On the fringes of the 14th Hockey India Senior Women National Championship in Pune in 2024, Herman Kruis, the High Performance Director for Hockey India, led a workshop on modern coaching techniques and grassroots hockey development. The intention was to provide domestic hockey coaches with the necessary tools to improve young players’ educational experiences from the beginning of their careers.
Herman Kruis directed a session as part of Hockey India’s continuous effort to improve coaching standards at the local level. He emphasized during the session the need of giving young athletes a sense of ownership and the benefits of active learning over passive learning. In order to provide players with a strong foundation of fundamental skills during their developmental stages, Kruis also emphasized the significance of promoting broad motor development. To this end, he advocated for playing a variety of sports and play styles.
Coaches from the following organizations attended this workshop: Goans Hockey, Manipur Hockey, Hockey Association of Odisha, Hockey Maharashtra, Assam Hockey, Hockey Bengal, Hockey Madhya Pradesh, Hockey Bihar, Hockey Jharkhand, Hockey Telangana, Hockey Uttar Pradesh, Kerala Hockey, Hockey Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh Hockey, Hockey Gujarat, Hockey Chandigarh, Hockey Delhi, Hockey Karnataka, Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu, and Le Puducherry Hockey. Hockey India Treasurer Sekar J Manoharan, Hockey India Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh, and President Dr. Dilip Tirkey were also virtually present.
“We delved into effective coaching strategies that prioritize interactive learning,” High Performance Director of Hockey India Herman Kruis said, highlighting the workshop’s main themes. It promotes a culture of learning from mistakes and increases confidence when players are encouraged to take charge and explain ideas on their. By eschewing pure competition where participants aim to outshine one another, this strategy fosters a supportive learning environment.
One cannot stress how crucial it is to give grassroots coaches the authority to deliver excellent coaching. Early development of solid foundations is crucial for athletes. He outlined the purpose of holding the workshop and said, “This ensures a smoother transition for players entering the national setup.”
