Support the first team hockey Friday 12 August.

Read the AWSUM Interview with Max Dos Santos first team coach.

What can the school and parents expect from your team this year at the derby against Selborne?

The parents and the school have already seen what we are capable of as a team and what type of product of hockey we are trying to put out there, and I think there is a bit of blood in the water. So I think the boys are going to come out blazing and it’s about controlling the game and their emotions and mixing it with a bit of good intensity and taking control of the opposition.

Where is your strength as a team?

Our strength as a team is exactly that, that we are a team. Hockey is a game where the ball moves quicker than what the players can, and I think we execute that style of hockey very well. We pass the ball around the field well, we are a well-structured team and the guys know their roles. We will be looking to do that going forward into the fixture against Selborne College and dominating as the best hockey school in the country and certainly in the Eastern Cape.

What is the most difficult part of coaching a school team?

I think the hardest thing about coaching at school is to juggle the guy’s expectations between their different activities culturally, academically and sport wise. Grey High School obviously have quite a high demand of performance in the school, at the hockey club we expect dedication and growth and that takes time of the boy’s schedule. If you have a committed structure where the boys are all buying in, then it seems to work. Obviously, we try to work around everyone’s schedule and other sporting codes and the academics, but with some good communication we seem to get it right and that is by far the most challenging aspect.

Herewith the Grey High School U19 A hockey team.

Anakin Peens

Ashley Ostling

Cade Hoffman

Casey Keevy

Daniel Ristow

Douglas Harvey

Kian Cambier

Matthew Kingston

Robert Stow

Ryan Casali

Senz Mekuto

Shaun Valentyn

Syleshan Rajagopal

Xander Elkington

Get your digital copy of the AWSUM Interschools paper here: