My work with England Masters Hockey

My work with England Masters Hockey.

Rebecca Brett

What is the England Masters Hockey tournament?

Masters Hockey is played by males and females at club, regional and international level and usually those over the age of 40.  There are both male and female teams for the England over 40s, over 45s, over 50s.  The men also field teams in the over 55s and 60s catagories at the International Masters Hockey Tournament (IMHT).

In the last decade, the competition has come a long way, with the addition of the women’s competition and other age groups.  Originally the competition was intended for males over 50 years old.

The competition celebrated its 30^th Anniversary in 2011.

How did I get involved?

My contact with the England Masters Hockey began when I covered the Inter-services (RAF,Army & Navy) Hockey Tournament in Portsmouth early in 2011.  I had recently qualified with Essentials for Health on the BTEC Sports Massage Course and was also undertaking a Diploma in Sports Therapy (with the Society of Sports Therapists), due to be completed in July of the same year.

During the competition, I provided pitch-side first aid and pre event and post event massage.  Unbeknownst to me, I massaged the England Masters Hockey Manager and after the competition he asked if I would like to support the team throughout their fixtures in 2011.

The fixture plans were very exciting including the Home Nations in Swansea (July), the Euro Cup in Krefeld (August), and the 2011 International Masters Hockey tournament in Singapore, as well as various warm-up and selection matches played nationally.

Planning and Preparation for work with the Masters.

I first met the whole team when they played Letchworth 1st team in June 2011 and I used this session to talk to the players, discuss any injuries and watch the match to make assessments on players. It was interesting to see how they prepared for a match and managed their warm-up and cool-down sessions.

I went with the team to the Home Nations tournament in Swansea and gave guidance with their warm-up, cool-down sessions and provided pre-event and post-event massage as well as pitch-side first aid. Apart from a couple of minor calf strains and hamstring strains, the team remained injury free.

Previously their general warm-up had consisted of a brief run around the pitch before doing some stick and ball specific warm-ups. I helped provide a better structure to their warm-up demonstrating dynamic stretches and competitive warm-up activities to better prepare them for the match.

Their cool-down sessions had also followed a similar pattern consisting of a brief jog and quick stretch of the legs after a match. Here I offered guidance and led a prolonged stretching session post-match. This also served as a debrief session for the Captain and Manager. The feedback was positive and each player mentioned a reduction in their normal Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) the following day. This then enabled them to be better prepared for the next match.

The International Masters Hockey Tournament (Asian Cup) – Singapore 2011.

The Sengkang Hockey Stadium is in a newly developed part of Singapore, approximately 45 minutes travel from where we were staying. The stadium is new with 2 hockey pitches, grandstands and changing facilities. There was a massage room with a masseuse available to players but this facility was to be charged for on an individual basis. There was no other available space for myself or other nations’ therapy support to set up during the tournament. We also had to travel to the stadium every day using public transport which made it very difficult to carry my couch. I did however set up my couch in the hotel to work in the mornings and afternoons around match times. In these sessions I conducted injury assessment, maintenance massage and offered advice on injury management and prevention. This included advice on stretching, posture and guidance on self massage.

 

As can be seen from some of the photos pitch-side working conditions were not ideal. Owing to the tight schedule of matches, we did not have time to conduct warm-ups or cool-downs on the pitch. This had to be done to the side of the stadium. However, this did have its advantages as we managed to find a shady spot to prepare!

The climate also played a key role. Singapore is incredibly humid although thankfully the country seemed to be experiencing a milder climate than usually expected in late October and the temperatures were not as intense as they could have been. The temperature did rise to around 34°c with at least 80% humidity. The heat was a major consideration as I prepared the team for each match. The warm-ups were not prolonged as I did not want to tire them prematurely and it was imperative to keep them all well hydrated. During the matches, much time was spent distributing cold towels and water bottles to both players on the bench and as and when required on the pitch.

The Squad.

The over 40s squad consisted of 18 players, one manager (Graham Cartmell) a coach (Dom Camilleri) and myself.

I also worked with some of the over 45s also as they did not have any Sports Therapy/Massage support.

The diary for the trip was as follows:

26^th Oct – Arrival

27^th Oct – Acclimatise

28^th Oct – Training/meetings

29^th  Oct Match vs Singapore – WIN

30th Oct – Match vs Australia – WIN

31^st Oct – Rest day

1^st Nov – Match vs Hong Kong – WIN

2^nd Nov – Match vs Austria – WIN

3^rd Nov – Match vs Indonesia – WIN

4^th Nov – Rest Day

5^th Nov – FINAL Match vs New Zealand – WIN (England 4-0 New Zealand)

Injury Management

The intensity increased as the tournament progressed. I used massage and soft tissue release techniques daily to assess for injuries and maintain conditioning. Any slight pulls were quickly dealt with using ice and manual therapy techniques. Thankfully there were no serious injuries throughout the tournament, but if there had been, there was medical support onsite to deal with these.

What has happened since….

Last year, I was asked to work with the England selectors providing assistance with selection for the men’s over 40s team.  Here I worked with the Physical Trainers and Management to select the best players for the coming season.  I then continued to provide Sports Therapy for the England Masters Hockey team and followed them to the Home Nations in Edinburgh as well as covered the World Cup in Canterbury in August 2012.  Once again, it was a pleasure to work with a winning team as the team stormed through to a 3-1 victory against Australia.

Looking ahead, the coming season is set to be busy as I start on 27^th/28^th April providing Sports Therapy and Massage for the UK divisional teams as the England selectors head to Southgate to begin their scout for this year’s England teams. 

Working with the team is hard work but incredible fun and rewarding.  I have been lucky enough to have been part of the team as they have enjoyed a period of success and retain the title England Masters World Champions!

 Rebecca Brett, Tutor

www.essentialsforhealth.co.uk

Pricing Strategy

There are various ways of deciding how to price your treatments. One (not very accurate) way is to look at what other people are charging and either undercut them or add a small premium.

A far better way to ensure you sta...y in business and prosper is to work out:

1/ what salary are you hoping to earn in the first year? (This needs to be based on a survival budget, not what you currently earn £………………………

2/ how many weeks will you work per year, allowing for holidays, sickness and bank holidays? …………………………..weeks

3/ how many hours of massage will you do per week? ……………..hours

4/ what are your costs?

Setting up costs
couch
CD’s
CD player
covers
towels
answer phone
decoration
brochure and headed paper and business cards
Other

Operating costs

Weekly £ Monthly £ yearly £

oil rent professional
laundry electricity membership
couch roll telephone insurance
wipes Marketing Accountant
other car

Totals:

Multiply weekly costs by the number of weeks you are working £
Multiply monthly costs by the number of months you are working £
Add these with the yearly costs £
Add the setting up costs £
Add this sum and the salary you hope to achieve in your first year £
Divide the sum by the number of weeks you plan to work £…../ ….. £
Divide this sum by the number of hours of massage you plan
to give £……./……. £


This is the minimum you need to charge

 

Gill tree

Managing Director

www.essentialsforhealth.co.uk