Hockey Captains. In our series on sport captains, Schools That Rock talks to Carl Bekker. Carl is the hockey captain of Paul Roos Gymnasium, Stellenbosch, 1st hockey team. Today he scores our twenty fifth goal in this hockey captains series for high schools in South Africa.
“I started playing hockey at the age of 10. In primary school I did various sports like tennis, rugby, athletics, swimming, cricket and hockey. From all these sports, hockey was the one that stood out for me. Hockey was the one I enjoyed the most. My favourite part of hockey is that it is a very technical and structured game.
My favourite hockey player is Arthur van Doren. Internationally he plays for Belgium and he plays club hockey for HC Bloemendal. He plays centre back and I love his calmness and composure when he is on the ball. His decision-making and ball movement is also an excellent part of his game.
Currently I play centre back. In primary school, I mostly played in the midfield but moved to playing back when I went to high school. I was first appointed captain of my u/13 Hockey team in grade 7.
In-season we have four training sessions per week of which two are gym sessions and two are hockey training sessions. In-season, I don’t spend extra time on personal training. In the off-season I do spend some time on fitness and gym work.
Training
My most stressful game to date was our Inter schools derby that we played against Grey High School this year. It was my most stressful game because it was the first time that I have played in front of so many people.
As hockey captain my most exciting game to date was the game we played against Pearson in the Hibbert Shield tournament this year. We beat them 7-1 after we drew our previous two matches against them. Our team went through a bit of a dip and this was the game in which our team showed up, bounced back and played some fantastic hockey. The energy levels were high and the vibe on the field was amazing.
My worst performance as hockey captain was the game we played against York earlier this year. It was a game where I felt helpless as a player and as a captain. I didn’t have my best game and the team was disconnected and didn’t trust each other on the field. There wasn’t any communication on the field and players became frustrated with each other. What we learned from this game is that we should trust each other on the field and encourage each other rather than breaking each other down.
SA men’s hockey team
Yes, I do watch hockey games on television. I support the SA men’s hockey team who is playing in the FIH Pro League for the first time. Furthermore I also enjoy watching teams like the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and India. I watch hockey because I enjoy watching it and you can learn a lot from watching how the pros play.
My main personal goal this year (in terms of hockey) was to get selected for the Boland u/18 A IPT team which I recently achieved. A goal I want to accomplish with my school hockey team is to finish top 12 in the country on the rankings. I would like to be able to go to the top 12 tournament at the end of the year.
My current top five priorities in life:
- To live a balanced life
- Enjoying my last year of high school
- Becoming the best version of myself
- To do good to others
- Having a positive mindset
I manage my hockey responsibilities and other recreational and non-recreational (academic) activities by planning ahead. I am using the time I have wisely and prioritizing what is important for me.
Most probably I will go and play club hockey after school for fun.
Other interests
Other Interests I have outside of hockey is playing golf with friends on the weekends. I also like playing soccer with friends as well as watching F1 and soccer. I also enjoy surfing every now and then.
Strengths I believe I have that make me a great hockey player? I am a very calm player and I believe my calmness on the ball is what makes me a good hockey player.
As hockey captain I believe that leading by example is the best way to lead and motivate your team. Also encouraging players if they do things well but also if they make mistakes, especially the younger guys in the team.
What I have learned about teamwork from my past experiences on teams, as well as hockey captain is that a team bond, being able to trust one another and being able to manage conflict is vital to any team’s success. Working and playing as a team is the key to being a good hockey side.
Best advice
The best advice I have received from my coaches, is that hard work beats talent when talent isn’t working.
When I see a teammate struggling with learning a new move, position or play, I will keep on encouraging him even if he never actually gets it right. I will tell him to slow things down, stay calm and to do the basics well.
My advice to new hockey players is to enjoy it! Sometimes we get too caught up in all the technical stuff and become too serious about hockey games. Just go out there and enjoy it.
My role model is my u/14 coach, Mr Neville Rothman. He taught me to love the game, play hard, but to always be a gentleman.
The greatest challenge faced by today’s sport participants is overdoing your sport on school level. It means that people don’t participate in sport after school anymore. That people aren’t able to take the criticism they get from people after a bad performance and not being able to deal with it. Regaining confidence after a few bad performances.
My single greatest highlight the past five years was winning the u/16 Top schools tournament.
The professional hockey player I would like to have coffee with, is Arthur van Doren.
What excites me most in life, is competition.
Describing myself in one word: easy-going.
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