8/11/2019 Zag NFHCA Cover
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Ric CharlesworthA Hockey Legend
This past June, ninelubs and college teams
raveled with Zag Hockey to
witness one of the greatest
erformances in American
ockey history as Team USA
nished fourth in the World
Cup in the Netherlands. More
han 200 players, coaches,
nd supporters experienced
ockey on its greatest stage,
with 15,000 fans filling Kyocera
tadium daily, creating an
tmosphere rarely seen in the
port. While the USAs success
was one of the biggest stories
oming out of the World Cup
here were a number of other historic hockey
moments experienced by the Zag travelers. Zag
ravelers were able see what was possibly the
ast game for the worlds greatest hockey player,
uciana Aymar. And one team, Mystx FHC (see
heir DocumenTOURy at www.zagfieldhockey.
om/live), was able to witness another legend,
Australias Ric Charlesworth, as he capped off
is illustrious coaching career by winning the
Mens World Cup. While Mystx FHC were able
o see two former Mystx alumni, Julia and Katie
Reinprecht, as they battled Aymar and powerful
Argentina for 3rd place, they were also likely the
one Americans in a sea of Dutch and Australian
ans as Charlesworth led the Australians to a 6-1
riumph over the Dutch for the world title.
Ric Charlesworth has seemingly done it
ll in his 62 years on earth. Where to begin?
He is a medical doctor. He was a member of
he Australian Parliament for a decade. He is
former first-class cricketer, who also served
s Performance Director of Cricket New
ealand. And that doesnt even get into what
Charleston has done on the hockey pitch,
where Charlesworth is legendary. As a player,Charlesworth
competed for Australia in five
ifferent Olympic games. As a coach, he will
o down as his nations greatest in any sport.
rom 1993 to 2000, he coached the Australian
womens national team, leading the Hockeyroos
o a staggering two World Cup titles and three
Olympic gold medals. As coach of the Australian
mens team from 2009 until his recent retirement,
Charlesworth captured two World Cup titles and
ne Olympic bronze medal. He is considered by
many as one of the worlds greatest hockey minds
nd we sat down with him to share more about
is history, his coaching wisdom and more.
ZAG: We had a lot ofAmerican teams in the
Netherlands for the World
Cup. What would you have
hoped for them to see from
the team you coached to the
title?
Charlesworth: Thats a
difficult question because I
dont normally think of things
in that context. We try to play
a way that works. And I think
its pretty much up to everyone
else to work out the way theyplay, to find a way that works
for them, you know?
ZAG: What would you say are some of the
strengths of the teams you coach? Is there a
trademark, a stamp you try to put on the teams
you coach?
Charlesworth: Youve got to have quality players
if you want to win. But I think we have a way
of playing that suits our players well. We play a
pressing game. I think that fits pretty well with
the way Australians like to play sport. Thats
something thats important for us. We try to score.
We are aggressive about scoring. I think thats the
most difficult thing to do in our sport. So its also
the most interesting thing, so we place emphasis
on that. At the same time, we pass out of the back.
But the big thing is pressing, so we dont allow the
other team much time in our territory. You cant
put any strategy into effect without technical skill
and weve got technically gifted players who are
athletically gifted, too.
ZAG: You mentioned the mentality of the
Australian athlete and how that plays into
the way you want your teams to play. Is that a
fighting mentality, a will to win?
Charlesworth: Everybody wants to win, so I
dont know if thats it. We play aggressively andassertively. When
the game starts, we are never
looking to keep the game scoreless. If its one-all,
we are never content for it to stay one-all. We
want to win the game. Its not a strategy to avoid
losing. If you watch, for example, soccer, lots
of countries play not to lose. They lose the ball,
go back in their end and defend. Thats not our
approach. When we lose the ball, we try to win it
back as soon as we can.
ZAG: Australia is not unlike the U.S. in that
hockey is a sport that flies under the radar.
What has it been like to coach a sport thats not
considered major in your country?
Charlesworth: It makes it easier in some waybecause you dont get
some of the scrutiny. It
pretty hard for us to get traction in the media
for it to grow as wed like it to grow. But wha
I worry about with sport in general is that its
become big business and commercially driven
way thats not nice. People want to see gladia
beating each other up and our sport is about
and speed, so its different in that respect. Th
one of the crosses we have to bear.
ZAG: Gladiators? I assume youre talking ab
Australian Rules Football. As Americans we
relate as we also gravitate more to sports we
invented.Charlesworth: The biggest sport in our coun
a sport thats only played in this country and t
Australian Rules Football. Youve got America
Football, weve got Australian Rules Football.
Weve got 100,000 spectators at games on the
weekend. Its extraordinary, but thats where a
media attention and money goes in Australia.
weve got athletes in our sport who could succ
in that game but they decided to choose hocke
ZAG: What made you choose hockey as a bo
Charlesworth: I played Australian Football u
was about 14 or 15 as well as hockey. I also pl
cricket. So I was involved in the other games,but I suppose what
hockey offered me was th
Olympics and the whole world. With most sp
in Australia, all you have are the Commonwe
Games. I think it was the international aspect
hockey that attracted me as a young man. I al
liked that in hockey you didnt get beaten up
you did in football. Like I said before, its a ga
of skill and speed. Even the women play the g
by the same rules. On our Australian team we
have a doctor and two engineers. You can hav
life and be a hockey player. A life outside spo
which I think makes you better balanced.Th
was part of the deal, too. In the end, the game
provided me the opportunities I was looking ZAG: You mention
that women and men pla
the same rules. You have successfully coache
both men and women. Are those jobs differe
Charlesworth: No, not very different at all. I
think its a mistake to think it is. Youve got t
be careful of generalizations, but there are som
advantages in coaching women. For one thin
women tend to be less egotistical than men. T
are better team players, in my view. They are
honest about whats going on within the team
whereas with the men lots of stuff is subterrai
There are a lot of things people dont talk abo
ag FH Tours and Events is privileged to provide exciting and
fresh content for NFHCA
members highlighting stories from around the hockey world. With
lead author Jeff Bradley,
his series brings professional and journalistic insight by a
sports industry veteran. Jeff got
is start as a reporter at Sports Illustrated then moved to the
New York Daily News, where
e was the Yankees beat writer from 1992-1995. Jeff was also one
of the founding editors
nd a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine for 13 years. Co-Author
Melisa Meccage is
a co-founder of Zag Sports Tours and Events. She is a 15 year
NCAA Division I coach
veteran (Princeton, Iowa, Virginia). She was also a member of
the Senior and U21 U
National teams. She was an All American at the University of
Iowa and former Big T
MVP. Co-Author Jeremy Meccage is co-founder and Chief Experience
Operator of Z
Sports Tours and Events. You can follow Jeff on twitter
@jerseyjbradley. You can lear
more about Zag Sports at www.zagfieldhockey.com or
@zagsport.
(continued on P
8/11/2019 Zag NFHCA Cover
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Written by By Eileen OReillyAssistant Coach, Montclair State
University
Goal scoring opportunities are the product of a variety ofkills
executed in the attacking circle. In order to capitalize on Red
Zone attack situations, an attacker must recognize time and
spaceonstraints inside the circle. Understanding these factors will
allow thettacker to determine which skills are most useful in order
to score.
At any skill level it is important to practice attacking skills
in game-
ke drills. Simulating game-like attacking situations is
accomplishedy requiring the attacker to perform different skills
within designated
ime and space constraints. These limitations will train the
attackero develop strong vision with the ball, use fewer touches
and take a
horter back swing. Additionally, basic shooting drills should
require anttacker to practice a variety of receptions and shots
(hit, choke, slap,ick, etc.) to mimic different goal scoring
opportunities.
Red Zone Skill DrillLane 1: 1 v GK: The attacker carries on an
angle into the circle in
a 1v GK situation. The attacker must dribble outside of the
conesuntil she reaches the last cone.
Lane 2: Receive, turn, and shoot: Immediately following the 1
v
GK the attacker recuts to receive a hard pass from outside of
thetop of the circle. Following the reception the attacker looks to
turn
and shoot on goal.
Lane 3: Deflection: Immediately following the pass from the
topof the circle the attacker cuts to position herself to deflect a
hardpass coming from outside the circle
Focus Points: Lane 1: Carrying with speed and vision, timing of
dodges, cha
of speed to eliminate, high angle shot vs. low angle shot
(emph
advantages of high angle shot and how to avoid getting
pinned
the corner forcing low angle shot) Lane 2: First touch to allow
for clean reception, quick turn to
shoot strong, awareness of positioning in front of the cage.
Lane 3: Open stick angle, reaction to slower moving
ball(emphasize cutting to the ball to receive), body positioning
toredirect the ball into the frame of the goal cage
Progression: Provide a time limit for each lane to simulate
game-like pace of
Require a different type of shot in each lane (sweep, slap,
flick,
Rotate the skill in each lane to practice various skills from
different a
Add a defender for 1v1 scenario, allow additional attacker to
jo
for 2v1 scenario
NFHCA SKILLSAttacking Skills Inside the Circle
Lane 2
Lane 1 Lane 3
As an example, in Australian Rules Football, out
f 700 professional players, I dont think any of
hem have admitted they are gay. Youd think,
robably, about 70 of them are, right? But in the
womens game, so what? If youre gay and want
o come out, no big deal. Lets get on with it. But
here are a whole range of things that go on within
team that create tension, but with the women it
eems theyre willing to put things out in the open
nd solve them. Not so much the case with men.
AG: How about on the field?
harlesworth: Men may be a little better at the
nalytical part of the game. I maybe had to spend
little more time going through video with the
women, to explain positional play, but in terms
f their work ethic, their ambition and capacity to
eliver, train and achieve a goal, to develop skill
nd be brilliant, maybe theres less speed and power
n the womens game, but coaching is the same.
AG: You were all set to coach the national team
hrough the Commonwealth Games, but decided
fter the World Cup to retire. What are your
motions now? Do you think youll miss coaching?
Charlesworth: No, I think retiring is the right
thing for me to do. I dont want to be away all the
time, which is what this job entails. Its 24/7 when
youre the national team coach. Every minute
of the day is filled with something. I have an 11
and 13 year old who want to see me more. They
wanted me to go to Rio, to the Olympics, and its
right in front of me. But I dont want to miss the
next two years of my childrens lives. So I made
the decision that this was the right time.
ZAG: Well, you can certainly be proud to be
going out on top.
Charlesworth: I didnt think about it in those
terms, ever. Because every time you decide youre
going to coach a few more years, you put your
situation at risk. We, in fact, played better in
London than we did in this World Cup. But we
were seen as being failures because we played
badly for 10 minutes and didnt win the title.
So its a pretty tough gig. When we faltered in
the semifinals of the Olympics, we were deemed
failures. Ive been coaching in three World Cups
and seven major tournaments and we won six of
them. Id have never thought that possible. So, I
can look back on that and have some satisfact
with the outcomes.
Want to contribute to the conversation?
Give us your thoughts on who the greatest ho
coaches of all time are? #Ric on Twitter.
About Zag FH Tours and Events:Zag FH is the leader in providing
international hocketo over 25 hockey playing countries for over 10
years. W
nearly 5000 travelers having taken part in our programin a
variety of sports, Zag FH prides itself on deliverinthe highest
quality team changing international experon the field. By
leveraging our unique in-house hockeyknowledge, we are able to
identify how best to maximthe field development opportunities for
our traveling tWhile development on the field is critical, equally
impis providing our teams with growth opportunities off. Zis a
pioneer in creating balanced programs which commandatorycommunity
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opportunities which seto challenge the teams and athletes to grow
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Ric Charlesworth A Hockey Legend(continued from Pag
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