David Peebles (Chair Competitions Committee – Oceania Hockey Federation – Gold Medallist 2014 World Masters Hockey Cup, Jane Claxton (Australia Hockeyroo) – Silver Medallist 2014 World Hockey Cup, Bob Claxton (Secretary General Treasurer – Oceania Hockey Federation – Silver Medallist 2014 World Masters Hockey Cup
Bob Claxton (father of Hockeyroo, Jane Claxton) and David Peebles have spent their lives playing, coaching and administrating hockey in Australia. Now at a time when many look towards taking a step back and enjoy their hard spent years they have stepped up their hockey involvement by directing their energy and wealth of hockey experience to promoting and building hockey in the Oceania region. To their credit they, along side all the other devoted OHF administrators, workers, and supporter have achieved many successes as more Oceania nations have chosen to introduce hockey as one of their countries sport. Bob is the Secretary General Treasurer, and David is the Chair of Competitions Committee with the Oceania Hockey Federation (OHF).
One of the challenges hockey faces is being able to promote the development of hockey, as in the case of OHF, to hockey club members in the larger OHF member nations, i.e., Australia and New Zealand. This interview with Bob Claxton and David Peebles has a purpose of informing Go Hockey News readers about OHF and how they can help in the establishment and growth of hockey in these developing OHF nations.
INTERVIEW WITH BOB CLAXTON AND DAVID PEEBLES
Q1 What are your official roles with Oceania Hockey Federation[OHF]- How long have you been involved?
I am the Secretary General /Treasurer of OHF. As such I’m a member of the OHF Board and run the operations side of OHF. We contract a part time Continental Development Officer and have two volunteer committees which are Officiating Chaired by Craig Gribble and Competitions Chaired by David Peebles. We have been involved in the development of OHF since 2007.
Q2 Who are the nations which comprise OHF?
Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, PNG, Vanuatu, and more recently Tonga, Solomon Islands, Guam and American Samoa. The recent nations have taken up hockey since we promoted Hockey5s.
Q3 Are there any more nations that are planned to bring into OHF?
Yes we are discussing with Cook Islands, Tokelau and Palau
Q4 What are the opportunities for OHF development –what are the barriers?
Firstly the barriers, the distance between the various nations so travel is expensive, freighting equipment is difficult and costly and funding personnel to conduct workshops and courses. We can get access to plenty of people to conduct courses for us but funding the travel and accommodation is a challenge also getting the initial hockey equipment into each nation can prove difficult because of customs so quite often we try to get around this problem by carrying the gear as personal luggage.
Q5 What support is given to develop nations playing hockey in developing OHF?
Hockey Australia and Hockey New Zealand are very supportive. We have a great culture of sharing the developed coaching and officiating resources that HA, HNZ and OHF have written so we now have a common accreditation scheme throughout the Island Nations that is recognised by all. School, Youth and Masters teams have visited a number of the developing nations to play games and provide coaching clinics in particular Fiji and Samoa have benefitted from these visits
Q5 Quality coaching in these nations is important – what opportunities are available for qualified Aust/NZ coaches to assist hockey development in these nations?
There are many opportunities for coaching but the limitation is the funding that OHF has available. We do like to co-ordinate any coaching visits through our Continental Development Officer so the visiting coach can be briefed on the local requirements. Anyone wishing to visit for a holiday and would like to do some coaching while there should contact our CDO Gill Gemming (gill.oceaniahockey@eol.co.nz) or myself ( bob.claxton@bigpond.com )
Q6 What opportunities are there for representative teams [club, regional, State] to tour to these developing OHF nations?
This is already happening and OHF is more than happy to help co-ordinate any club, school, senior or masters team that is interested in touring in the Pacific.
Q7 What development is being done to identify OHF [non Aust/NZ] talented players and assist them in gaining valuable playing experience outside of their respective nation.
Following the Junior World Cup qualification on the Gold Coast two of the Vanuatu boys were hosted by Casuarina Hockey Club for the hockey season where they gained valuable playing and more importantly life skills. The Australia Men’s Masters funded an umpire to attend the 2013 Australian Masters Hockey championships in Sydney, he then went on to umpire at the Youth Olympic Games and is now the Officiating Co-ordinator in Fiji.
This coming Oceania Pacific Cup being held in Suva from the 6th December OHF will select for the first time a Men’s and Women’s Pacific Island team. We will be looking for an opportunity for these teams to play a series together if we can find an inexpensive means of doing this.
Q8 There is a growing acceptance of the hockey 5’s format – is it a playing format for growing hockey in these developing nations?
This is interesting as unlike Australia and New Zealand the Island Nations saw this as a wonderful format and as a result we have 5 new nations via their National Olympic Committees wishing to start Hockey5s. There were several reasons they liked the format, firstly it did not require the same space that a normal hockey pitch and more importantly the smaller number of players meant they could afford to send representatives teams to tournaments.
OHF has negotiated with the Pacific Games Council to change the hockey format from 11-a-side to Hockey5s which has ensured hockey remains in the Pacific Games until after 2019.
Q 9 Funding and supporting the growth of hockey in developing OHF nations is essential – who are OHF current supporters/sponsors. What is needed for support and how can people support?
The funding for OHF comes from just a few sources, International Hockey Federation (FIH), Oceania National Olympic Committee (ONOC), Just Hockey for equipment, and Australian Men’s Masters. Both Hockey Australia and Hockey New Zealand provide resourcing and education material. In the end we have to operate on a budget of around $150k which pretty much limits the amount you can achieve in any one year.
The one area that we are looking for support is for equipment (sticks, shin guards, shoes, uniforms, GK gear) but more importantly contacts with people who can help us freight the gear to the various Islands for a low price
Q 10 What are the upcoming OHF events?
Out next event is the Oceania Pacific Cup which also doubles as World league Rd1 qualification in Suva Fiji on the 6th – 13th December
Q11 Is there a website that people can go to find out more information about OHF?
Our website is www.oceaniahockey.com
From this interview it is evident there are opportunities for clubs, associations, hockey coaches, hockey players to help in the overall development of hockey in OHF developing nations. Contributions can take many forms, e.g.,
- scholarships for developing OHF nations talented players in your club teams for a season
- planning end of season club hockey trips to OHF nations and combine leisure with hockey games and coaching sessions
- gain valuable coaching experience in OHF nations
- making a financial contribution towards see hockey developed in OHF nations – e.g., sponsor a playing uniform for a team, or provide funds for the purchase of much needed hockey equipment
- OR as indicated above if you know of a freight company that might subsidize what is a huge expense to OHF
If you can help then contact Bob Claxton – Email bob.claxton@bigpond.com
