8 FAILING TEAMS You weren't supposed to do that
8 OLYMPIAN SUPER COACHES
1 WEEK TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE - Now we wake up!
Out! OUT!
Mount Kenya University Ladies Hockey Team
are a hockey team in trouble.
I can't say we are at our best just for now,
but we are trying to come up.
Last season they finished at the bottom
of the National League .
Attack, watch your attack!
...MKU conceded 87 goals. They scored only 5.
Most of us we’re from high school.
The hockey in high school was really tough for some of us
so to adapt to that system of playing was really hard.
Their training pitch in Thika is a rough school playground
Your legs are together...
Their kit is ropey...
The strap we got here has got off
...and they have no goalposts to train with.
We had some goal posts but they were destroyed.
Policeman James has been their coach for three years
- Down
He’s had an uphill battle...
Back on the line. Down. no you have missed the ball, why?
You have to jump... That’s a goal.
Punch it away from you.
Now help is arriving.. in the form of
double gold Olympian, Jacques Brinkman.
I hope that these two gold Olympic medals
will inspire Mount Kenya University team.
One is from Atlanta.
.. and one was from Sydney.
The last time I was in Nairobi was 1989
Kenya was in that period a quite good hockey country
Today is a chance for Jacques to
see just what he’s taking on.
MKU have a practice match in Nairobi.
The team know a super coach is coming,
but they have no idea it’s a Dutch hockey legend.
I don't know yet your names,
but I will learn them as soon as possible.
Ok, have fun, eh?
I'm looking forward to have a great time together.
In a week's time, MKU will face Team Orange,
the reigning Champions of the national league.
At their last encounter MKU lost 22-nil...
This practice match allows Jacques to
assess the scale of the challenge ahead.
I'm looking for the first time to their skills...
...space for improvement. (Laughs)
Before long MKU concede a goal
It was a little bit of a stupid goal, the goalkeeper could
maybe stop the goal - for sure, not maybe,
they could stop the goal.
Theres no way you can mark two people.
Jacques has spotted potential
in the team’s captain, Grace.
Grace - she's great, she's fighting, she's working...
I think she can play a little bit better
when she concentrates much more on her own performance.
She is really a captain, she is coaching there, coaching
there, but we need her as a hockey player on the pitch.
Grace loves her studies
but she’s passionate about hockey.
Through hockey I'm able to express myself,
like it gives me the self-esteem.
So hockey, hockey, hockey I can say hockey is everything.
I play in the midfield.
A midfielder is supposed to be a link
from the defender to the striker.
As well she is the 2nd line of defence.
And also I’m supposed to hustle for the ball.
Two years ago Grace hauled the team
back from the brink of extinction.
I became a captain in 2014. At that point we were only
only four ladies, the team looked as if it would die.
I had to bring in ladies one by one, one by one, one by one.
That really makes me happy, like seeing a team
grow from nothing to something.
Now, after four years at university,
it’s Grace's last season as captain.
Leaving the team that I've nurtured and made it grow
to this level will really be a set to me 'cause
I've not only know these ladies hockey-wise
I've known them as my friends.
So I can say it will really be heart-breaking
but at some point I knew this would come
and I'd have to say goodbye and leave it to someone else.
DAY 1
It’s 'Day 1' and Jacques is eager to get training underway
This is his first sight of the team’s practice pitch.
I really didn’t know what I had to expect
My first impression of the pitch is no goals.
Well when you want to play a hockey game you need goals...
Before his first training session begins,
Jacques has a surprise for the girls.
Look to the left,
we brought for you brand new sticks and brand new shoes.
(GIRLS CLAPPING) ...so let’s go to it
You like it, Carolina?
I love it, its beautiful.
For the training now we start just
with some individual skills...
... right we start with this.
Everybody with two hands
and don’t let the ball fall to the ground, yeah?
Like this...OK stop, stop.
Hup!
... Well done... hup!
You’re Standing now with your feet like this.
Not too much like THIS, a little bit like THIS.
Not too much, yeah.
And important that your hands, at least like this, not here.
When you stop the ball and pushing the ball
you have your hands like this. And be strong, eh? Be strong.
I like the way he just tells you right away
and corrects you just right away.
You are just coached at a personal level...
This is just a start so I'm really hoping for
more and more in the few remaining days.
- You should also maintain your line
For his second day of training Jacques has planned
a series of drills aimed at improving team work.
The first training was just about 'I', but now we
also go to the 'We', because hockey is a team sport.
And the big game, we have to do it together.
For the first exercise Jacques lays out a box,
and then divides the players into small teams.
Ok play, inside this area (WHISTLE)
The blue team has six players. They start with the ball,
while a team of two opposing players tries to tackle them.
You have to play the ball to a team mate... so
space movements, play just to the same colour,
When I want to pass with the dummy
I have to do it already here.
Next Jacques wants to teach the team the dummy.
A good way to get past an opponent.
..and then immediately this way.
The dummy is like this. I do like THIS...
and then I go the other way, yeah?
It's a feint, you understand?
So I do like THIS, then I go the other way.
So do it on your posistion.
- Do like THIS. - 'It's more like dancing'
- James is calling it dancing
Yeah like this, hup, then you go the other way.
Well done, Connie.
I have to talk just about dancing to everybody
and that's great.
With THREE DAYS to go before their match
against league giants Orange,
Jacques wants to concentrate MKU on goals -
scoring more, and letting fewer in.
But for that, the team needs goal posts.
The goals are arriving now, really happy about it.
Together with the captain.
So Grace our captain is multifunctional
Not only the leader of the team
She is also arranging the goals.
The team has been without goalposts for three months.
Now at last the MKU's defence
has something to defend.
For Caroline much more fun now, when you are a goalkeeper
not between two stones, but in a real goal, a real cage.
First he's turning his attention to the strikers...
- Through the coins, like this...you walk like this.
- ...with a series of shooting drills.
Foot control, on the forehand
and then to here.... Ahhh!
We train now, give and go. It's important, eh.
So you give a ball and then you move forward.
Ball control... Hup! Hup! Hup!
Hup! And hit.... Hup!
It was a good goal...
- Nice shot.
We find a new striker, Charity. - Yeah.
Two great shots, huh?
Hitting the back of the net is one thing.
Keeping the ball OUT is quite another.
Last time MKU played Orange, twenty-two
goals were scored against them.
You go there. When I go HERE, you go there,
go there, go there, go there.
Now we have a goal it's really good for the strikers,
but also for CAROLINE our goalkeeper.
Now she has the feeling, OK, now I have to
stop the ball when I'm standing in the goal.
Nice one keeper!
On the side of the goal keeper, there is a lot of improvement.
Alright, we did a great job again today, yeah?
The game was... it looked like hockey! It gives confidence
- So you feel you improve? - Yes.
Yes. Great.
I'm happy about it, I'm happy that my
team mate is supporting me
and that gives me a lot of courage...
and it's an encouragement that I can do it
and I can be amongst the best.
DAY 6
Jacques is bringing the team to the
National Hockey Stadium in Nairobi.
The venue for tomorrow’s big match against Team Orange.
He wants to familiarize the players with the speed of play
on an artificial pitch before they face Team Orange.
The difference between here and the murram
is that here the ball is very fast.
We have the variation to the right side....
Jacques wants to give MKU a series of strategies
strategies to employ against Team Orange.
There's a must win... you understand?
First goal!
It’s important to keep the opposition guessing to the
very last moment just how a corner will be taken.
Ok come over here, come.
Make sure they don't score.
OK, Up, up, up, up.
Up, up, up. Come on keeper!
Lovely!
Keeper, keeper, keeper
For the past week I've been learning each and every aspect
of normal training, basic training, all the physicals,
whatever Coach Jacques has been doing.
I think in the near future that is
what I'll be applying in my training.
It's the day of the big game.
MKU are about to face the team that last season
inflicted a 22 - nil defeat.
Jacques has tried to give MKU an
early psychological advantage.
I put already the lagards in our own dugout.
I prefer we are sitting in the Home Dugout
and not the guest dugout then it's already one nil for us.
MKU need every advantage they can get.
Their opponents, Team Orange, are not only
the defending Kenya League Champions,
they are the leading ladies' team in Africa.
Their line-up today includes THREE Kenyan internationals.
I can't just say we are going to win
as much as we’ve had the training,
all I can say is that we are going to do our best.
Maybe we are going to improve from how we were last time.
I don't feel nervous, I'm just anxious for the game to start.
From what coach has taught us during
the week I'm prepared and confident.
Ladies. Just 45 minutes before our big game.
You look all great, nice colour, sharp.
and now it's performing on the pitch.
And always when you play sport, but also in your whole life
is to have fun and passion together.
We have no excuses, and we will see what the score will be...
Go back, go back!
As play begins, ppening nerves kick in...
And after just one minute MKU concede a penalty corner.
Its a testing moment for the novice goalie.
Connie, Connie more back, more back! To the inside!
Well done Caroline,
Back, go back!
They’re doing a great terrific job.
Fighting. Defence.
The hard graft put in by goalie Caroline
looks to be paying off.
But she can’t hold off the opposition’s attacking power
on her own.
Mass, on the outside.
Ahhh, Mercy....
One-nil we are behind.
I must say that Carolina also plays are really great game
as a goalkeeper... huh... a lot of saves already, yeah?
But not this time.
It was a great penalty corner from Team Orange, so...
You can be really proud of yourselves,
it was a great first half.
But there are another 35 minutes to go,
and it's just about fighting. Tackle back. Run.
And then we will see what the end result will be.
(WHISTLE BLOWS)
Team Orange begin the second half
as they left off, on the attack..
MKU need to keep possession.
Come on Charity go Charity no Charity go!! Go, go, go, go!!!
Go! OHHHH What a great ball!
Ok, tackle back Gracie... go on!
Stick down!
Well saved.
Played keeper
The goalkeeper is really fantastic....
Oh ho!! (GIRLS CHEERING)
That was a really great save
MKU fight on, to the very last second.
(FINAL WHISTLE BLOWS)
It looks like I play myself. A lot of sweat and shouting,
but they play a really great game...
Well, look at them they are happy!
I'm a proud coach. And it's a little bit strange because
I'm a WINNER, I'm a top sporter so happy with a loss is
also a little bit confusing but... ahhh
it's once in a lifetime that I allow, me, myself
that I'm really happy with just a two-nil loss.
(SINGING)
It's a loss that the girls are also delighted with.
Last time MKU played Orange the score was 22-NIL.
It feels so good, it feels so amazing it shows some
improvement compared to the last game we had with Orange.
The gap that was so wide it has been narrowed
now and we are so happy as a team...
I'm a very, very happy goalkeeper, yeah!