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Regional | Hockey

Former Blacksticks player talks about the flipside of being a coach

This morning was the first time Katie Glynn watched her former team the Blacksticks defeat the Koreans 3-1 at the World League Final tournament in Argentina after announcing her retirement. Now she is giving back.

She may seem like a hard task master, but Katie Glynn knows that these are the lessons for success.

According to Katie Glynn, “These are our best U18 kids from around the country and what we try and teach them is what we call the Blacksticks way.”

Glynn remembers going through these camps before making her debut for the Blacksticks at 20-years old.

“It's funny being on the flipside now but you also understand the importance of these camps and where they can take you and the friendships you can make” says Ms Glynn.

40 players were invited to this four day training camp vying for a spot in the Junior Blacksticks heading over to Australia in the New Year.

New Zealand Hockey’s Māori coach of the year, Angeline Waetford, wants these teens get the best, “Your goal as a coach is to send them home a better hockey player than when they arrived.”

Coach Waetford also believes “To be there to support them it's a really tough ask for these young women. To dedicate their life to hockey and become an Olympian, to play at the Commonwealth Games, play at the top Worlds competitions it's a really conscious decision that they have to make. “

Glynn will continue to support hockey, as the Junior Blacksticks prepare to name their squad at the end of the week.

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