PLAYERS TURNED COACH x TODD WILLIAMS

We’ve got a case study of two Gryphon Great players who’ve made the transition of player into coach at the highest of levels. Todd Williams and Brett Garrard. We’re about to launch into a new year and with it a new coaching philosophy and company called Living Hockey. In Feb (in the UK) we will have our first set of clinics of the year.

My Story:

Originally from Hobart, Todd spent way too many years at the AIS and then had moved to Melbourne by the time he decided to play a season for Southgate in the England Premier League at the end of 1998. What was meant to be a six month break before returning to Australia has turned out to be 11+ years in which time he’s been lucky enough to meet Jo and together they try and look after 2 year old Connie.

Following his first season in England, Todd was offered a job and having noticed that whilst years of hockey had been hugely enjoyable and rewarding, it had done little for his bank account, to the extent that church mice felt sorry for him and would give him their spare change. This was the start of 10 years working in the commercial world as a business manager/consultant during which time hockey initially took a back seat in preference to working and finally earning some decent cash. Due to expert timing, Todd’s 40+ mid-life crisis/career change coincided nicely with the sharpest economic downturn the world has seen and so whilst the definition in the UK of an optimistic businessman is someone who irons 5 shirts on a Sunday night, Todd is now skipping around like a spring chicken as Head of Hockey at Magdalen College School in Oxford and is also Coach of Hampstead and Westminster in the England Premier League.

Todd coached HWHC in a earlier stint from 2002 to 2007, then looked after Slough (yes, of “The Office”) in the women’s Premier League in 2008, taking them to the League title and to a silver medal at the European Cup Winners Cup. After that, he started helping out at Surbiton HC and in the process of meeting up again with the Surbiton Captain and Coaching Director Brett Garrard, the usual conversations about hockey and how rubbish the coaching for schools and juniors can be that they normally had at the annual Gryphon Christmas drinks in London has turned into Living Hockey.

Now to speak for Brett:

Still England and GB’s most capped player, Brett has been playing in the England Premier League seemingly since just after the Romans stopped whacking the heads of beaten soldiers around with swords (a theory as to the origins of hockey in case you didn’t know) and replaced them with white dimples. Amazingly still south of 35, Brett is the skipper of Surbiton who are currently top of the England Premier League and is also the club’s Coaching Director, which involves amongst other things, looking after their 550+ juniors. Brett retired from the England and GB set up after the 2006 World Cup and (he won’t tell you this) can rightly be attributed as being a key player in the revival of the England team to where they are now as current European Champions. Right through his international career and since he was a teenager, Brett has run junior coaching camps at clubs throughout SW London and (once again, he won’t tell you this) there are players now in the national team that he coached when they were handing their nappies to their mother and walking on the Surbiton pitch for a session on passing.

As a player universally regarded by his peers as someone who “could play”, Brett knows pretty much everyone, including in Holland where he had a couple of seasons with KZ in The Hague. It was there that he became great mates with Dutch corner expert Taeke Taekema and which also led to the production of the first Living Hockey coaching DVD. Outrageously, they missed out on being nominated for an Oscar or Golden Globe for performances in modern drama and/or documentary but nonetheless it’s still the best hockey demonstration DVD you can get.

In early 2009, Brett started chatting to Todd about the idea of Living Hockey and after a mad weekend driving around Holland (twice – as they kept getting lost) and with Todd missing his flight after falling asleep at the gate (long story – involves a prominent Amsterdam nightclub and a grey goose), Living Hockey started to take the shape that you now see today – the best junior coaching events and camps by a mile, featuring the world’s best players and coaches.

LET’S GET THE BALL ROLLING x BEGGERS

Hi all,

Lets get the introduction out of the way. My name is Beggers, I hail from Perth, Australia. I recently turned 24 and have been playing for the Kookaburras for a little under a year now. When I’m not playing hockey, which isn’t often, I work full-time as an Occupational Health & Safety Advisor. Work and training are keeping me very busy at the moment in the lead up to the World Cup. We’re 3 weeks in to an intensive training block, which hopefully has us hitting our straps come New Delhi on Feb 28.

But lets not get ahead of ourselves, tomorrow we leave for a tough 3 game series against Korea in Hobart, Tasmania. This is a series I’m looking forward to as its our first hit-out since the Champions Trophy in Melbourne. Luckily I overcame an annoying rolled ankle to prove my fitness and gain selection for this trip. Korea are a dangerous team, as their performance at the Champions Trophy showed, so we will have to play well down in Hobart.

For those who don’t know me, I’m a defender, basically because I can’t score a goal to save my life. 28 games and 0 goals so far. The closest I’ve come is in New Zealand against Samoa, at about 14-0 we got a stroke, and I was fancying myself to take it, however I was told I had to earn it to take it – cheers Rob.

As I mentioned earlier, training is pretty intense at the moment. With selection for the World Cup coming up, everyone is trying to impress the coaches, to secure their spot in the team. Training’s and practice matches are quite physical and of a high tempo, which is good, as I reckon this is when we get the most out of training.

Anyways, I best go pull that uniform out from under the bed…I have packing to do.

Over and out.

Beggers

WALLPAPERS X PLAYER

Just before the Champions Trophy in 2009, we brought you DC’s Art Series Player Wallpapers. Some of these have were made into printed posters and handed out at that event. These were all hand-drawn and are truly art and not photoshopped. That said, photos still look brilliant, so before we get into a busy year of World Cups and Champions Trophies as well as a Comm Games thrown in there, here are a couple of the older player specific Wallpapers for you to enjoy.

Download the Hi-Res Version: Gryphon Wallpaper - Player - Rob Hammond BW Low Strike (97)

Download the Hi-Res Version: Gryphon Wallpaper - Player - Emma Stewart BW (62)

40 x 39 x 42

Its heating up down under. My preparation for the WC is on track but damn its tough. Last weekend me and my teammates went for an intensive three day camp just south of perth, away from all distractions of the big-smoke. Why? Well, the forecast for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday was 40, 39 & 42 degrees celsius respectively. We had 2 trainings a day with a inter squad match on the Sunday @ 2pm ,right when the mercury tipped the magic 42, but on the field it was melting at 45 degrees. You learn a lot about yourself and your teammates in these conditions. Who complains, who hides, who will rise to the occassion and take on the situation, who pushes themselves to the limit and beyond.

Some players stand out in the big comps, consistently. What isn’t surprising is in my experiences is its these same players that stand out on the training track, pushing the rest. Hard work breeds excellence. This week I returned from the camp and had Monday off from all practice, only the 2nd day off in the past 22 days. The World Cup’s gonna be a breeze compared to our preparation out here in Aus. Survival of the fittest and raising the bar each week. I love a challenge..

OK, I’m out, another session awaits in the weights room. Damn… I’m late…

CHECKING IN WITH GRYPHON LIFE x TENEAL ATTARD

Hi guys,

I thought I best get myself together and start adding some blogs for you to read… so here is my first.

A little intro… My name is Teneal Attard, better known to my team mates as T. I have been in the Aussie national squad since the beginning of 2005 and am looking forward to another massive year on the pitch in 2010. With a visit to Gryphon yesterday I was decked out with my new sticks and equipment and I must say it is looking good! Bring on the games!

The last few months have been great… Post the tour of Spain and Argentina in Nov last year it was time to relax and get ready for 2010. I had an awesome Christmas break with the family at the Whitsunday’s in QLD  which included a number of fun filled activities; jet boating, scuba diving on the great barrier reef, parasailing, helicopter ride, golf, shooting range, 4 wheel driving… just to name a few. Some of the pics from my holiday, it is such a beautiful place! Since than I am back in Perth, back to work and into the new year.

2010 has started out pretty full on in the life of a Hockeyroo. We have been doing some pretty intensive pre-season training and have well and truly worked off our Christmas delights. Our full program begins next week, so it is good-bye to the running shoes and welcome to the pitch.

We ended our pre season block with an adventure race this morning. Disciplines included a swim, kayak, ride and a run. There was plenty of banter pre race and I am sure there will be much more to come after our efforts. Funny moments included – attempts of drowning the opposition during the swim, Donnie and Bob falling out of the Kayak, Hurtzy wearing her helmet on the run and many many more. There were also some very attractive outfits to go with it. I will try and get some pics up of the day for you all to see!

I will leave it there for now, but I am sure there will be plenty more to come in the future!

DISPOSABLE x SOCS

Me (Sarah O’Connor) on DISPOSABLE. Looks like I’m the first to get into this

I’ve been thrown a camera and asked to take some photos that make up a day and aspects of my life. To find out a little more about me you can read my blogs. For now, here’s my life in Photo form. Please enjoy.

WALLPAPERS x DESIGN

Over the past year or two, DC’s been popping some time aside to create some wallpapers for us to all download and use on the old computer. Here’s a collection of the current designs (not player specific) that are open for you download and rotate through.

Until DC can come up with something else, think you can do better? If so comment to this thread and we can send you some materials to get started.

Download the Hi-Res: Gryphon Wallpaper - Red (104)

Download the Hi-Res: Gryphon Wallpaper - Fractal (167)

Download the Hi-Res: Gryphon Wallpaper - Yellow Splash (123)

Download the Hi-Res: Gryphon Wallpaper - Pain & Passion (126)

INTRODUCING DISPOSABLE

As we have eluded to in an earlier post of what G-Life has for the future in 2010, we are about to get down and dirty with the first of the new initiatives.

DISPOSABLE.

Disposable is an alter-ego of the player blog. In the age old phrase, “A picture speaks a thousand words” players are going to be showing us a little more about themselves through photos. We’ll be able to parts of their lives as done by them, with whatever camera they own. Be it a cheap throw away thing, a cool new compact, camera phone or a full blown DSLR we’ll get a glimpse of the every day.

In the next day or two the first of these will start to pop up. Check back often to see who’s doing what and get that insight.

Check Out: Our first DISPOSABLE as provided by Sarah O’Connor

WELCOME GRAEME BEGBIE

In the wake of his recent brilliant performance at Champions Trophy in Melbourne, Kookaburra, Graeme Begbie is welcomed with open arms to the Gryphon Family.

His ability to make incredible tackles at the most crucial of times, run and create space from the back line and some freakish arms that extend from nowhere that somehow hit the ball everytime has given Beggers a great deal of praise in recent dates. Hailing from Perth, Western Australia, he’s a member of the Thundersticks and the current local championship team in YMCC. Not only does he excel in Hockey but a part if the new breed of elite athletes that has a professional degree behind him.

Welcome Beggers and enjoy the ride.

2010 BEGINS x HURTZ

Happy New Year all ! 2010 has began and is already flying by. It is mid January and after a very very hectic debut year in 09 from Spar Cup to a home series to Champions Trophy to Junior World Cup to the World Cup Qualifiers and finishing the year with a 3 week long tour to Spain and Argentina – it exhausts me just thinking about it… Yet here I am back in Perth ready to live it up for another 12months!

So what does a ‘Hockeyroo’ get up to in the month she has off over Christmas… well no more than a bit more exercise by doing a 550km bike ride from Portland to Geelong in Victoria. Yes, that is correct 550 not 55 or 5 or 50 .. 550 long kms on a bike along the Great Ocean Road. One word …

AMAZING !

So now your all wondering what in the world is this mammoth bike ride. Well.. let me explain. 5000 cycling enthusiasts’ met at Portland, Victoria on Day 1 of 8 of the Great Victorian Bike Ride. The day rides ranged from 47kms to 100kms a day. Day 1 being 47kms sounds easy enough but as my luck would have it something has to go wrong. My friend and I literally started pedalling 20m from the start line and pop goes my tyre – great ! Just what we need.. so back to the start line it is to get it fixed only to then ride for another 5mins to have my tyre go flat AGAIN! This time we were a bit more thorough with our tyre changing and spotted the piece of glass that was causing us problems.

After the 47kms we were back to the campsite to set up our tent. For the 8 riding days and 1 rest day you sleep in your own tent which you pack up each morning and unpack each afternoon after the days ride. Day2 and 3 were much the same as Day 1… rain rain and head winds and more rain ! Thankfully by Day 4 and 5 our 97km and 100km days respectively the weather was beautiful yet extremely the ride was challenging. Day 4 was up a hill known as Lavers Hill a 16km climb to 800m above sea then a 20km drop to then another 11km climb to 600ms - boy were the legs like jelly after that day. I don’t think that even after the hardest anaerobic sessions at hockey have I ever had such sore legs. However, the scenery along the Great Ocean Road was unbelievable.

Apart from the bike ride I did get up to many other things – how could you live in Australia for a summer and not go to the beach many many times. I was also fortunate enough to see the final of the Mens CT and Australia take the title! I spent Christmas out on the boat going up and down the river numerous times with everyone attempting to wakeboard or ski – catching up with friends that I haven’t seen all year and spending time with family. Also I aged a year over the break .. now 20 and no longer a teenager I am starting to feel old!

But now the fun is over I am back on the west coast and straight back into the hockey life we all love! Fitness testing, skinfolds, running, bike and sessions in the hot heat of Perth.

2010 is a big year for everyone involved so adequate preparation is required. Numerous home series in February, our must win World Cup Qualifying tournament in April, AHL in May, various other tournaments then the World Cup and Comm Games towards the end of the year.

Fingers crossed 2010 brings us all a bit of luck  !

Hurtzyx

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