Field hockey has always called my attention; while studying at University to become a teacher in Physical Education and while living in Chillan (400km south of the capital Santiago), I always read the page of the Hockey Federation and related articles. If I had to travel to Santiago to watch the matches, there I was, all alone searching for information on the internet, either books, photos, videos, or whatever may help me learn a bit more.
Once I read in the page that a program was being developed to teach new trainers and referees; I signed up, saving one coin after the other to pay for the courses, the tickets, the lodging, etc. I had to wake up very early to find where to stay at, or to queue up at the bus station to get there in time, and I always had obstacles to do so: either I lost the bus, or I got stuck in the underground, or the training courses were too far away and/or I had to walk long distances, but I always managed to be there, and to learn something new: either which bus to take, or how long it would take me to be there in time, or where to get off the bus, or how much I should walk, learning each day a bit more about hockey, and loving it more and more.
I soon realized that an attractive sports project could be created in my home town; I desired it so much, and though I didn´t know how to carry it out I didn´t give up. I continued studying on my own, and if I had to travel to Santiago or to Concepción to watch the matches, there I was, seating on the stands with my pen, my notebook, and all the illusion of learning how to make a good sports project.
And then the moment came when I bought my first hockey stick and ball, and for me this was great because from that day onwards I could spend my time learning alone and improving my technique. Whenever someone came close to me and asked me what that stick was, I enjoyed explaining what I knew. I remember my teachers during the training courses: I guess they must have got bored with me because I never stopped asking them questions; however, they helped me contact new people, and so I went into the world of hockey in my country. I began to make new links and to learn from each person I met. I was so happy because I realized that I ate, slept, woke up, created and thought hockey.
After being fully trained on the process of the hockey federation development I presented my sports project and visited different schools in my home town; many rejected it, others told me they didn´t practice that sport or just said they were not interested at all, but I continued with my illusion to make hockey more popular in my home town, until I finally received a phone call from somebody who said a local school needed a hockey trainer, so I presented my project there and the next day I was teaching hockey to 20 girls; this turned to be my first challenge. I then presented a sports project at the University where I had studied. I received an approval, and began with 10 girls. By then I only had 5 hockey sticks and one ball and I did my best to motivate them to learn and to encourage new girls to join us.
The first results of this job could be seen by the end of that year and, little by little, new materials arrived and the hockey federation gave me other opportunities as attaché of the national hockey teams of Italy and Argentina in different events where I made new contacts and learnt from the experience of other coaches and players, and I slowly went inside the hockey world within my country.
I wanted everybody in my home town to play hockey, and I tried to encourage more children by organizing free clinics, to which other coaches from the region were invited. Thus, the number of girls who wanted to learn hockey both at school and at the university increased day by day, and as I wished more people to join this sport I decided to work for free for a school in my home town. And there I was, encouraging more and more girls to play hockey.
Six years have passed since I began with this activity, and I can realize so many things have happened: from being a nobody, a young man filled with enthusiasm and illusions, with a strong desire to get inside the world of hockey in my home country; there were moments when many doors were shut in front of me, even when the few materials I had were stolen away from me, but I managed to go ahead; from having only five hockey sticks and one ball, I can now say that each team has its own materials; from training only 30 girls, I have now become the coach of a whole school and two universities, and I’m creating my own club where nearly 200 girls and boys are at present playing this great sport which has taught me how to be a better person every day, and how to become a better professional and hockey player, to transmit the people I coach those same values and the passion for the game, bearing in mind that hockey is played with our hearts for it is part of our lives.
I want to encourage all these young people who love this sport to carry out new hockey projects; not trying is even worse. They should go out in search of opportunities and create them along their path. It is important to make the game grow because we can change the life of many girls and boys for whom hockey is the tool to achieve happiness and values in life.
So let’s carry on working to encourage this important game.
Mauricio Flores Osorio
Field Hockey Coach - Chillan, Chile
