One Day to Go!

With one day to go at the World Cup Qualifier event in Chile the Hockeyroos have the world cup in sight. We have won 3 from 3 games now after beating Chile 3-0, Malaysia 9-0 then a close 2-1 win over Scotland yesterday. I have been fortunate enough to have played both the Malaysia and Scotland game and really enjoyed being apart of it all. Tomorrow is our final game against Ireland which if we win or draw will secure us a spot at the World Cup in Argentina. The weather has been beautiful for our last few days and hopefully tomorrow will be the same. Today, being a Saturday, there were heaps of people at the ground. Im sure tomorrows games will attract similar if not more supporters so we are all looking forward to a bit of atmosphere and excitement.

The girls are all doing a bit of last minute shopping before we head home but of course there is one more bit of business we must take care of and thats smashing the Irish tomorrow.

By for now

Rach Lynch

OBO faceOff is a Winner !

When we started on the faceOff project we were determined to design and build the world’s best sports face protector. We think we have (and the players are beginning to see this as well.)

When it came to assembling the marketing support material, in particular the web site, we contacted the boys at Fracture. This committed and clever group of young New Zealanders designed and built the OBO web site (which went on to win “Gold” in the New Zealand BEST awards.)

There are approximately 110 million web sites in the world. There is a industry based company that organises an awards system for the web industry cleverly called “favourite web site awards”

Sites from all over the world are judged and each day a web site of the day award is made. Usually really big brands win these wards as they have almost unlimited resources to throw at their sites.

On April 24th the faceOff web site won this award !

Congratulations to Fracture… Amazing job guys.

Hard work, commitment, creativity, thoughtfulness and a passion to a great job for faceOff won over the huge budget.

To the rest of us, we should all go forth to the market knowing that yet again OBO and faceOff are being recognised as being leaders on the world stage.

Please visit http://www.thefwa.com/site/faceoff for more details and see some of the sites faceOff was up against.

We are one step closer…

Good morning/night whatever it is there now
We are one step closer to making it to the world cup. This afternoon we beat Chile 5-0 in our first game of the tournament. It was a pretty good game and a consistent performance from us. No PC’s against and Cronky only got 2 touches. We created plenty of scoring chances so Frank was quite happy. There were about 4,000 people at the game (apparently) but its funny how quiet a stadium can get when we score a goal. I was in the crowd cheering with the other two girls so thats all that matters.
The schedule keeps changing by the day but we now have till Thursday until we play our next game against Malaysia. 3 games to go ( and win ) then it will be job done. We are all really enjoying the sites and sounds that Chile has to offer. The view of the Andes mountains out our window is a nice site to wake up to. Can’t complain.
Speak soon
Rach

The Hockeyroos have arrived in Chile

 

The Hockeyroos have arrived in Chile and last night we played an international test match against Chile which we won 4-0. A match purely for practice in the lead up to our World Cup Qualifier event but nevertheless a great start for us. The field is located at the foot of the andies mountains which is a nice incentive to turn up to training. We have had a bit of a look around chile and experienced some of the culture but the focus is on the tournament and preparing as best as we can in order to get the job done and win. The spanish lessons have been a huge help as Ive been able to mix with the locals and interact in a common language. We hope to start the tournament on Sunday but due to the problems in Europe both Scotland and Ireland still have not arrived. I will keep you all updated. Bye for now.

Zinc oxide tape

Zinc oxide tape is a great stick grip for goalkeepers.

Players spend a great amount of time taping their stick handles to get that extra for drag flicking or strong hits. Goalkeepers, as kit addicts, should also spend as much time if not more tweaking their equipment to suit their needs. I got this tip from Sparta hockey (the famous goalkeeping coach duo of Steve and Panda in England) and have find it to be extremely useful ever since.

Why?

Zinc oxide tape is a great alternative stick grip for goalkeepers. The grip itself is soft and smooth, but at the same time grippy, making it easier to slide your hand up or down the stick to change position of where you are holding it easily. Zinc oxide tape is great for gripping the stick in extension; giving you for when you extend the stick out (lowering your hold in stick tackles or extended stick saves i.e. when diving) and then want to hold it high again.

Where can I get it?

Auction sites like ebay are great places to buy it. Zinc oxide tape is supposed to be used for medical cures to cover blisters, so you should be able to find it in pharmaceutical stores too.

Taping the stick

The tape itself is self-adhesive, with the underside being the sticking surface. Therefore all you have to do is roll the tape around the stick, with the non-sticky side facing you, to get it to tape to the stick. The technique is to wrap the tape around the stick, so that you get the tape to cover the stick handle; try to work diagonally to cover more area. It is easy just to simply tape over an existing grip (unless you want to remove it!), as a double tape grip gives you more to hold on to. To finish off, you can wrap some insulation tape around the ends to cover them and prevent any peeling.

Taping the stick.

The finished product.

Obo Decurvature

This was a idea for a new goalie stick.

In the Netherlands there are a lot goalies who use a normal stick instead of a special goalie stick, now my idea is for obo to get into that market by making a normal shaped hockey stick with not to much of a bow (because when you stop a bal with a curved stick it falls towards you, it is always better to use a minum curved stick) and place a longer grip on it. I use a TK  cx1.0 but would rather use a stick that is made for the goalies. The stick should have the strength of a normal stick or a goalie stick but most of all it should be a light stick with a good grip around it.

At the highest niveau of hockey in the Netherlands there’s no goalie that uses a goalie stick, most of the times because they aren’t strong enough, also there are a lot goalies that just like the feeling of a normal stick above the feeling of a goalie stick.

I made this really bad picture with Photoshop as an idea.

Greetings From the Netherlands,

Boudewijn

Beating the lob

Lobs can be a tricky thing to deal with; here’s how to stop them.

The lob is a useful tactic for the opposition; trying to catch the goalkeeper off their line to beat them with an overhead flick. Although not the most regular form of shot, they are still tricky to deal with, and the goalkeeper needs to be aware of and know how to properly deal with such scoring opportunities. Being lobbed can often be an embarrassing experience if you fail to beat it, so you will want to do your best to keep the ball out of the goal!

Being lobbed

The main cause for being lobbed is being too far off your line. Seeing the open space to exploit, the shooter will look to try and lift the ball over you, since you will not be able to . Caught out and unable to get back, you can end up being embarrassed by a well taken lob. If you have come out early to meet the shot, then the attacker, if they are skilled enough, can lob you; putting you in a tricky spot as you have an ‘open net’ behind you.

In this video clip, you can see the goalkeeper get lobbed by a well placed drag flick at 1:05 playing time:

Keeper getting lobbed

Staying deep

Being positioned deep within the D in the first place helps reduce the chances of being lobbed, and also making your life easier if you have to face being lobbed. Playing deep, not far off your line means you are already set in a good position to be able to block the incoming lob. The closer you are to the lob, the easier it is to cover it.

Technique

The way to beat a lob relies on agility to get back to make the save, with the athleticism of a well executed jump to reach into the save; using the glove to tip the ball over the bar to safety. The save can be broken into three stages, involving the goalkeeper moving into a suitable position to be able to block the incoming ball:

  1. move back to cover the ‘overhead’
  2. jump up in to touch
  3. push the ball over the bar/away to safety

Back stepping

In order to get there quickly enough to be in place to cover the lob, you will have to move with speed, backing up against the shot to be able to block it in time. Back step as quickly as possible, maintaining your balance, to get back to cover in time.

Turning sideways

In soccer, goalkeepers will turn side-on as they step back against the lob. The reason for this is that you will face the ball more as it drops. By turning sideways, you too can gain an advantage against the lob, allowing you to make the save successfully.

Reaching into the save

Jumping up against the lob, you need to leap up into reach the ball. Make sure you are explosive; exploding from your stance up into the save to be able to reach the ball.

Tipping the ball over

When making the save, it is important to get rid of the rebound, so you don’t make a ‘dangerous ball’ or give away an easy chance to tap the ball into the goal. Use the technique of tipping the ball over the bar to get the ball away from danger, just like soccer keepers do. Get under the ball and palm it up and over; a push into the ball will put it away with greater velocity.

Leaning back

If it is not possible to reach into the save, then you will have to try and reach back against the shot to make the save. With the speed of the ball, you can easily get caught out. Drag flicks during short corners are the other time when you will see a lob attempt, and it is easy enough to get caught out, having stepped off your line to challenge the angles. With yourself already beaten, you will have to reach back against the play to try and block it; cutting off its path.

Keeping it safe

Against a lob, it is more necessary to ‘keep it safe’ given the danger of allowing an easy goal. It is important to ‘make sure’, checking that you have it covered, so that you don’t give away the goal. The flight of the ball can be deceiving, so if you don’t watch it through, you may end up being made to look silly.

Soccer technique

Another useful to learn from ‘soccer’ (football), is how to deal with this situation. The model for dealing with a lob is based on soccer goalkeeping technique, so learning about the way soccer keepers play can only improve your ability to make such a save. Goalkeepers in this sport often face lobs, having to regularly stay deep and reach up against high shots to block. By watching soccer (which is easy in soccer mad countries) you should be able to pick up a thing or two. Reading guides on is also a good way of learning. Having friends who play goal in soccer is also very useful, as you can pick up a few ideas on how to deal with lobs, when being faced with them in hockey.

Pointers:

  • stay deep in your D to prevent being lobbed
  • back step into a position to block
  • turn sideways to give yourself a better chance of making the save
  • reach up into the save, extending out to touch the ball
  • turn the ball over the crossbar to put it away to safety, rather than back in play
  • ‘make sure’ on the lob so you don’t get beaten, even if it is going wide

please help me !

hi amazing guys and gals

Simon from OBO New Zealand here. We are just staring work on a completely new model of the ROBO Hot Pants. We are very keen to get your input to help make this excellent product totally amazing .

To focus the mind can I suggest you make a list of the things you really like about the existing ROBO Hot Pants … and another list of the things you really don’t like or wish to see changed and improved.

We will keep you in the loop as we work on this project.

Thanks for your help. We really value your ideas, opinions and experiences.

Simon

Shoes for Robo Kickers

Hi everyone,
I have robo sp kickers (large) and am having problems getting them to sit flush with the sole of my shoe and also the front strap always comes off – currently I just have asic running shoes. I know I’ll never get a perfect fit but does anyone know any particular shoes that accommodate robo large kickers well or any ways of modifying shoes to allow a more secure fit?

cheers- Chesky

Dominate your D!

The D is your zone; you need to learn to control it.

Controlling your D is vital to your game. Goalkeeping is not just about making the save; it’s about controlling the flow of the game. Ian Taylor write an article a while back commentating on the modern game of hockey, stating that this is controlling your D is a key part of the game, which is often overlooked by both coaches and players. By facing fewer shots, you’re less likely to let in more goals, whatever level of ability you play at: know where the goal is, where your defence is, and where the attackers are; where the space is to clear the shot, and where the space is for the shooter to move into. Not only do you need to reduce your shot count, but you also need to control the play. The D is YOUR zone; the D is the goalkeeper’s area and you need to make it that way. Sometimes you can and need to act as an extra defender, such as being faced with having to make an attacking clearance; coming out to challenge an open player or kicking away the free ball.

Clear away rebounds

In order to control the play, you need to control your rebounds; by putting the ball away to a safe place away from danger you limit the scoring chances for the opposing team – with no rebound, there is no second chance on goal. You need to clear rebounds accurately; simply returning the ball back to the shooter gives them an easy chance to put away the rebound. Whenever you make a save, make sure that you make a concerted effort to get rid of the ball on the save, or do your best to clear the rebound after you have controlled the shot.

Shut down plays

As a goalkeeper who dominates their D, you need to be capable of shutting down scoring opportunities. On breakaways especially, you need to come out of your goal and shut down the play; the defence will not get back in time to help, so it is up to you to intercept the player at the top of the D. Attacking clearances, as well, are important, as you need to rush out and have an accurate kick to get the ball away from the area. Interceptions are another play that you need to shut down; eliminating the pass to deny a scoring chance. If you feel that you have the ability to take on players within the D (and have the backing of your defence), you can confidently do so.

Organise your defence

Organising your defenders is key to success in goal. To dominate your half of the pitch, you need to dominate your defenders: shouting out instructions to them. You need to control the defence and get them to do what you want them to do. Feed them constant information; tell them if they are leaving a player unmarked and try to get them not to over commit on a challenge that would otherwise get your team penalised and end up having to face a free hit or corner.

“KEEPERS!”

Whenever you go out to get the ball, you need to put your name on it. Shout ‘KEEPERS’ or ‘MINE’ loud enough to be heard by your teammates. By doing this, your fellow players will know to leave it and you will be able to make a successful clearance or tackle.

Make the D your own

To control your D, you need to make it yours. This is done through your voice and through your actions; your voice controls your defenders and your actions control the play. YOU need to make the effort to be aggressive and be more active in challenging the opposition; it’s no good being passive! If a player is in your way, then you can tell them: shout at them to move out of the way, so that you can get a better view of the play, in order to make the save, or to get them out the way to get to the ball.

Dominate your D: control the zone!

Ultimately, you need to control your D; the D is your zone and you are the leader. Whenever someone steps into the D, they should expect to face the wrath of the goalie! You need to control the play and determine how things occur with your decision making; be prepared to come out and clear rebounds, or launch out to intercept a breakaway. It is up to you to do this, so you need to learn quickly.