WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 255, 25 July 1935, Page 16

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Would it be in Best Interests of Game? PROPOSED FIJIAN TOUR Play and Players; General Notes

(By

Critic. )

A proposal is afoot to invite a Fijian women’s hockey team to tour the Dominion next season, affiliated associations to the New Zealand Women’s Hockey Association having been already circularised ou the matter. The parent body is evidently enthusiastic about such a tour, but looking into the project from a serious point of view the first queries that come to mind are: — . .

Would a Fijian tour of the Dominion be of great value to the game in this country apart from the novelty side of it? Are we likely to gain much of note worthy of adoption from such a tour? From an educational point of view, would such a team at the present juncture be of more value to women’s hockey in this country than a visit from an All-Aus-tralian side? The answers are obvious. I hold the view that no good could accrue from such a tour unless the members of the Fijian team were experts in playing the game and that, it eau be fairly safely stated, is not the case. A much better proposition, and one I feel sure which would meet with the approval of the majority of affiliated associations, would be to invite an All-Aus-tralian combination to these shores, for from such a side much more could be gained than from a Fijian team. From what can be gathered from the various centres, the prospects of extending Fiji an invitation do not at all appear bright.

Wesley Team’s Loss. An unfortunate and severe loss to the Wesley senior team is Miss Nola Clark, right half, who played her last game for her team on Saturday. Miss Clark will be in Palmerston North this week-end. where she will in future reside. Miss Clark’s work in the half line has been ot a very good standard this season and the prospects of representative honours for her were not far away. As she proposes to continue in the game at Palmerston North, her progress will be keenly watched bv her ex-clubmates. Her absence in the Wesley half line is sure to be felt on Saturday against Technical Old Guls.

New Zealanders’ Defeat. After playing two successful matches against Newcastle and New South Wales, in which the members of the team receiv cd the highest praise for their brilliance from the Australian Press, the New Zealand women’s hockey team suffered a sound beating in the opening match of the South Pacific tournament at Melbourne, on Tuesday, by New South Wales, the score being 4 goals to 1. Were the New Zealanders foiled by New South Wales last Saturday when the State team went under in a close game? From the meagre reports cabled out, one gains the impression that such was the case, and having found out where the real strength of the tourists laid, New South Wales drove home their true capabilities in one ot the most important matches of the tour Nevertheless, it should prove a good object lesson to the New Zealanders for the remainder of the tournament. The tourists’ next match in the tournament will be played to-morrow against Queensland. On Saturday they play Victoria and on Monday they are due to oppose West Australia and on Tuesday South Australia.

Senior Play and Players. Miss P. Hilkie showed to good purpose in a new light on Saturday for College Old Girls as goalkeeper. The previous week she was noticed playing left half. Miss Hilkie only recently resumed playing, having missed the better part of the season. . Miss Jean Mack, Technical Old Girls centre-half, was a thorn in Swifts’ attacks, and time and again was responsible for smashing likely moves by the opposition inners and centre. The left-wing display of Miss Mavis West, for Hutt United, was one of the features of the tussle with Varsity. She gave a magnificent performance, and was the main source of keeping the students defence exceptionally busy in the latter stages. Comparing the work of the Technical Old Girls’ senior A full-backs last week, both of whom played well, Miss Pearl Winter showed herself to be the more versatile and, indeed, saved her team from awkward situations on many occasions. Being a strong hitter and very slick on her feet, she made some great recoveries to clear her line. Miss Winter’s work this season has been of a high order. Her partner, Miss N. Campbell, although less-experienced, is steadily improving, and should, when the next season comes round be a full-back of some account. Poneke’s left half, Miss K. Hakan'a, has a penchant for infringing the rules, as was particularly noticeable against Ton. Still, despite this weakness, she showed herself to be a hard worker. Ton’s left-wing, Miss H. Gunson, did not play a game in keeping with the importance of the match. Her attention was distracted from the play to the side line, and as a result, she was invariably lost when the ball came out her way.

Speed, fairly good ball control, but little knowledge of what to do with it when it came her way, sums up the work shown by Poneke’s right wing, Miss M. Fairburn. Ouce this player grasps the idea of when and where to place the ball, as a wing should do, then I feel sure she will climb high up the ladder of hockey fame. Both goalkeepers in tlie Swifts-Techni-cal Old Girls senior A mutch, Misses M. Hawkins and D. Stott, respectively, distinguished themselves with some brilliant clearances. If anything, Miss Stott underwent the more trying ordeal whieh brought out her real capabilities as a custodiau. ,

Miss M. Nelligan, Varsity’s speedy left-wing, would probably have changed the whole aspect of the game" with Hutt United had her inners bqen capable of keeping up with her and accepting her cross-passes. Miss Nelligan is obviously too fast for her line mates. An outstanding performance at fullback was provided by Miss Kathleen Miller for Swifts last week, and until she suffered a nasty shin injury she repeatedly ran through the Technical Old Girls’ line to place her forwards on the offensive. Iler “scoop” strokes and “push” shots were much in evidence, particularly in the second spell when she used them to great advantage. If a centre-forward deserved more success than actually came her way, that player was Miss L. Arthur, of Top. With an ounce of luck Mifis Arthur might have given Toa victory over.Poneke.

One for tlie Selector. What a great defensive player Miss Frances Mitchell is can only lie realised when she is seen in action. Last week she was superb, and although playing at fullback for Poneke (she usually plays in the half line), she never faltered in her brilliance and was the shining light of her learn. When one hears selector J. C. Cusack remark that he is ou the lookout for a worthy left half to take to the tournament. one wonders why he lias not looked among the senior B teams in the hopes of finding one. He would not require to look far, for I feel confident he eoiild not overlook the brilliance of Miss Mitchell, who would fill tlie position to the undoubted satisfaction of all.

Goal-scoring Achievement. A splendid goal-scoring performance was enacted at Upper Hutt by Wesley's centre-forward, Miss Verna Mumm, who, in the match against the local senior team had tlie distinction of scoring all live goals for her side. Miss Mumm, who has been distinguishing herself since she first came under notice when playing for We.«-

ley last season, is proving herself the most outstanding centre-forward in the senior B grade, and it will be sheer bad luck if she fails to catch the selector's eye this term.

Maori Tournament at Otaki. Considerable interest is being taken in the proposed Maori women’s seven-a-side tournament to be held on the Otaki Domaiu on Saturday, August 10.' To date 11 teams have entered with the prospect of a few more. A trophy to be known as the Raukawa Cup will be competed tor and each member of the winning team will be presented with a miniature cup. Messrs It. J. Lloyd ami Kateue. members of the Maori Women's JlwrltQ' Federation, attended a meeting <>l >’ federation in Otaki last Sunday in the interests of the Wellington section It y said that there is every prospect of nil iiugton being represented by three team, at the tournament.

Veterans and Older Players (By Nobmax R. Jacobsen.)

Old players who live in the past, are clogs on progress. They become stereotyped and stay-putters. They are too conservative in a time when change is the order of the day. They try to remain ri"id when all around is flexible and siting way voluntarily from insight or compulsorily from force of circumstance. There is little place for such veterans save for contrast as jnilestones m the path of progress, whieh has left them jcYet such veterans are too often the people who hold the balance of power in games and elsewhere. But they are more interested in the power of balancing affairs in the old equilibrium than m the good of the game and its advance to a new equilibrium. On the. other hand the experienced player who is advancing in •wisdom and learning along with tin younger generation and not apart. noiils great, power for the advancement of the game. He ceases to be dictatorial end apart from the group, but rather a leader in the ranks. Someone else assumes the leadership of the team, and has the chance of acquiring experience. Veterans, in the wrong sense, are too conservative and trv to stem progress and hold up the tide whieh is changing. They diink m terms of the past by itself, instead of in terms of sequence of past events, including the present. The young captain who has little experience is at a great disadvantage, and needs assistance. Experienced players and tyros must. be welded together in the one team, bl vieiilesse pouvait, si jeunesse savait. It experience had the power and yoirthful vibrant energy had the experience. These have to be combined. In any real l.imiTy such is the position. For it is not the real nature of a family group to be dictated to by the head of a house. The family or group idea consists in everyone having a say and respecting the others. So we find associations in games as in other spheres of life tend to become institutionalised and a few grey beards rule the roost. A clean sweep will not help the position. Rather aim at balancing the group. Get rid of the but treasure the more experienced w.io change with the times. They are then young though old. The test is can these ‘‘veterans” learn, or have they finished learning? In the latter ease, they can safely be put into the discard. If they persist in teaching solely iu terms ot a past, they are not wanted. Length of years <lops not menu maturity ot expo*.l* cnee. Many a person old in years at a game has learned little and fails to gather a wealth of meanings in the game, while comparatively juniors, chronologically, have reaped a wealth of experience and are the real leaders. Again many veterans in years are physically and mentally younger than very many players who are just out of their ’teens. . It depends on the manner of living and enthusiasm, for living and the science in living. Some of the greatest physical achievements in endurance have been done about the age of 40 years. Sheer speed achievements are often done nt an earlier age. Iu games both enter and a balance is the optimum. Hockey enthusiasts watching the Indians will have ■noticed that their tactics induced our Wellington representatives to rush hither and thither and waste energy while the visitors calmly waited and saved it. ” he result was that the local players were quite exhausted in the final stages of the game and the Indians had it all their own -way. . So we must develop an intelligent game and become veterans in the sense ot maturity of experience and save unnecessary exertion. We know the potentiality of physical youth to disperse and scatter energy. All this should be organised better aiid used to better purposes. The veterans for the most part are compelled to resort to headwork and intelligent play and keep on learning tactics, while the younger player tends to find refuge in impetuosities. In good hockey, we should use first the head, then the feet and body, and then the hands with all the fascinating stickwork they can display. The prerogative of youth lies in superabundance of energy in the latter two, imt there tends to be lack of skill in the first. Finally I should suggest that “veterans’’ who do not advance with the times should be scrapped, because they are dead as far as progress goes, even if they do amble along on two legs. This applies both to active players on the field, to members of executives or captains mid managers alike. “The king is dead, long live the king,” should be the cry when veterans have past their period of usefulness. It. is the usefulness that counts, not length of years. Usefulness gives dignity to the title “Veteran"—-absence of it cannot be bolstered up by mere longevity.