Interview
with Wolfgang Hillmann and Harald Steckelbruck
"Looking at Other Styles of Play"
The premier eight-nation tournament is an important step in the Deutsche Hockey-Bund youth work. Wolfgang Hillmann, the DHB youth vice president, and the DHB youth secretary Harald Steckelbruck sketched out a picture of the hard work being carried out for young hockey players in Germany.
What was the motivation behind creating a tournament like this in Germany?
Hillmann: "Uli Forstner, the senior German junior men’s trainer, particularly wanted his team to experience the pressures of a tournament with the best youth teams in the world."
How about the future? Will we be seeing these sorts of tournament in Germany for the junior ladies?
Steckelbruck: "The DHB would like to also achieve these sporting targets with the junior ladies. We hope to be able to inspire our sporting partners, the Federal Ministry ot the Interior and the State of NRW and our sponsors, with this idea."
Would it be possible to hold such an eight-nation tournament at locations other than the Warsteiner Hockey Park?"
Steckelbruck: "Eight-nation tournaments could also be held at other locations."
How did the other nations react to the invitation to this tournament?
Steckelbruck: "The invited nations reacted very positively."
What are the current trends in the DHB youth work?
Hillmann: "The DHB together with local associations is endeavouring to ensure that the quantity and quality of training are as wide-based as possible and to develop the best possible start in a long and successful sporting career for the young men and ladies in the DHB squads."
It seems that the U21 national teams in Holland train together twice a week. Bearing in mind the distances involved, is it possible for Germany to follow suit? If so, how?
Hillmann: "Unlike Holland, some of the training has to be relocated to the clubs and some has to be locally based. We only reach our targets thanks to the young people’s great personal responsibility."
The DHB doesn’t normally enter teams for the U16 European Championships. What are the reasons behind this?
Hillmann: "In the early years we like to develop the sporting strengths as a squad and not reduce the age-groups selectively at such an early stage."
Why is it also sometimes important to test the U21 teams against non-European teams?
Hillmann: "Direct competion with varying athletic, technical and tactical styles of game is stimulating and demands new training challenges."
The change of A team trainer also caused changes to the youth work. Is the process complete?
Hillmann: "There has been a move up from youth sport to the ladies’ sport for Michael Behrmann. This has enabled Marc Herbert, for many years a successful youth trainer, to move up to become head trainer for youth. With Lisa Jacobi’s takeover of the wU18 following the European Championships the system is again complete."
What is the situation in the youth sport in connection with associations and clubs?
Hillmann: "The cooperation with the associations functions well almost everywhere. The national trainers and the local club trainers normally work very well and successfully together. We are increasingly experiencing problems because of the altered (mostly insufficient) conditions for scouting for new talent in the federal states."
How well structured is the encouragement of new talent in the various federal states? Are there big differences?
Hillmann: "All the states have the same structures for the U12, U14, U15 and U16 ascending levels. The number of measures, amount of talent and the strength of the chosen teams is certainly very varied. "
How realistic is it to say that some of the players taking part in the DKV Junior Trophy will be playing in the 2012 Olympic Games?
Hillmann: "We have great hopes that the current junior players will constantly improve and be good competion for the 2010 World Championships men’s squad."
With the DKV, a sponsor has come forward for the first time to specifically sponsor youth work. What value do you place on that?
Steckelbruck: "This has helped the DKV become a strong partner for the future. Planning for the future is very important for organisations like the DVK and DHB. It goes together very well."
