#michael nobbs

[namanmahajan]

Former India hockey coach Michael Nobbs defeats cancer | Hockey News – Times of India Michael Nobbs. NEW DELHI: The series of events this year has made 'so far so good' the leading cliche.

[rohan81191-blog]

I really didn’t want to be the one writing this piece but the apathy, chaos and politics that has plagued Indian Hockey over the last…. (Forever) years; has forced my hand. The first ever hockey tournament that I witnessed as a kid was the Champions Trophy in 2003. The Indian team were a talented bunch and there were some memorable games. The one where they conceded 4 goals in the last 5 minutes against the Dutch after leading 3-0 stands out (Not the best memory, I know). However, the day I truly fell in love with the Indian National Team was its memorable comeback against Pakistan. After being down 4-2, they pumped in 5 goals in the last 20 minutes to win 7-4. I can never forget Gagan Ajit Singh’s effortless brilliance in that game. This is the stuff that dreams are made of.

Gagan Ajit Singh (Courtesy: iloveindia)

Sadly, though, a huge chunk of my Indian Hockey memories ever since have been filled with nightmares and heartbreak. The Reason… The Power-Hungry, Short-Sighted, Mind-Less Officials that make up the national hockey federation/s (You’re probably wondering what this means. How can a country have more than one governing body for a sport ? Google will give you the low-down on this one).

The Chaos

The national team has been through 23 coaches in the last 23 years, no less !! On so many an occasion, the team has flattered to deceive on the big stage. Despite its general dominance in Asia, they’ve never really delivered on the world stage (Olympics, World Cup & Champions Trophy). Of course, there are many reasons for this both on a technical as well as on a psychological level. What however, has never changed is the way the national federation/s run the show.

Time and time again, players and coaches are brought in or axed for no reason. In the case of players, politics may well play a huge role but often times no reason is given at all. When it comes to coaches though, especially foreign ones…there is a common thread that links them all. Not one of them has ever lasted the duration of their contract !!

Foreign Coaches & The System

Terry Walsh (Courtesy: Zeenews India.com)

Ric Charlesworth (Courtesy: BBC Entertainment)

Michael Nobbs (Courtesy: Livemint)

Jose Brasa (Courtesy: Deccan Chronicle)

Paul Van Ass (Courtesy: Business Line)

Over the years, several illustrious names have come and gone. Ric Charlesworth, Michael Nobbs, Jose Brasa, Terry Walsh, Paul Van Ass and now Roelant Oltmans. All of them came in, thinking that they could change the system and none of them ever lasted long enough to see out their vision. They all believed in the talent of Indian Hockey. Yet, all of them clashed with the federation on some level and were eventually shown the door.

All these foreign stalwarts have had varying degrees of success with the national team. Yet the case of Roelant Oltmans stands out. Why ?

Enter Roelant Oltmans

Roelant Oltmans (Courtesy: News18.com)

Oltmans was initially brought in as the high performance director for Indian Hockey. After serving in the capacity for 2 years, he was made the head coach of the National Team. What he did thereafter, was unprecedented in Indian Hockey. The team started to go toe to toe with the holy trinity of World Hockey (Netherlands, Germany & Australia). India also managed its first podium finish in the Champions Trophy in 2 decades.

Even more impressive was the manner in which the team was playing. While all previous coaches had brought unique improvements to the team, there was something truly different about this Indian team.

The team was exhibiting a brand of hockey that emphasized controlling the tempo of the match. Similar to that observed in football, the team switched the ball from flank to flank searching for openings. In the past, India could only manage sporadic phases of high attacking intensity against top tier opposition; the rest of the match would be full of chaotic play.

Also, noteworthy was the fact that the Indians had severely reduced their use of random crosses and hits into the attacking circle. Most heartening of all these new changes though, was the team’s mentality. In the past, their shoulders would drop after trailing a goal or more which would eventually result in a loss. This would then have a ripple effect on the team and their subsequent displays in the tournament would be disastrous. This time though, India would have none of it. Steady performances even when the chips were down, became a hallmark of this team. Their improved display in the Olympics was an example of this (India was the only top team to beat the Olympic Champions Argentina).

Oltmans New Look Indian Team (Courtesy: Indian Express)

So what went wrong ?

The Sacking

When my friend informed me of Oltmans’ sacking, I was shocked to say the least. For the first time in many years, India finally had someone who had forged a great blue print for the future of Indian Hockey. The national team finally had a sense of continuity and cohesion to achieve a long term vision. Moreover, they were playing a brand of modern hockey under a coach who knew how to bring out the individual stick work of the Indian players in a flexible tactical set-up. He had also mastered the art of the rolling substitution, thereby ensuring that tired legs wouldn’t concede late goals (A bane of almost every Indian Hockey team over the last decade).

The story goes that Oltmans’ results in 2017 were below par. Sure, there were a few bad games. Then again, when integrating youngsters into the fold, such results are bound to occur. The High Performance Team that reviewed Oltmans’ results and his actions claimed that they wanted short term results as well and wanted to win the Asian Cup. (Didn’t he just do that ?) Yet, quite bafflingly, they claim that success at the Asian level is not a benchmark for true success (Guys, please make up your mind).

They then go on to state that India’s victories in the recent part were more lucky rather than deliberate (A huge dis-service to Oltmans work). So, they apparently want someone who can make India defeat the big guns on a regular basis and win pretty much every tournament that they play (God, maybe ?)

Conclusion & Looking Ahead

While the high performance team might have the right goal, this was a terrible decision to make. It takes a 4-5 year plan for a coach to truly implement his vision and bring sweeping changes. From the looks of it, Oltmans was well on his way to achieving his goal until the high performance team decided to put paid to his dreams (Heck, he is the coach of Olympic and World Cup winning teams). It couldn’t have come at a more inopportune time, with the World Cup a year away and the Olympics not too far away either.

I’ve seen this kind of thing in Indian Hockey way too many times to keep rambling on about it. The politicians, a bunch of short-sighted & grumpy former legends (You’ve been brilliant but it’s time to think ahead) …it all seems too familiar. I’m not sure what the real reason is but it might appear as though all may not have been well with Oltmans and the federation (If rumours are to be believed). One thing is certain though.

In Oltmans’ words, many coaches have come in and tried to change the system but the truth is that it’s a near impossible task. He didn’t deserve this…not by a long shot. Thank you for everything and wish you all the best in your future endeavours. A true legend of the game !!

May the Lord have mercy on Indian Hockey !!

Good Times Ahead ? Not So Sure About That (Courtesy: India Times.com)

The Sacking of Roelant Oltmans – Indian Hockey’s Never Never Land I really didn’t want to be the one writing this piece but the apathy, chaos and politics that has plagued Indian Hockey over the last….

[smallestforest]

Monument of Hope

I came to sit in the park and playground of the Monument to Hope in Bartica, a couple of times. There was never anyone there, it was a good place to be alone and sketch. The monument itself was not very sketchable…a grey granit obelisk, erected in memory of the men and women who died when a boat full of escaped convicts arrived in the town at dark and robbed several of the gold-buying businesses.

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[juliansummerhayes]

One thing at a time

How many of us can genuinely say we have the will to work on one thing at a time to the exclusion of all else?

If you’re anything like me, I struggle with the temptation to start another project, notwithstanding I’ve left the book open on the last one.

Let me be clear. I’m not talking about multi-tasking. I’m talking about having too many projects on the go and not finishing any of them. (In GTD speak, I have too many ‘open loops’.)

I’m getting better, but sticking to one thing to the exclusion of all else is still one of my biggest challenges. It’s not that I’ve a wandering mind (curious, yes), but I’m way too short term in the way I approach a project. I think it’s a hang over from working as a lawyer where I was able to able to juggle complex cases for multiple clients.

I know that my greatest weakness is a sense of perspective. I either think I’m capable of achieving much more than is realistic, or I think something is going to be much easier than it turns out to be. That’s particularly apposite with creative work. I’ve lost count of the number of long-form poems I’ve started, which I know I can’t write in one day, only to forget to write something the next day and the one after that, and, then, you’ve guessed it, I start a new one. In my mind, I think I can always go back and finish things off, but that’s a stupid way to work, not least the fact that after a few days I’ve lost the thread of what I was trying to say.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Not only am I getting better at not having multiple unfinished projects but I’m more patient. However, let me be clear, my patience doesn’t extend to all areas of my life. Don’t ask me why, but I’ll never escape the feeling that comes with skirting a near death event (a subarachnoid hemorrhage) and wanting to make the most of the time I have left on this earth. It’s not that I live with a sense of foreboding, but having seen my uncle die at 44, I recognise that there’s a very thin line between life and death.

If I have a new methodology, it’s the fact that I’m willing to work on a project bit by small bit. In this regard, I can’t thank Michael Nobbs of Sustainably Creative enough for showing me that even with limited energy it’s possible to get a big project licked.

Right now I’m back to writing my book bearing the title Awaken the Genius Within. I’ve prattled upon about it for far too long but this time I’m not going to be distracted by other projects. In my mind I see this book as the start of my writing journey, and in that regard, it’s essential that I get it written and published otherwise I will be stuck at this juncture and will be left only with my blogging, podcasting, a small amount of poetry output and perhaps some hand-drawn lettering or calligraphy. And, if I’m honest, that’s not how I want to be remembered.

I’m always tempted to see if I can find that elusive blog post or book that’s going to help me battle my demons and stick to the ‘one thing’ approach but I know it’s stupid to think like that. Much like writing, cycling or poetry, the only way to get something done is to do it (duh!). In my case that means bearing down on my old self that wants to open another chapter before the last one is complete. If that means that the project takes longer because I have to leave it for a few days (and not start something new) then so be it.

Like a lot of my posts, there’s always a part of me that questions the need to share some of my travails. But in doing so it’s not just helping me to come to terms with my challenges, particularly as I work mostly on my own, but I hope it reflects the fact that life is seldom linear.

By way of postscript, I did buy my brother a poster with ‘FINISH WHAT YOU START’ emblazoned across it (I think I bought it off the Do Lectures website). In hindsight I wish I’d kept it!

[tarcherperigee]

We asked some of our authors to fill out a page from Lee Crutchley's The Art of Getting Started. Check out Christopher Rozzi's (Tiny Confessions) and Michael Nobbs's (Drawing Your Life) submissions, and then fill out your own! If you like you can submit to us here.

[telescopical]

 i can't draw for just two minutes. impastable.

[dendriablog]

One of my very favourite people @michaelnobbs shares his invaluable & kind wisdom, once again.

[indianhockey-blog]

You haven't seen the real Indian team yet, says Nobbs after loss

You haven't seen the real Indian team yet, says Nobbs after loss

Reet Oberoi

Down 0-2, the Indian mens hockey team showed great courage to make it 2-2 against the Dutch in their Olympic Games opening encounter at the Riverbank Arena in London, before going down 2-3.

Coach Michael Nobbs said his players were "overwhelmed" by the situation and "could not play their natural game in the opening game".

"This is not how we play," he told this website after the loss. "We were perhaps overawed in the first half, and then came out attacking in the second one. If India would have played how they normally do, things would have been different.

"This is the Olympics, with the top 12 teams in the world competing for a gold. Nothing is going to be easy.

"We managed to give a good fight in the second half, and the aim ahead is to be consistent." Seasoned midfielder Ignace Tirkey said "lack of experience" pegged back the team, many of whom were taking part in their first Olympic Games.

"We lack experience and were also found wanting in the defence. Today's game was a good lesson for what not to do ahead. The better we re-group, the better for the team."

Dutch impressed

Holland coach Paul Van Ass said he "never expected India to make it 2-2", showering high praise on his opponents.

"It wasn't easy. They came back strongly and we just about managed to mend our ways. We are happy with the three points," the coach said.