Young Ventures Two learns from Senior Marist challenge

Despite losing 0-5 to Marist Whites in their opening Marist Eastgate Memorial Hockey pool match, Ventures Two coach Hector Smith was pleased with the performance of his young side.

Speaking to SUNsports yesterday, the former Fiji Hockey head coach said the tournament was being used as preparation for next year’s Secondary Schools Hockey competition.

“For our players, it’s their first big tournament and I’m really happy with the way they performed against a very senior side, who fielded some players from New Zealand too,” Smith said.

“I wasn’t looking for a win, but we wanted to play well as we’re progressing. I’m satisfied with the way they performed. Most of the goals against us came from penalty corners rather than field goals, so we’re very proud of that.”

Smith said they needed to improve their fitness and confidence as they continued with their campaign.

“Due to exams and other commitments, training has been minimal. Hopefully, in the off-season we’ll pick that up,” he said.

“The younger guys are sometimes eager to pass instead of taking on a senior player. It’s about building their confidence and physicality.”

Smith said most of the players were part of the Suva Grammar School Under-16 team and were gaining valuable experience against senior opposition.

“We are using them to gel into this type of competition and gain experience. They can also learn new ideas from the senior teams.”

With next year’s school tournament to be hosted at the Hockey Centre, Smith said the competition was an important stepping stone for the players.

“We definitely want a win under our belt. We know we’re up against senior teams, but anything is possible,” he added.