Following the Paris 2024 Games we host several #AMA sessions with coaches who were at the Games so you can ask them your coaching questions. Jude Menezes, coach for Japan in the Paris Games was LIVE with us on Friday September 13.
Jude Menezes
Jude Menezes 🇮🇳 🇳🇿 is the former goalie for India before he moved to New Zealand and became a “kiwi” himself.
He worked as the goalie coach and an assistant coach for the New Zealand Blacksticks for many years and gained a lot of experience in international hockey coaching. Following the Tokyo Games he took on the new challenge of being the head coach for the women national team of Japan. In January 2021 he delivered a masterclass session for us about the PCD from a goalie’s perspective. And in 2022 he talked to us about rebound scoring.
Paris 2024
In this Ask Me Anything session featuring Jude Menezes, the head coach of Japans national women’s field hockey team, valuable insights were shared about the teams preparations and experiences for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Preparation Strategies for the Olympics
Coach Menezes discussed the difficulties encountered by teams ranked outside the top ten, particularly when it comes to preparing for these major global events. He emphasized that the team’s Olympic preparation involved a training camp in the Netherlands and some practice matches in Paris against countries such as the USA, Great Britain and Australia. This was crucial due to the teams limited exposure to high level competition.
Setting Realistic Goals
Menezes stressed the significance of managing expectations when discussing goal setting. The teams objective was to secure a spot among the top four in their group recognizing the prowess of their rivals. They prioritized performance over pre tournament standings, trusting in their capacity to perform well on match day.
Learning from Competition
Looking back at games, with stronger opponents like Belgium, China and the Netherlands Menezes discussed the valuable lessons learned. The team struggled to stay calm in moments which resulted in goals being scored against them, because of unforced errors.
Formation Strategies and Adaptability
Menezes talked about how the team uses formations with a back line but adjusts based on the opponents. He stressed the significance of executing the game plan rather than sticking to one formation, pointing out that tactics can shift throughout a game.
Coaching Culture and Team Dynamics
The coach talked about the impact of culture on team dynamics and coaching approach. He emphasized the significance of nurturing a team first mindset among players. The values were selected by the players themselves fostering a sense of unity and collaboration. This cultural element influences their training sessions and interactions highlighting the role of teamwork in attaining success.
In this one hour session many more questions from the coaches in the audience were answered…
Want to see more?
If you read through to here, my guess is you’re an ambitious coach and you’re looking for more… More info on coaching hockey, more knowledge and insights shared by your fellow coaches…
You might want to consider subscribing or upgrading your subscription↓
Or you might consider taking a look at the XPS app for coaches, teams and clubs to get more out of your work you put in there ↓
If you subscribe to XPS you get access to all of our on demand videos in there.
Listen to this episode with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The Hockey Site to listen to this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.
