Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Coach using hi-tech approach
Hockey
Canterbury Ladies have a new coach but for the time being he will be providing his insight from the other side of the world.
Ed Welch has coaching commitments in Australia to honour before moving to Polo Farm next month so in the meantime he will be relying on the wonders of technology to get his message across.
Welch, who is also going to be registered to play for the men’s first team, has already seen video footage of his charges and ladies chairman Mel Clewlow says the club are thrilled to have recruited such a quality replacement for Jen Wilson, who left Polo to join Sevenoaks in May.
Clewlow, part of the panel who interviewed Welch via Skype, said: “Ed’s in place, just not in the country at the moment but we’re chuffed to have got him, particularly given the time scale we had to work in after Jen left.
“We advertised the job online and received about seven or eight applications including candidates from Holland, South Africa and domestically.”
We l c h represented Canterbury’s men about eight years ago when they played the European indoors and Clewlow says the fact that he understands the club’s ethos helped in his appointment.
She added: “Ed knows the place and the people and we felt his personality would be better suited to where the club are at this moment.
“Also some of the references on his CV are from some of the best coaches in the world.”
Former skipper Clewlow is about to start her 26th campaign as a first team player and admits it could be one of transition for the ladies after several departures.
Several players have followed former coach Wilson to Sevenoaks and for the first half of the season Canterbury will not be able to call upon international trio Susannah Townsend, Grace Balsdon and Line Malan.
Olympic gold medallist Townsend is spending the next few months playing in Belgium while former skipper Balsdon is studying in America and South African Malan – sister of Middlesex cricketer Dawid – is recovering from an Achilles injury.
Canterbury will again be able to call upon highly-rated teenage Czech player Anna Kolarova, while Eliza Brett is back from university and the club hope to field French under21 international Victorine Van Kemmel, who played for them as a teenager while studying at Canterbury’s St Edmund’s School.
Sarah Kerly and Helen Fagg will share the captaincy responsibilities and Clewlow says there will also be chances for a host of promising youngsters, among them Alice Brett, Katie Williams and Maddie Young.
She added: “Surbiton, Holcombe and University of Birmingham will probably be the top three and everyone else will be fighting for that fourth spot.
“If we can be in the hunt by Christmas, we should be in a good position to push on once the likes of Susannah, Grace and Line return.”
Canterbury open their season away to Clifton Robinsons on Saturday.