Pertinent points made by provincial hockey coach

Press, 4 January 1978, Page 19

Pertinent points made by provincial hockey coach

By

KEVIN TUTTY

Every year, as part of his duties as the Canterbury hockey selectorcoach, Cyril Walter provides a comprehensive analysis of the team’s performance during the season.

The report runs to about 30 typed pages, with a breakdown of each representative game and general comments. To Walter this is an integral part of his task as coach, and it is typical of the dedication and fervour with which he approaches his job. Each year the Canter* bury Hockey Association reproduces part of the review in its annua! report, and this year, as always, Walter makes many pertinent points about the past season. The most impressive section of the report is left to the end. It is the summary of matches. Last season Canterbury played 19 games, won 16, drew two, lost one, scored 95 goals and conceded nine.

In 10 seasons as Canterbury coach, Walter has fashioned a remarkable record. Under his guidance Canterbury has played 144 games. It has won 124, drawn 13, and lost seven. Canterbury has scored 595 goals and conceeded 91.

Last season was the most demanding in the history of the sport for top players, and Walter makes early reference to it. As a leading province, Canterbury had a heavy representative programme, and as many members of the Canterbury team were involved at New Zealand level, commitments on players became excessive, both in terms of playing and financially.

Last season a new competition — the Philips Cup — was introduced and added to the burden in a season that was made more difficult because of excessively wet grounds. The heavy commitment on players last season led to fatigue and staleness from prolonged training , and matches that extended far beyond the limits of

any normal season, Walter said. Canterbury’s form at the national tournament in Wanganui in August and the New Zealand team’s displays against Australia in September, bore out Walter’s comments. He was critical of summer training programmes “prepared by physical education graduates who are not conversant with the workload involved at representative and club levels.” Their fitness peaks are suited more to athletics than Wqlfpr SA’d

Although critical of the organisation of the Philips Cup, Walter said the competition could be of benefit to hockey. It created interest at club level throughout the country, but demanded careful planning if it was to continue.

Umpiring interpretations often cause debate, and one that Walter feels should be reviewed is the dangerous shot rule. In Canterbury’s first game of the season, against Nelson, two goals were disallowed from shots which Walter considered legitimate. They were above knee level. “There was a time when such goals were automatically awarded, and should still be. I oppose any form of undercutting, but the

danger of injury from cleanly hit, rising shots, is exaggerated,” Walter said. “Whether a goal is scored or disallowed is becoming a lottery, depending upon interpretation. Policy, not lottery, should prevail, and I strongly recommend a reexamination of the history of past policies and of the history of the incidence of injuries.” Injuries and ill-temper are more frequently caused by mis-inter-pretation of the obstruction rule. It required attention to eliminate ambiguous interpretation. The Canterbury B team is important as a nursery for young players and should be used to a greater degree. After a player graduates from colts, Canterbury B is the next logical step. Auckland places much importance on its B team and it has six or seven matches a year, said Walter. Canterbury had two last year.