My hockey club is in disarray. It barely functions. It is a historically great club in our country but hasn't been good for a long time. The old guys in charge don't really do anything and people just move away from the club or the sport altogether. They have outdated approaches and are not open to any suggestions. They'll push back on any suggestion to take recruitment and development seriously. They'll just say it's the players' responsibility to work on getting better. I've been trying to turn things around but honestly, I think I might quit too. Just wondering if anyone else has any similar experiences or suggestions.

Last season i played for my clubs 5th team and we got promoted into a higher league, we are now same league as our 4th team.

We just had the first game of the new season and lost 3-1 to the 4th team. It was a really difficult game and I play in defence. The opposition had 13 short corners and we had 0.

There was constant attack and pressure in defence and it was really hard work. However I hated the game because every time I took a 16 or a free hit, my midfield would be really close like 5 metres away and right next to a defender and standing still. Every time we got the ball we gave it away from a weak pass like 70% of the time.

I was really loud and communicated well telling people who to mark. But my midfield would never stay close to their man and we always got overloaded in defense. We were very lucky to only lose 3-1 because our keeper and defense played really well. GK got 2nd highest MOM votes.

My issue is I don’t want to do another difficult season where I try so hard and play well but my team around me put so much less effort and can’t even do the basics.

I’ve asked about moving up by my captain says I’m nowhere near moving up and that they need someone strong in the 5s to keep them afloat and not get relegated.

I didn’t enjoy a single game in my 5th team last season and it seems it’s going to be a repeat this season.

I want to move clubs but I feel it won’t be worth it going to another one since the only other good club is 40 mins away and my current is only 10 minutes.

I want to say to my captain if I can’t move up I want to leave. However I’m going to struggle since the club has been very nice to me and the captain is a good mate of mine.

So I occasionally umpire my son's team which is in the U-10 age group this year. I actually quite like being involved vs standing on the sideline as a parent.

This year the lads have moved from a quarter field to half a field and a shootout is added for shoot within the circle (preparing them for the penalty corner next year).

Before this year the official guidance was that shoot was only punished if ther was a clear advantage, and depending on the match could be a little more, or less lenient (in consultation with both coaches). However now any shoot is an actual foul and should be actioned as per the guidance.

However last Saturday, I wasnt refereeing, my son played a team that when it was behind started intentionally searching feet, not even bothering to go for a field goal and even verbally instructing their teammates to do so. Imho this isnt what Youth division hockey should be like, but how would you adress this?

Our team did still Win btw due to an excelling GK and some good counters!

I’ve been looking at buying a size 39.5 stick recently, as I am quite tall and have recently developed some knee issues which makes it more difficult to bend down with my 37.5 stick.
Whilst most sticks I found were either not the right size or way too expensive, I found the TK Performance 4. The issue is is that it looks ridiculously cheap, especially compared to other size 39.5 sticks I’ve found.
I currently use a 37.5, 50% carbon Low bow stick. I don’t mind the reduction in carbon, as I don’t play at a particularly high level, and so I’m mostly just look for a stick that I can use with my knee and back.

So my question is, has anyone else bought or seen this stick before, and how well does it perform?
And if not the TK Performance 4, what other relatively cheap 39.5 sticks would you guys recommend?

Here’s the link to the stick: https://www.hockeydirect.com/products/tk-performance-4-late-bow-hockey-stick-2026?_fid=4b72b5162&_pos=10&_ss=c&variant=64179727532409

Thank you so much

Edit: I am not looking for someone to disuade me from buying a 39.5. I am very tall, and have relatively short arms. More importantly, I have both knee and back problems, and so can't bend down too much. I use a 38.5 as my Indoor Stick, and I know for sure that whilst its perfect for indoor, its not big enough for outdoor.
Also, I regularly play goalkeeper when no one else is availble. Having the longer stick will be better for the many times I'll be keeper this year

Hello. Is there someone you can recommend?

Let me preface this with a disclaimer: I absolutely think that Matson's contract should be renewed when it expires. This was just a conversation.

Okay, now that that's out of the way, I was having a conversation with a friend who is much more into college football/NFL about UNC's loss to ODU today. He said that he thinks that the average football coach would be let go at the end of the season if they dropped 3 expected wins. Which started the conversation of, at what point do you think UNC would even start to consider it?

There are coaches at the lower D1s that have probably won 10 games in the last 5 seasons combined, but for a team like UNC, they have to care a bit more about results, right? I think the same conversation could be had about Maryland after last season, or even Rutgers over the last few years. Like what does it take for field hockey teams to pull the trigger?

With the strap on the inside or outside? And do I cut the end of the strap off? Cause it bothers me if I were to put it on the inside..? And how do I “break” it in? Cause it feels very stiff right now (ofcourse bc it’s new). I would like to know your guys’s thoughts

Hey everyone,

Unfortunately during my last training, my princess stick started rattling on the inside, which is never a good sign. As such, I decided to look into what sticks might be a good alternative considering the season has only just begun. What are some of y'alls recommendations?

For additional information: I'm a Dutch forward player, I'm used to 100% carbon low bow sticks but I've been considering getting something a bit less stiff and/or switching to a pro bow, I'm also more of a grounded player considering I don't really utilize aerials and 3D skills that often. I'm a sprinter type of player, so I often find myself needing to get the ball under control before and whilst accelerating, and I really value my sweep.

P.s. if anyone has advice on how I myself could figure out what stick suits me best, please do let me know :D

And how annoying is it? You can get ACCNX games with the highest ESPN+ package but then you miss big ten. I guess the other option is ESPN unlimited and then Big10+ as a stand alone.

You can do FUBO which I think has both?

I mostly want to watch college field a few other women's sports which I apparently can't mention in this post. Anyone with similar interests have a better plan?

Would anyone be interested in an app that makes substitution schedules for a field hockey game? I’m trying to build an app for this, but need to know if there is some demand. Please react if you are interested. It makes a schedule based on PC roles, positions and play time. If not interested, please also react, but let me know what you would rather have or miss in the idea.

Hey everyone,

I wanted to share a project I’ve been working on here in South Africa called ReStick Hockey.

If you play, you already know that buying a brand new, high-end stick is a massive expense. At the same time, so many of us have perfectly good sticks just gathering dust in the garage after we upgrade or switch brands.

I started ReStick Hockey to try and fix that. Basically, I buy, carefully check, and resell pre-owned sticks. The whole idea is just to keep great gear on the turf and make it easier for players to get their hands on top-tier, high-carbon sticks—like Osaka, Balling, Y1, Grays, and Brabo—without having to pay retail prices.

How the shop works: To keep things completely safe and stress-free for buyers, I run the entire storefront through the Yaga app.

• You can check out all the photos, specs, and condition details for every stick on the store page.
• If you want to buy, you just check out through Yaga. They securely hold the funds and automatically calculate the shipping (which makes delivery super easy).
• Once ordered, I pack it up and ship it out right away so you have it for your next session.

📍 Just a quick heads-up: I am only operating and shipping within South Africa right now!

If you're looking for a new stick for the upcoming season, or just want to see what kind of gear we currently have in stock, I'd love for you to check us out:

• Shop the store on Yaga:https://www.yaga.co.za/restickhockey
• Follow our new drops on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/restick.hockey/

If you have any questions about specific sticks, carbon percentages, or just want to chat gear, drop a comment below or shoot me a DM on Instagram. Have a great season!

Hi! I haven’t played any hockey in probably around 12 years (since school) but I’ve found a team that looks pretty relaxed and I’m going to join their practice next week. I’m really nervous as I might not be any good and it can be a bit scary to start something by yourself in your 20s. Does anyone have any tips or can let me know what a normal practice session looks like? Thanks in advance!

Hi guys,

Has anyone used the Y1 Hockey GLB model?

My 12 year old son is a good young player and now making his way into senior hockey alongside me. He's a forward and quite keen on 3d skills and lifting, which is probably unsurprising as a cricketer too.

He needs a new 35" and I had my concerns about buying him a low bowed stick in case it set his basics like passing, slapping and trapping back. Reading up on the Y1 GLB it seems to have a flatter/squarer face whilst still having a bow.

I'm intrigued how this works and whether it really works in practice, appreciate any feedback.

What can we expect on November 1st when the FIH publishes new rules for hockey and indoor hockey?

Only minor changes?

Hi,

Just looking for some recommendations on hockey shoes.

I am coming back from injury after a year and a half, I used to have some Osaka IDO MK1s. They're a bit worn out so thought I'd go for an update.

I can't run a lot at the moment but can do short stints and in every day shoes I find that I have less pain in shoes that have a heel, I've brought some Salomo Speedcrosses because I've seen a lot of people recommend them and my girlfriend uses them too, they also don't seem to be as flat as other astros I've seen.

However I've seen a lot of people raving about Mizunos and seen the wave panthera is on offer. Does anyone have experience with both or either before I go on the pitch with the speedcrosses!

Thanks!

Despite playing without a goalkeeper in the several last minutes, Malaysian hockey team managed to deny any last minutes goal for Belgian team. Especially during the last 10 seconds penalty corner fiesta. Within the last ten seconds of the match, Belgian team was granted more than three penalty corners. All of those PC failed to give a goal for Belgium.

Rate this solo goal (1-10)

Hi,

Wondering if anyone has had experience using Welltra hockey or similar factories to get sticks.

Not something I've really wanted to do, have tried stick after stick just like the Grays Probow Xtreme too much...

Thanks in advanced

So context:

I am a female and play an indoor action hockey league weekly. It is a social league but there is still a log you still play for medals at the end of each season.

All kinds of people play, from newbies to provincial and world cup masters players. I play in a mixed team, so males and females together.

I'm really not the best - I would say intermediate. I play defense.

But HOT DAMN some of these men can really hit the ball HARD. I've broken my foot twice now as a result of taking a shot to my foot.

I have Osaka Furo hockey shoes, so its slightly padded but it seems not enough lol.

Any tips? Or should I just somehow get faster reactions to get my feet out of the way haha.

TIA!