WOMEN'S HOCKEY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 108, 8 May 1937, Page 23

WOMEN'S HOCKEY

POSITION ON FIELD

INSURANCE IN AUSTRALIA

GENERAL NOTES

(By "Circle.")

Apparently insurance schemes for players in Australia have not'met with such success as that brought inio operation in Wellington, and unless insurance companies offer more attractive terms, it is unlikely that the Victorian Women's Hockey Association will go ahead with its scheme of insurance for players. It is understood that each, girl must sign a separate policy. The premium is 10s for six months (or 18s 9d foxtwelve months), and^ if a player is totally disabled while playing, she receives £1 a week for 26 weeks: for partial disablement she gets 10s a week for 26 weeks, with £ 1 Is for medical expenses in both cases. What the association wishes to secure is a scheme whereby players could be covered for occasional minor injuries, such as sprains and bruises, or possible fractures where an X-ray is necessary. • .'.: : It is understood that New South Wales players have come to a satisfactory arrangement whereby the Whole team is insured under one policy, but because of the smaller numbers in Victoria it is not'possible tb adopt a similar scheme. NOTES ON PLAYERS. Miss' Rita Brown, third grade for] Huia, is going to do some good work for her team provided the remainder of the team will assist her.

Although early in the season Miss be. ■—-i ■' . b

i Wl i ■•"• : . ! «LB I ! • •«■•»• ! •»< : x! ■ x \*/ x. ; !/nsi

S 5 «=3 4 5 Joy Keating, Huia junior forward, is already showing good progress on the field.

Miss M. Baillie, captain of St. Joseph's senior B, played her ■ usual good game oh Saturday against Hutt. Miss Agnes Ferric. centre-half for St. Joseph's senior B, was one of the few players who was polished arid accurate in her first match of the season. Miss K. Quirk, whp has been promoted to St.. Joseph's B from the third grade, arid Miss K. Symes, left wing, also a promoted player, gave a good account of themselves on Saturday last at Woburn. Mrs. P. O'Donnell made her first appearance for Hutt United on Saturday in the match against University at Woburn. The former Huia player gave a good exhibition, doing valuable spoiling work which upset a number .of University attacks. JUNIOR TEAMS. The Wellington Technical Old Girls' third grade team shows promise of some fine work this year. They need combination/but in other respects their play is good. Many of these players should firfS themselves; in higher grades next season if their early form is maintained. The1 Huia junior team is not showing up very well so far, owing, probably, to the lack of a senior team. They are playing too much of a defensive game, and are not at all sure of their attack. They need strength to the back an* half lines, and badly require coaching in position, oh the field. Peton^ Technical juniors have started oft well. They are continually °n the alert, and make the most of any opportunities offered through weaknesses in their opponents' defences. What Shoes Shall I Wear? Last week, it will be recalled, some remarks by Marjorie Pollard, the famous English player, on the care cf the. stick were printed. Let us hear what she has to say about the type of shoes a player should wear. Hockey is a game of speed—speed and more speed. To acquire this players have gone to extremes, even to playing in gymnasium shoes. Such a thing may be all right if we could be sure that the winter would be dry, but can we? Hockey fields are for the best part of the season damp, and often muddy. Then anything with a- rubber, sole is useless to a degree. Half the speed is getting off the mark quickly. The only thing that grips at all is leather; in fact "there is nothing like leather." If a player cannot stand the expense of a real, pair of hockey shoes —and no good Shoes can be cheap—then let her convert a pair of walking shoes into hockey shoes. This is a simple operation. Most of the heel must be removed, and then leather bars can be put on sole and heels to give that necessary bite on the ground. The shoe question is important. High heels, pointed toes, strap shoes, and so on, are useless and dangerous. Positions on the Field. There is reproduced on this page a diagram of the hockey field, showing the approximate positions of players at the commencement of the game. It is inserted for the convenience of ' new players, so that in addition to knowing their correct position of the field they can also become familiar w^ith the, terminology of the game. The letters indicate, G., goalie; X.8., right back; L.8., left back; R.H., right half; C.H, centre half; L.H., left half; R.W., right wing;■R.l., right inner; C.F., centreforward; L.1., left inner; L.W., left wing. A represents the circle, and b the five yards' line, c the twenty-yards' line, d the centre line. The circle in the centre of the field is where the bully off takes place. Regarding the positions on the field. There are five goal-getter or forwards in the forward line, and a hockey field should be 60 yards,wide. That gives each player 12 yards up and down the field in which to operate and perform her allotted task—for the benefit of the combined attack. The greatest; collective fault of the forward line is that of bunching. It is a waste of time to bunch. The wing players are often responsible in the first place for the rriieration towards a space up and down the middle of tl.e field. Bunched players are easy to mark by the opposing defence. It is a true saying that "where there is space there is speed." No matter how good a forward is, no matter how good she thinks she is, she has no. business to be in the circle helping her own defence.