TRANSITION x PLAYER TO COACH: NOT AS EASY AS IT SOUNDS x WOODHOUSE

Hi Guys
I’ve been thinking of something to write for months now and I’ve decided this is probably the best way to start.

Making the transition from Player to Coach is no easy task. I can tell you that because I have been experiencing it for the last 6 years. After being omitted from the Kookaburras squad in 2004, I continued to play club and National League hockey, whilst undertaking a few coaching roles. This continued until 2007 where i took up a role in the UK as Director of Hockey at Wimbledon Hockey Club. Fellow Gryphon legend, Todd Williams, basically set me up with the deal. I retired from club hockey in 2007, after playing 270 games and scoring 310 goals from UWAHC in my 14 year career.
At this point I thought, great, Im finally making the transition. Wrong!!!!!! I ended up playing another 2 seasons as Player/Coach. Those two years, 2007-9 were very successful as I gained my first 2 premierships as a coach in successive years.
I returned to Perth in April 2009 and started up my coaching business, “Woodhouse Sports Academy”. This was the best time to start and now the time to finally give the game away. At 35 years of age, it was definitely time to go.
Now in 2010, its been almost a year since my last game of hockey.
I think I can safely say now that I have made that transition. It has to be one of the hardest thing for an athlete to decide, especially when your body could still do it.
Now, I have filled a few coaching roles that will take up my time and stop thinking about playing.
In addition to these roles, my main source of employment is my coaching academy.
Check out my website to see what it involves.
www.woodhousesports.com.au

Thanks for reading my story. Its so good to finally contribute to a great website.These guys have been behind me my whole career, in both playing and coaching and I hope I can support them for as long as my new coaching career lasts.

Trid Woodhouse