadian tailor to alter pants. I will be impressed to find the man that fits into these things without any alterations. He'd have a 32 inch waist and he'd probably be about 6'7!
We then had our introduction to the Canadian staff here who Sean and I have already put to work. Three or four of the boys have blown electronic equipment already as we've got some transformer issues. So Sean and I have gone another route and are going to attempt the purchase of some world renown British electronics.
At this point you could see the heads nodding and people feeling the effects of the travel. So we went for a team run and stretch around the village. Then came the rain. Coming to Manchester, I knew what the English weather had to offer but I wasn't expecting the downpour that we had yesterday. We found a tent to stretch under and then faced the rain on the way back to our rooms.
Our rooms by the way are pretty tiny and I`m pretty sure they`re designed for one person but they work fine and I`m sure by the end of everyone will be really close with their roomie.
We concluded the day with a team meeting and by the end of guys were ready to pass out. So we headed back to our rooms for a little re-organizing and looking forward to getting to the turf tomorrow.
Thanks for all the good wishes everyone. Keep the support going it`s really appreciated.
A big hello from the Team to everyone who is following us at home! We all hope you are excited about the upcoming Commonwealth Games and are looking forward to another opportunity to view us on the CBC. Unfortunatly it is only the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics that finds us on tele but we'll take it. Tune in on Saturday July 27th at 4.00-6.00 for our first match vs Wales.
The boys area all settling in well. Although many of us are still finding ourselves in the food hall over a cup of tea in the early hours obvioulsy still fighting jet-lag. Accomodations are great! Food is perfect! A big thanks to ZELLERS for all the wear that we have been given for these games.
On both days we had two hour training sessions on the beautiful Belle Vue Hockey pitch. This complex is perfect with roomy changerooms, freindly people, a stadium for 3,500 people, and two world-class astro pitches.
We are taking full advantage in arriving 8 days prior to the Wales match by meeting 1-2 times a day to go over set-plays, game plans and of course Bomber's Commonwealth Games Trivia. For those who don't know, Bomber is Dave Bissett, our new manager.
Many of the boys are also taking full advantage of the wonderful medical services that the Canadian Staff are providing. Seany how are those two massages a day?
Anyways not much else to report on. Tommorrow we play South Africa in a practice match, so are pumped to see how far along we have come.
Thanks for all your support and we hope/plan to entertain on the 27th at 4.00 on the CBC!
Greetings from Manchester!
Today was an exciting day for the boys, as we played South Africa in our only warm-up match prior to the start of the Commonwealth Games. It was especially exciting for me, as I played in South Africa in 1997, and had either played with or against all of the guys on the South African Team back then.
The day started off like all of the others to date. An early wake-up at 8am (for Shorty, Mahood, Gene and Stanley this is a sleep-in), and out the door to the dining hall at 8:30am. Like every morning, afternoon, and evening here, it was again raining, cold, and generally a miserable set of conditions. For all of the parents heading over for the competition, I strongly suggest you bring a poncho, umbrella, and some patience. The weather here is very unlike the balmy conditions in Toronto and Vancouver at the moment.
After the team breakfast, we had a couple of hours to collect our thoughts, write some e-mail, and get our stuff together. As this was not an official "cap" international match, we just wore our ClimaLite training shirts for the game. We congregated at 11:30am for a brief stop-in at the dining hall again, followed by the 300 metre walk down past through security and onto the bus.
Unfortunately our game-time corresponded with the official flag-raising of the Canadian Team in the Athletes' Village, so I guess we'll have to really make our presence known at the Opening Ceremonies!
We took to the field following Barbados's practice. The practice-match is set-up for both teams to try out new systems and ideas prior to the tournament starting. We played 3 x 20 minute halves, each being with a different focus.
The game started out with early, tightly-controlled ball possession by the experienced South African backfield. Canada's defence gave up a costly cross-field ball to the stick of South Africa's centre-forward, who ran it into the D and was hacked down by the retreating defender. A stroke was awarded, and converted to make it 1-0 South Africa.
Following this early goal, the play went back and forth between the two sides, with Canada creating some excellent corner opportunities and attack out of free-play. For some of us, this was the biggest game and best team we have ever played against... a legitimate top-10 world team.
I was exchanging some mixed banter with some of my ex-teammates, who forgot that I also knew how to "speak" Afrikaans, and reply in the same manner as addressed. It was a well-fought, hard-nosed battle for both of these two young teams.
The final score ended up 1-0 for South Africa from the 3 x 20 minute halves. We accomplished many of the goals set-out before the game. With the score being of secondary performance, the team was really encouraged to see our rebound from that abysmal performance vs. Chile in Game 2 in Vancouver (sorry for anyone who came out to see that one...).
After the hand-shake and quick shower, it was back to the Village, through the metal detectors and x-ray machines, and to the dining hall. As many of you might now be coining onto, we do a lot of eating and sleeping here. We had the rest of the evening to ourselves to unwind and enjoy the Athletes' Village. Many of us have started playing air-hockey on a regular basis up in the Games Room of the International Zone. They have about 20 X-Box terminals, 6 air-hockey, 6 pool-tables, 6 pin-ball... you name it. Kenny (my roomie) and I have had a few spirited battles on the air-hockey, with Kenny kicking my butt each time. His boyish charms and small frame are deceiving I guess.
On a more personal note, this has been a truly magical experience to date, and the tournament hasn't even begun yet. 5500 other athletes, 72 countries, and a spirit of sport and friendship that can only be described by someone who has been to a major Games such as these. It makes the hard-work and training back home so much easier to swallow! This is the experience of a lifetime to date.
That's all to report of from Manchester on this Monday, July 22nd. Thanks for all of your support and e-mails! We really appreciate hearing from all of you.
Hello to all you Canadian Field hockey fans out there. Today started out like every other day. I think the boys are starting to get used to the 8:30 breakfasts because nobody was late this morning. Maybe it's because Davis has had to see the Chiropracter twice so far, his tardiness giving him the unenviable task of carrying the ball bag to practice. The weather today was cloudy as usual. I think the forecast for the upcoming few days is overcast, partial chance of cloudy, and a slight chance of partial cloud. The chance of precipitation, 100%.
Today's practice was the most intense so far. We only had an hour so we started off with a 6 on 6 mini game on half the field. Bodies, sticks, and the odd limb were flying everywhere. The game was blemished however, when Kenny, scoring the game winning goal, dropped to his knees in celebration when Mahood went over and kicked him in disgust. Sorry Mikey. Had to throw that one in. All kidding aside, we needed the boost of intensity to fire the boys up.
The long day was topped off by a reception that was attended by all the Canadian athletes. The boys rolled in to the event doning their Zellers golf shirts and Rockports, with there sweaters draped over their shoulders like they were back at the polo club. The finger food was great, and it was inspiring to see some of the highlights from past games and the special messages from our favorite Canadians. The reception was also attended by the presidents from the Hudson Bay Company and Zellers, and by Ron McLean. Being more recognizable than our prime minister, it was a little tough getting close enough to talk to Ron, but we managed to pry him away from a couple of swimmers (talking about the Habs no less), to get a picture with the guys.
Another day closer to when the fun begins here in Manchester.
Hello from Manchester.
Well it's July 24th, one day before opening ceremonies. Our day started off with a stroll to our usual 8:30 breakfast. After some food, drinks, and laughs (mostly at MO's expense), we spent the rest of the morning waiting for our individual meetings. The morning saw a few of the boys going to the sponsor breakfast. This involved Scott talking with the Pepsi representative, while Ken ended up finding a job. We won't get into what Rick was doing but suffice it to say he was also at the breakfast.
We left for our daily practice at about 12:15. The practice started off with a little interval running followed by a mini-game. The scrimmage was the second in the series, which evened everything up. We're waiting for today's big match up to determine the mini-game champs. Shall it be the reds or the yellows? My money's on the red team. The session ended off with a little short corner work. Our warm down was accompanied by some phenomenal music. The only problem being they really needed to turn the speakers up, it was hard to hear the music over Jon.
Upon our return a light lunch saw us into the afternoon. The afternoon/evening involved a lot of free time for most with the continuation of the individual meetings. Most of the guys caught up on a little email and laundry before the tournament starts. A few guys decided to play a some soccer under the lights. I don't know who won that game but the highlight of the match was Robin tripping over a tents guide wire. All in all, a rather dull day.
Thanks for all the emails and support from back home and I'm sure there will be more to follow.
I think we were all a little late getting to sleep with the buzz of Opening Ceremonies. It was wonderful!!! And it was great to know that we had a day off after to begin the task of honing in on the Agricultural bunch we would start off the tournament against. I splurged at breakfast and deviated from my typical porridge and fruit... treated myself to some beans and eggs!!! Woweeeee is right!!! I just can't let myself go to the extremes of a guy like Campbell who typically eats the equivalent of three cows worth of steak for breakfast. That guy's C must be constantly reeling!!! (Shorty and I enjoyed some special time this AM!)
During the day yesterday, Gene ran through the team with individual meetings. Coach Stanley's English is improving daily, exponentially, and his input was excellent. This, combined with the video work of V, combined with the computer-wizardry of Gino, made the sessions productive... mine anyway.
Speaking of Stanley, he is finding his sea legs and has become an integral part of the goings on. So sweet to have him along! Ball-breaker Bissett is doing an more-than-admirable job of squeezing when need be, yet always smiling and always positive and always contributing... essentially, we're all scared s*&%less of his authority and don't dare show up late for anything!!! His experience and passion rubs off on us all, and I'm sure he wishes he was still on the field!!!
I committed a MAJOR faux-pas and missed the morning management meeting. Not what we're looking for from the OLD GUY!!! A casual stick and ball session brought everybody into focus... the forwards were pumping in lots of shots and looked up for the task. Robin and I did some more defender-oriented work... he is such a "tuned" athlete. His intensity and commitment to perfecting his positional elements rub off on us all. I felt good, and "in the zone" after this session.
A few of us went to support the women in their opening game against India. The Indians proved to be a pesky opponent, sporting similar speed and skill associated with their male counterparts. The girls pressed early and had several corners which were not converted. A goal at this point would have given them the victory I think... as it often is, squandered chances can come back to haunt you. KT had a great game, and I was proud of my Honey for her great defence... Lise certainly had her hands full with a very speedy and talented right winger. Needless to say, it is very cool to be cheering for my girl for the second time at Commonwealths.
In the evening the serious preparations and strategizing began. The nerves always start kicking in when the serious meetings begin... it's a feeling I always look forward to. When it happens, I know that it is show time. It feels good to be here!
With that, ich sage, "Auf Wieder sehen". Viel Lieben und Grussen wunche ich an alle.
 Canadian Elite athletes get nothing but the best sport medical treatment for the 2002 Commonwealth Games…and sometimes it means a soak in a garbage can. One way to help athlete's recover from training sessions is called a contrast bath. This process involves repeated soaks in hot baths, followed by cold baths. The changing from hot and cold temperatures helps to relax muscles and to flush out toxins, so athletes are better prepared for competitions or training the next day. In Manchester England, such baths are hard to come by. Ross Outerbridge, Team Canada's Chief of Medical (Kamloops, BC) knew of the importance of contrast recovery baths to the athletes, so he went out in search to find them. After a few unsuccessful tours of various department stores, a Manchester Games volunteer driver, came up with the solution. She blurts out, in a classic English women's accent, "Is what you need… is a Wheely Bin", referring to large city garbage cans with wheels. So two wheely bins were donated by the City of Manchester, brought back to the Canadian Medical Offices and filled with water ready for use.
So thanks to the friendly volunteers, the chief of medical, and the creative use of garbage cans, Canadian athletes are well prepared to take on the Commonwealth! |
Well it seems like an eternity since I last put fingers to keyboard to report on the comings and goings of the Canadian men's field hockey team. Unfortunately I will be resigned to brevity today as times are tough after a highly controversial loss to the English. I will not bore you with the details of the day... just know that we woke up, had a meeting, ate and left for the game (as usual food was fine, meetings informative and between event naps grand).
We had a game plan. If followed, it would give us at worst a draw that would see us through to the second round (after our abysmal performance against Wales we are again left with the all too familiar predicament of beating one of the top 6 teams in the world to advance).
From the sound of the opening hooter it was apparent we had not only the possibility to not only tie but, (quote the Flower Of Scotland) "stood against him...'gainst who?...proud Edwards's army, and send them homeward to think again", for those of you who are not Rugby fans, translated it means win. Brilliant deception on a penalty corner saw Wayne Fernandes put the bulge in the old onion bag (score). Sadly the lead was short lived as the English sweeper answered with a thunderous blast on their own penalty corner (preferring power to finesse), drawing the Brits level with eons to play.
The seesaw struggle continued, neither team giving quarter... not pretty but pure Commonwealth hockey. Then the inevitable (at least for Canadian hockey players) happened. An English forward ran into the D, breaking through. He crashed headlong into Mahood and landed on top of him. The ball came to rest 1.5 metres from he collision on Wayne Fernandes' stick. He smartly kept it there. 2 English forwards decided to put the strength of Wayne's new composite stick to the test by bludgeoning it fiercely. Consequently the South African umpire called a penalty stroke on Canada with 2 minutes left in the game. I guess if you are from the southern hemisphere you call things the opposite from how they actually are. End result they scored.
We generated 3 more chances in the last 2 minutes but were left wanting. Amazingly we did not lose control, and kill or break anything (I for one was thankful I had 30 yds to reach the umpire to think about how fruitless a caning woul be). The English manager summed it up best... "Sorry boys. That's the worst call I've seen in 25 years of international hockey". Sums it up there. Enjoy the rest of the tournament and hopefully we can do something good to reward everyone's support.
Well, the Commonwealth Games finally came to a close late last night. Most of the boys took it easy during the day, because of a late night on Saturday of playing cards, scrabble and reading 
its true!
Then it was on to the Closing Ceremonies for some, as the smart ones stayed back anticipating a major down pour, and, sure enough, good merry old England / Manchester didn't let us down. The few that stayed back watched it in the Canada House with a few glasses of milk as the closing ceremonies got drenched.
Later on there was a huge party in the International Zone for all the athletes. It was a great time, lots of chit chat and a bit of dancing, if you could call it that. The night ended back at the dorms with some singing and passing out. All in all, a great day!
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