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The Spike or Victoria College Review 1940

Hockey Club

page 67

Hockey Club

Perhaps the most pleasing feature of the past Hockey season has been the outstanding success of the Club's coaching scheme under the guidance of Mr. Norman Jacobson, a former N.Z.U. Blue from Victoria College, and a well-known ex-representative player. With his assistance, a democratic system of mutual coaching was built up, in this way paving the way for a better understanding, not only of the principles of Hockey, but of team work and leadership as well.

Of the five teams, most progress was made by the Fourth Grade team where now there are several players all capable of taking their places next year in one of the Senior teams. Weir House again entered a team this season in the Third Grade, but a lack of last year's enthusiasm and an unfortunate apathy towards coaching or training were responsible for disappointing results. Juniors also fared disappointingly, mainly through weaknesses in the forward line and an absence of team spirit in one or two members. Senior B, on the other hand, performed very creditably, especially in the latter half of the season, and produced a number of good players who gained promotion to the Senior A eleven.

The Senior A team started very promisingly, and had the original eleven been available all the season, would have achieved much better results. This year the "four-halves" formation was played, with no small measure of success, especially in the inter-'Varsity Tournament when the team was narrowly defeated in the final game by Massey College.

Of the individual players, it is perhaps unfair to mention any in particular, but we must congratulate: G. Whithan and S. Braithwaite on their N.Z.U. Blues; H. Scott and G. Whithan on representative honours; G. Thorp, E. Grin-stead, G. Marwick and G. Culliford on sterling performances in the Fourth Grade team; K. Kiddle and J. Wallace on meriting promotion to the Senior team; B. Hands on being the most promising junior player; and Club Captain, W. Bryan, N. Wickham and A. Long, for forsaking fields of sport in order to serve their country.

Before concluding, it is perhaps fitting to give a word of praise to all those who so cheerfully worked to make the Tournament this year such an outstanding success—particularly those who were generous enough to assist in the difficult problem of billeting visiting players. Many thanks, everyone.