Octopush News Feb 2003 - Reed Consulting (UK)

February 2003Octopush NewsPublished by the British Octopush Association, the ruling body for underwater hockey in the UKYOUTHS TURN BOACASH… INTO GOLDTOP OF THE WORLD: ECSTASY FOR GB UNDER 19S—AGONY FOR USA AND CANADATHE GB YOUTH team applied the Midastouch to their £1000 BOA grant by turningthe cash into Britain’s first ever WorldChampionship Gold medal.The GB Youth team lost only one of their 10qualifying games to secure their place in the finalwith the USA. They took control of that crunchgame by scoring the only goal early on. From thatpoint, they maintained control of the game tosecure the historic win.Jubilant Youth coach Dave Bailey (pictured backrow, right) said: “The team was a great bunch ofboys and girls who got on well. The one game thatthey lost was lost on psychology, as the team wasstreets ahead of the USA.”Dave thanked his wife Elaine, who acted as asurrogate Mum to the players during the trip.Final score: GB U19s 1, USA U19s 0.*Recognition of the team’s success has beenacknowledged by 10 Downing Street with a letterof congratulation from Prime Minister Tony Blair.1

See page two and three.PM’S ANTHEM TO GOLD YOUTH“The benefits of sporting participation are welldocumented and I hope the success of your teamencourages many more people to engage withhealthy exercise.”The typed letter, reprinted on page 12, is onofficial Ten Downing Street paper. The PMpersonally signed it, adding in his ownhandwriting: “Well done.”BOA chairman Tim Arnold said: “This is a hugelysignificant step for underwater hockey in the UK.“It is the first time that we have had this kind ofthird party endorsement from the highest levels ofgovernment in the half a century since we Britsinvented the sport.“This will help us in negotiations with local,regional, and national government bodies, such aspool owners and sports councils.“Nothing succeeds like success, and this showsthe BOA was right to invest time and money ingiving special help to the under 19 squad.TONY BLAIR: CONGRATS, FOLKS!THE PRIME MINISTER took time outfrom his busy schedule – to pay tribute toBritain’s underwater hockey players.Tony Blair wrote to BOA chairman Tim Arnoldto congratulate the under 19 team which won goldmedal in the World Championships in Canada.“I believe that we should congratulate sportingsuccess in all sports, however large or small,” saidBlair.“Everyone in UK Octopush should feel proud ofour under 19 squad, particularly Dave Bailey andhis wife who effectively acted as foster parents forthe youngsters while they were away in Canada.“We must now capitalise on this success in everyarea of our exciting sport.”The PM’s senior policy adviser, Sarah Hunter,told Octopush News: “The Prime Minister wasdelighted to learn of the squad’s recent success inthe World Championships.”ALUN MITCHELL, EditorIT’S YOUR SHOUT…GOT AN IDEA, which could progress octopush? Let’s hear it at the annual meeting, being held at the Lodgeat Crystal Palace on Sunday 6 th April 2002 at 10am. Motions need to be sent to the BOA secretary atfbuttery@inco.com by the 9 th March to be included for discussion. Ideas received after this date will besubmitted to the committee for discussion at the earliest opportunity after the annual meeting. This is alsothe time to put your name forward for a committee post.2

U.K. MEN’S ELITE TEAM COACH SAYS:Let’s learn the lessonsWORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, CALGARY,CANADA: The team was fit; very goodswimmers and keen. Training had gonereasonably well with a couple of trips to Hollandand France which yielded some good results, soon the whole we were confident to do well.However, what was lacking was qualityopposition at home to really test the team'sphysical and mental fitness as well as theirtechnical ability. This fact played a large part inthe final result.Tony had organized the flights (interesting routes)and the accommodation, which was great and wellpriced. We felt comfortable and were itching toget wet. The pool was very good although a taddeep with a ‘Sports Court’ bottom, which playedfairly fast. I put the team through its usual warmup routine, dry then wet then game. We arrangeda few knock about games with various teams,there was a mix from non-competitive players,followed by the South African Masters (13 - 2)then an Italian and Spanish mix (16 - 0). Thingswere going well and the boys were looking andfeeling fine, now we had to get the FOCUS /POSSESSION / SUPPORT / MOVEMENT =TEAM MENTALITY to the fore and we wereready!Now on to our first game, South Africa, after aconfident start and a one - nil lead the team startedto lose it's way and momentum and finally lost 3 -1. Disappointing but not a disaster. We went in toour next game, Holland, in a confident mood, aswe had done well against them in the build up tothe worlds. So again a good one - nil start but wewere not able to get any strangle hold on scrappyend to end game panning out into a whollydisappointing 3 -2 loss. A very strong French sidewere our next opponents; the team needed a goodresult and were fully focused to get it. The boyswere playing well and took the lead, it was aMark Evans, Reading (Captain)Chris Gerald, Southport (Vice Captain)Eryl Adams, SloughNick Humphries, St AlbansGraham Fletcher, SouthportDave Alcock, Southporttough game but the team was stoic and solid.However with one minute to go we let in two sillygoals! The team was distraught but they had noneed to be as they have played well and althoughwe had lost there was something to build on.However it proved to be the turning point. Theyhad lost their way. They became afraid to lose,something that cannot be allowed to happen inany sport, as it's exceptionally hard to get out of;there are cases of many excellent sportsmen andwomen who have suffered.They began to show all the symptoms, they beganto try too hard, this led to poor teamwork, and sothe moves broke down forcing them on the backfoot. So they tried even harder which lengthenedtheir recovery time, so less bottom time, thismeans no support and so there were too manyindividual runs. It was a downward spiral.So as you can see the team didn't perform to itsexpectations and was very hard to take for allinvolved. In my view it wasn't a total disasterthere were positives to be taken from it fromwhich we can build on; we must keep together,learn from the errors, build on those positives andcome back stronger! However we have a real needfor people to play against that will test the squadto its limit, only then will we truly know if we areready to take on the world and WIN. This maytake some time but it must come from the roots,the clubs, to produce quality players and to do thisthey must adopt a different style of play andattitude. However the clubs have to be willing andnot forced. I fully appreciate that many play forthe pure joy of this great game and to socialize inthe underwater hockey circles and to be honestthat's what keeps it all going, to play to win but toalways play for the sheer enjoyment of it.DAVE SIMPSON, GB Men’s Elite CoachAdam Winter, MercenaryPaul Chatwin, MercenaryVince Sheehy, ReadingDes Matthewman, ReadingRob Howard, ReadingSkoda Kloda, Southsea4

INSURANCEThe 9/11 ripple effect on Underwater HockeyOSAMA Bin Laden hit Britain’s underwaterhockey players for six when his terrorists attackedthe Twin Towers in New York in 2001.The strikeworried the insurance markets, who respondedwith massive increases in all premiums.Some syndicates decided to withdraw fromparticular business areas altogether. You’veprobably noticed the 9/11 effect on yourhousehold and motoring premiums already.But it’s been far, far, worse for octopushinsurance. The BOA’s premiums with its insurerall but doubled this season. Treasurer Tim Deyput in a great deal of hard work, trying to findnew insurers with a better deal. Nevertheless, ouroriginal insurers eventually came up with the“best” figure, which still resulted in around aseventy per cent increase year on year.The BOA responded with a £50 a year increase infees, since insurance is our single biggestoverhead. However, that clearly does not meet theoverall increase in insurance and we will have tocut back on expenditure accordingly.The good news is that the overall membershipfees are still less than it would cost for individualclubs to insure themselves.Any pool owner, whether a local authority or aprivate owner, will want to make sure that anoctopush club has proper third party insurance asa condition of hire.STEVE PRINCE, BOA vice chairmanTHE PHYSIO COUCHExercise induced crampCRAMP is a painful, spasmodic involuntary contraction of skeletal muscle. It occurs mainly in musclesthat span two joints and those that are contracted in an already shortened position i.e. hamstrings and calfmuscles in swimmers.Risk factors, identified in marathon runners, include older age, higher body mass index, shorter dailystretching time, irregular stretching habits and a family history of cramping.TreatmentPassive stretching of the affected muscle group - the muscle should be held in the stretched position untilthe twitching or cramp stops and then a return to normal length does not cause further cramp. This is only atemporary measure. Exercise should be stopped to prevent further cramping. General supportive treatmentincludes maintaining a comfortable temperature and adequate hydration if necessary.PreventionKey to prevention is protecting the muscle from developing premature fatigue during exercise.Be well conditioned for the exercise. Regularly stretch muscle groups that are prone to cramping.Maintain adequate nutrition (carbohydrate and fluid) to prevent premature muscle fatigue during exercise.KAREN LYNCH, Senior Physiotherapist5

THE BOA SHOPKit in StockPushers (various types) £10/pairSingle Mouth guards £2.50 eachGloves (one colour) £10 each Pack of 10 Mouth guards £20Gloves (two colour) £13 eachPucks £20/puckLycra socks £5/pairNeoprene socks £8/pairBOA Shop Manager: Georgina Ashley: boa_shop@hotmail.comThe Editor’s talk talk – Alun Mitchell(Mitch)As your new editor, I hope you find my 1 st fullcopy of Octopush News meets the needs ofthe BOA and our membership.If you have articles, tournament info or anynews at all, then please send them into me.The more material that you send in, the moreeditions of Octopush News I can publish eachyear.I am looking for tournament results &invitations, general UWH news, editor’sletters, ideas for improving the game, tips andadvice.I am aiming for 3 –4 editions in the next year.However one of my goals is to try and turnOctopush News in to an arm of the BOA thatcould possibly raise a small amount revenuerather than absorbing the limited funds BOAhas.The way I plan to do this is to try and attractrelevant outlets (diving shops etc) toadvertise in Octopush News.So if you have a dive shop or a relevantoutlet to UWH near you or you knowsomeone who would like to advertise theirproduct, then please send me their detailsand we will get in touch with them. You canmake the difference.PLEASE SEND ALL CORRESPONDANCE FOROCTOPUSH NEWS TO –alun.mitchell@ntlworld.comNEMOSEAOCTOPUSHCLUBOpen Tournament 2003Aim: Joint Junior and Seniortournament.Priority: For clubs with junior teams.Max: 10 Junior & 10 Senior teamsDeposit: £10 per teamIndividuals: You are also welcome ifyou want to play, but do not have ateam… don't be shy.Contact: 07092 162 419,guiceayres@postmaster.co.ukWebsite: www.nem-oc.org.uk6

South WestGirls continueunbeaten runTHANKS to all who came to the AnnualPembroke Women’s Tournament inNovember.It was greatly appreciated that so many madethe effort to come all the way to rural WestWales. Once again it was very well attendedwith stiff competition between the 5 teams(Wahine Warriors were sadly missed thisyear) and some excellent games.The South West continued their unbeaten runthis year and were in excellent form to defendthe trophy, beating off a brave attack fromSpectrum Angels. London Ladies were aclose third and the Welsh Ladies team fourth.Pembroke managed to score their annual goalSUN SHINES ONSOUTHERNERSTEAMS from all over Britain took part in the2003 BOA Under-21 Championship played atManchester Aquatic Centre early in the NewYear.The winning team, “South Stars,” wascomposed of five players from TAROT andfour from Southsea.This last minute combination of these teamsleft the programme disrupted so the adults andofficials stepped in to make a seventh teamwhich provided some interesting oppositionfor the Youth teams but did not contribute tothe placings.despite only having 6 players (4 of themjuniors) and brought up the rear in 5 th place.Very many thanks to all the localPembrokeshire sponsors, who provided manyprizes for the winners and raffles.Also worthy of mention were all the very hardworking water refs who stayed in for manygames to make it a better tournament for allthe ladies.Colin and June Dellor once again donatedtheir valuable time and effort to being chiefreferee and scorer. The tournament alwaysruns smoothly thanks to them.Most of the women said October would be abetter date, as there are few other tournamentsthen. So next year’s Pembroke Ladies willbe on Saturday 11 th October 2003. Put it inyour diaries now and look forward to seeingyou all again.PENNY SIMON, Pembroke Octopush Club*************************************Thanks to all those who part as players andofficials.A special mention to Neil Dixon and thecontingent from Rochdale who took themajority of the refereeing load.Congratulations to the “South Stars.” Thistitle as BOA Youth Champions has been heldby Southsea and now 'South Stars' for the pastthree years.Commiserations to the augmented Rochdaleteam. They put up a spirited challenge but therelentless attack from the Southerners provedjust too much in the end.Medals will be in the post soon.CHRIS CARELESS, Junior CompetitionsManager.7

YOUR LETTERSDoes the earthmove for you?On behalf of Scotland, I have just receivedan invitation to the EuropeanChampionships to be held in Italy thisyear. This invitation has come directlyfrom the Tournament organisers but doesnot have CMAS approval, at the moment.After the European championships inYugoslavia (when Scotland and many othernon competitive nation teams entered) I wasunder the impression that CMAS would onlyallow competitive nations to enter theEuropean Championships. However thenations involved in the championshipswere happy to allow these 'guest' teams tocompete.As a result of this I have several unansweredquestions regarding CMAS and its role.Firstly why has CMAS adopted this stance? Ihave heard talk of Olympic recognition andmaintaining standards, but have not heardanything about progress in their discussionswith the International Olympic Committeeand surely allowing more teams to compete insuch tournaments would assist in developingthe sport.Being a Yorkshire girl and with strongScottish influences of late, the issue of moneyis never far from my mind. I would like toknow how CMAS spends the membership feeeach nation pays, more particularly how thisbenefits underwater hockey. I am also awarethat CMAS has no involvement in theSouthern Hemisphere championships and thisseems very inconsistent.I am of the view that a sport's governing bodyshould respect the wishes of its members;otherwise the governing body serves littlepurpose. I appreciate the need for anorganisation that oversees UWH at aninternational level, maintains standards, setsrules and develops the sport to Olympic level,but are CMAS doing that?A lot of questions which I am hoping someoneout there might be able to answer, butessentially (as Mr Powers would put it)—doesCMAS do it for us, baby?LIBBY PORTEOUS, Scottish LadiesHand on the tillerWith reference to the Chairman’s NewYear address: thanks for your good wishes,Tim, and for an interesting andilluminating newsletter.From our part, the membership, we shouldgive credit where it is due and I think ourcollective thanks are due to you for the effortand influence you have attained for the BOAin the media, through your own knowledge ofthe industry and expertise in getting the BOApublicised in 2002.As Chairman of the BOA you have brought usforward in 2002. May 2003 be as successfulwith your hand on the tiller.Happy New Year to you and your family, aswell as to all the Under Water Hockeyfraternity worldwide.IAN PARSONS, Putney(See page 9 for a copy of the chairman’s New Year address).Thanks, ZoëOn behalf of everyone involved with the BOAI'd like to give a big thank–you to ZoëDunkinson for all her work over the last twoyears in both setting up and running the BOAshop plus ensuring that it has become sopopular. I'd also like to thank GeorginaAshley for offering to take over the running ofthe BOA shop, and look forward to seeing hercontinue building on Zoë’s success.STEVE PRINCE, BOA Vice-Chairman8

CHAIRMAN’S NEW YEAR MESSAGEContinuing success in 2003THE LAST YEAR was a milestone inBritish underwater hockey. We broughtback gold from the worldchampionships for the first time, andwere recognised accordingly by thePrime Minister.This edition of Octopush News includes afacsimile of Tony Blair's letter, which playerscan use in their own publicity efforts withtheir local media.There were also other important lessons to belearned in the old year... for all of us. Massiveinsurance increases following 9/11 have resultedin belt tightenin g for the association. And weknow that coaches and players at internationallevel will have to put much more effort into themental health of teams which compete on theworld's stage. I am sure we can all learn from thelessons brought home by Dave Simpson on thisissue.2002 was also the year when a number ofcommittee members stood down; thank you all foryour efforts. Zoë Dunkinson has just given upmanaging the BOA shop, having deliveredhundreds of pounds of profits into team funds. Aspecial thank you to Zoë, who wants to spendmore time with her family. Congratulations, too,to the ladies' teams who won a groundbreakingsponsorship deal with Oceanic, the sub-aquaequipment manufacturers. Georgina Ashley is thenew BOA shop manager.I have long believed that British underwaterhockey is on the cusp of a revival. Dave Bailey'sefforts with the youth team are I am sure aharbinger of more success to come.My personal priority has been to make sure thatplayers win the recognition that they and our sportdeserve. Publicity results in profile, which is apre-condition to getting major sponsorship.Political clout is also important; for the first time,Sarah Liscoe has been briefing Westminster aboutthe challenges we face as a sport in ourrelationships with government agencies. Mythanks to all those who have gone that extra mileto help the BOA win recognition for the effortsmade by every corner of our sport.It's all about making sure our voice is heard - sothat we can influence decision makers to think ourneeds in the future. For example, one major threatto our sport is the increasing trend towardsleisure pools, which are too shallow in which toplay octopush effectively.The New Year beckons with more opportunitiesand challenges than ever before. There is much toplay for, as we look forward to the EuropeanChampionships. I have just learned that NeilDixon has been selected as the chief referee forthis important event. This is another example ofhow our small association can punch above itsweight, and influence events on the world stage.Well done, Neil, for providing such excellentnews at the beginning of 2003!I am sure there will be more good news to come,if we can work together for the common good. Ithink we can all take pride in what we haveachieved so far, and look towards 2003 withanticipation.Congratulations to you all, and a Happy NewYear to you, your families, and your communities,wherever you are in the world.TIM ARNOLD, ChairmanThis is a reprint of an address on the British Octopush E-group. It is included here inOctopush News as not every member of the BOA subscribes to the e-group… yet. Ed.9

FULL RESULTS SERVICENautilus: Reading andSW Ladies win honoursTHE NAUTILUS NATIONAL League was held atCrystal Palace, repeating last year’s success bybeing mounted over two days and introducing athe ladies division. In fact the numbers of teamsattending were more than the membership wehave!It was especially encouraging to see new teamssuch as Nemosea, a brand new team fromNewcastle, Manchester, a merger from a fewteams in the North, as well as the reappearance ofAberdeen, Kingsbridge Krays and PlymouthPirates.Division 11st Reading2nd Southport3rd West Wickham4th Dewsbury5th Slough6th Southsea (will be joining division 2 next year)Division 21st Reading F (promotion to division 1)2nd Leeds (promotion to division1)3rd Totnes4th Putney5th Brighton (will be joining division 3)6th Islington (will be joining division 3)Division 31st Aberdeen (promoted to division 2)2nd Watford & Acton (promoted to division 2)3rd Bristol & Cheltenham4th St Albans5th Farnham & Guildford (will be joining division4)Division 41st Batley (promoted to division 3)2nd Neros (promoted to division 3)3rd Ipswich4th Newport5th Sheffield Tykes (will be joining division 5)6th Dunstable (will be joining division 5)The competition was structured for teams withsimilar standard playing each other’s. On bothdays, there were play-offs between teams todetermine their final positions. A three way tiehappened on Sunday between Manchester,llwchwr and Coventry!The main contribution to the competition’ssuccess apart from the members' support, lieswith the support from volunteers who putthemselves forward as official referees. MartinReed especially who did not participate as aplayer, but dedicated both days to refereeing.Division 51st Manchester (promoted to division 4)2nd Llwchwr (promoted to division 4)3rd Coventry4th Kingsbridge Krays5th Totton6th Nemosea7th Plymouth PiratesLadies division1st Southwest Ladies2nd Reading Ladies3rd Spectrum Angels4th Wahine Warriors5th London Ladies6th Doll-finsPlayer registration were also re-introduced thistime. Dunstable has invented a hand held devicefor the water referees, which transmits signals tothe buzzer. This was trailed successfully andhopefully an improved protocol will be developedfor the future competitions.The next national competition is the NationalQualifying Rounds on 1st March 2003 Invitationhave been sent out to all members. The NationalFinals will be held on 5th April 2003.MICHELE KWOK, Competitions Manager10

COACHING TIPTreat your pushers to a New Year makeoverQuestion: How can you easily flick the puckhigh, long or accurately with a pusher thatresembles a washed up piece of driftwood?Answer: You can’t!We spend hours on fitness and practice toimprove ourselves in this manic sport weplay but improving the ONLY thing that isallowed to touch the puck comes a longway down our mental list.The pusher that you use needs to be the right sizefor you. So many times I have seen a small childwith an old “rams horn pusher” that they canhardly pick up let alone swim underwater with.This idea is often seen in adults too although theycan still swim with it the resistance of it throughthe water will ultimately impair performance.Having a “new” bevelled edge at the front of yourpusher has two benefits for you:• it will always mean that you need to putless effort into your flick• it will keep the splinters at bay, saving thenasty grazes that are often seen on theoppositions’ back or arms after youmissed the puck! (This saves buying theextra pint at the pub to say sorry.)Ultimately you need three pairs of pushers: onepair in use, one pair drying at home from thenewly applied paint (after the last time you usedit) and one pair in your bag, in case you snap thefirst! When you first buy or make them, treatyour bats with a good brush on under–coat andthen use spray paint in layers to build up a goodcovering.In short:• Check the size of pusher you use• Narrower is the better option for speed ofcontrol and less water resistance• Splash out and buy three sets the same• Keep them “looking new”• Dry the pushers naturally after eachgame• Keep your glove in the same condition.SARAH LISCOE, Director of CoachingPLAYERSfrom the GBLadies EliteTeamcelebrate a£3000sponsorshipdeal withsub–aquaequipmentmakers,Oceanic. It’sthe singlebiggestcontract ofits kind inthe history ofour sport.Pic: RobLiscoe11

3RD LADIES HOME INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPSIT’S CULLODEN AGAIN AS SCOTLANDBATTLE ENGLAND LADIES UNDER18SA TENSE AND dramatic play off led to anhistoric one —nil victory by the Scottish Under18s (pictured) against their Englishcounterparts U18s at this year’s Ladies HomeInternationals.An earlier encounter that day between the two teamsended in a draw. At the end of the competition, bothteams were in equal 3 rd place. Therefore, the two teamshad to go into battle again in a play off, where Scotlandtook the honours. It was the first time Scottish youthhad conquered the England young guns in the threeyear history of the competition.England Masters were the overall champions this year,winning the Home Nations trophy. The England elitesquad won the Victor Ludorum Trophy. A fullcompetition report with results in our next edition. AMBOA NATIONAL COMMITTEE AND GB SQUADS POSTSChairman Tim Arnold Tim.Arnold@blueyonder.co.uk Men's elite coachDave Simpsonthe.oldman@virgin.netMen’s eliteVice Chairman Steve Prince sprince@rapidtravel.commanager VacantMen's mastersSecretary Fiona Buttrey fbuttrey@inco.c omcoach Dean BehaTreasurer Tim Dey Tim@Dey.co.ukMen's mastermanager Antoine Mourad kimo@btclick.comCompetitionsManager Michele Kwok wahinewok@aol.com U19 coach Dave BaileyDirector ofCoaching Sarah Liscoe Sliscoe@aol.com U19 manager VacantOctopushWomen's elitealun.mitchell@ntlworlNews Editor Mitch Mitchell alun.mitchell@ntlworld.comcoach Mitch Mitchell d.comJuniorCompetitionsWomen's eliteManager Chris Careless chrisshef@blueyonder.co.ukmanager Rob Liscoe robliscoe@aol.comNationalWomen'sian_a_parsons@csi.cReferee Neil Dixon n6dxn@aol.commasters coach Ian Parsons omSquadsperryrich@theswimmingpoolagain.fsnet.co.u Women'sali.humphrey@leisurManager Perry Rich kmasters manager Ali Humphrey econnection.co.ukOctopush News is published by the British Octopush Association, 35 Rosedale Crescent, Reading. © Alun Mitchell & contributors 200312