It’s all about the basic skills before you can become the best on the hockey field.
This was the general, summarised message that the talented young local hockey players took home from the Princess Dutch Hockey Clinic powered by SportWays last weekend.

This impressive, fun-filled coaching clinic took place at the High School for Girls Potchefstroom’s Astroturf from 18 to 19 January.

Many local coaches/players together, under the guidance of Thomas Vis, who is a SportWays coach and Dutch professional hockey player, taught the youngsters in attendance several basic skills and hockey-related exercises.

SportWays is the leader in hockey coaching and has previously hosted hockey clinics in various parts in South Africa.

According to Vis, this was a fun and engaging clinic, where the key fundamental on the day was a primary focus on the basics.

“We want to get the message across that the basic hockey skills come first. We first need to raise the skills to a basic and acceptable level here in South Africa.
These youngsters have a lot of talent,” he said.

Vis currently plays for HOC Gazellen-Combinatie in the Netherlands, also known as HGC. It is during the winter break that Vis gets the opportunity to coach at these SA training camps and impart his knowledge of the Dutch style of hockey to young Potchefstroomers.

This was Vis’s fourth trip to South Africa but his first to Potch. “This was my first time in Potch and I enjoyed it. I could only stay for the two days before I fly back,” he said.