TAMWORTH’S hockey fields have been graced by many a talented player over the years but arguably not as many at the same time as they will be this weekend.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Over the next two days, 120 of the state’s best and brightest will be fine-tuning their skills as part of the Athlete Acceleration Program (AAP).
The talent won’t be confined to the pitch either, with former Hockeyroos and Kookaburras coach Ric Charlesworth providing his coaching expertise, along with two-times World Player of the Year Warren Birmingham.
Birmingham is no stranger to Tamworth. He spent a lot of time here over the years, firstly as a junior and most recently in a coaching capacity.
There’s even a photo of him hanging up in the hockey clubhouse in a NSW junior side.
These days he is the Coaching Director for Hockey NSW.
He has been for the last three years, after being lured back to the sport when his daughters starting playing.
The AAP was his vision.
“One of the challenges we have in NSW that – other than probably Queensland – the other states don’t really have is we are very decentralised as far as our player population base,” Birmingham said.
“90 per cent of Hockey NSW’s playing base actually comes from regional NSW.
“I wanted to have a program where we could continue to develop the elite players in the regions.”
But without the imposition of having to travel down to Sydney all the time.
The AAP allows them to train in their local areas.
The program is also streamlined across the different regions.
Birmingham is happy with the results so far.
“This is the third year of the AAP. It’s been a highly successful program,” he said.
“We’ve just selected the 21s squad and 11 of the 18 have gone through AAP.”
He said it would be “enormous” for the kids to be able to tap into Charlesworth’s brain.
The public will also have the chance to hear some of his insights at 8pm tonight at the Wests Auditorium.
Birmingham will be running proceedings and hinted he has a few stories up his sleeve about the mastercoach.
The evening will cover not just hockey but Charlesworth’s cricket career and time in politics, among other things.
Cost is $15 or $40 for a family.
Also on coaching duty over the weekend will be Armidale’s Blair Chalmers.
He’ll be wearing a couple of hats, being the Regional Coaching Coordinator for the region (Northern Inland), and also the NSW U18s girls’ coach.
The camp ties in with their national title preparations.
“This is the first stage of finalising the squad,” he said.
“These girls were selected from last year’s State Championships plus up to 20 girls whoperformed well at the U15s championships.”
It will be the first time they’ve come together this year.
“We’ve got one more camp at the end of April and then the State Championships in early May,” Chalmers said.