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Planet Field Hockey

Steve Jennings was a pivotal midfielder for the US National Team throughout the 90’s. The kind of player everyone knows when you play against them – consistent, smart, steady. He played in the Atlanta Olympic Games and three Pan-American Games. He now coaches American University in Washington DC, and is passing on his knowledge to the next generation of US players.


Steve Jennings
Age: 31
Playing Career:
USA Junior team: 87-90,
USA Senior team: 91-99 Vice-captain 95-98
Clubs: Greenwich (New York), Pinoke (Amsterdam)

Coaching Career:
93-95 American University, Assistant Coach
96-98 Ohio State University, Assistant Coach
99-Present American University, Head Coach
Also Coached several youth teams in Holland, and youth development in the US with the Futures programs.


Andrew Griffiths (PlanetFieldHockey): When did you start playing?
Steve Jennings: 1984 in high school gym class


AG: When did you retire and why?
SJ: In 1999 following Pan Am Games. There were several reasons. I had a head coaching job at American, we failed to qualify for the Sydney Olympics, and I had a feeling that I had done all that I could do for a
career and I found it more and more difficult to make the sacrifices that are necessary (in the US) to do it in the right way.


AG: How did you get started playing in the US?
SJ: I was placed in the field hockey unit in 9th grade. Eventually, the gym teacher talked to the high school field hockey coach and she saw me play and contacted Steve Simpson (a well-know local coach)...he called me and wouldn't let me get off the phone until I agreed to practice with his training group!


AG: Why did you choose hockey?
SJ: I eventually quit soccer because of the opportunities that field hockey provided and because I liked the complexity of the sport. I felt it was so difficult to master and that there were constantly new skills to learn.


AG: What are your best memories from your international career?
SJ: Some games/tournaments obviously stand out...winning the four nation in Spain in '96 where we beat Spain and Argentina...the build up to the Atlanta Olympic Games... but I think representing your country and the wonderful relationships that I built were the two most important things. Hockey truly seems to be unlike any other sport in
that it has it's own unique global culture.


AG: What has hockey done for you?
SJ: It has given me all of my true friendships, allowed me to see the world, exposed me to other cultures, and has shown me the value of discipline, sacrifice, commitment, and interdependence. I have learned more about myself through hockey than I could ever imagine. Perhaps the biggest gift is that I have the inner confidence of knowing that I can achieve anything I set my mind to.


AG: What do you like most about the game?
SJ: It is a very skillful game that rewards almost all attributes. Most sports inhibit one group while another excels...i.e. height and volleyball, weight vs. distance running. Players of all different types can be brilliant players at the top level...obviously it helps to have something like speed/quickness but you and I both know many people who overcome this by positioning, communication and mentality.

Hockey is also great because it is fast and with no offsides and less limits on obstruction, I think it is a very attractive game to watch (for those that know the rules!).



AG: What is it like playing for the national team in a country where our sport gets little exposure?
SJ: I suppose it is a little frustrating at times, however, I have long ago accepted hockey's status in America and I just do my thing. I play hockey because I love it...not because I can make a million dollars or gain national glory. I just wish that people knew what it was so that they might be inclined or inspired to try it for themselves. Then we would really have a lot more popularity and hockey could be appreciated for the great sport it is.


AG: How did it compare when you saw the atmosphere around the game in other countries?
SJ: It was the best. I would be playing for years and years if I lived in Holland still. Hockey over there is a social event, a family event,
exercise and competition. There is really no way to describe the post-game discos, the way you interact with your opponents following the match, the professional approach that is still rooted in amateurism. I have always said it is the hockey Valhalla.


Coaching:
AG: What makes a good hockey player?
SJ: The main thing I look for is the mentality. They have to have the mindset of a competitor, and the determination of a winner. There can be no shortcuts to being a great player. Physical skills, to me, boil down to the basics. Hitting, pushing, trapping, basic drag. If you have these, you can be taught the rest.


AG: What is your coaching philosophy?
SJ: I want my team to dictate the whole game. Offensively I want to play a combination of possession and attacking hockey. I have always altered my particular style to suit the skills of my players (that includes the system) but ideally it would be an up-tempo game with a lot of interchange and quick, relatively short passes. Defensively I want to force the maximum amount of pressure on another team so that they must execute their skills under duress. Make them beat you with the most sophisticated skills.



AG: What are your aspirations as a coach?
SJ: Currently, to teach my players about life and to share my experiences in a way that will motivate them to keep playing beyond their college years. I also want to win but I want to win the right way. This in turn rewards you and keeps the experience fun.

The future: obviously, I would like to become the best coach I can be and see where that takes me...I certainly enjoy working with the highest calibre athletes and would like to have opportunities to work within the national program.


AG: What do you think about foreign players coming in to the NCAA? And what about foreign coaches?
SJ: I don't have a problem with it...in fact, I think without international influence, the US game would be farther behind than we already are. But there is a lot of resistance by some coaches so it is a difficult issue in America.


AG: Hockey seems to lose a lot of female players in the US after college – is this true? How can hockey keep more players involved beyond college?
SJ: We are losing I would estimate 90% of the female players after college. There is really no league or club structure that allows them to stay involved. We need to do a better job to create clubs and hockey-only sites so that players can continue to have fun playing.


AG: There are a couple of rules in the NCAA that are different from the
international game. What are they? What is the balance between being
experimental and progressive with domestic rules and also keeping in synch with the international game?
SJ: Teams this past year were still allowed to stop the penalty corner inside OR outside the circle. Most teams do not have the extra circle outside of the "D" yet but I imagine that the lining for that will come soon enough.
Other than these things, we have mostly international rules. The main
difference seems to be in interpretation...shots on goal for example. Most referees call it dangerous if it is a high shot on goal even if it doesn't even hit anyone. So I think we hurt our ability internationally because of how differently we may interpret a rule.


AG: How do you compare the women's game to the men's game in the US?
what can the US do to make their national teams more successful in the
women's arena and the men's?
SJ: The challenge facing the women is this...how can we create a league where players will start before they enter high school, remain associated with during high school, and then return to after college. There is a very large incentive for young women (and parents)to attain a college scholarship which will lessen the burden of college tuition.
Unfortunately, most of these players do not seem to be interested in
pursuing a spot on the national team--particularly if it means putting off a career. The women's national team would also improve if the men's game took off more and allowed for more cross-training situations.

The challenge facing the men is...no players, no awareness, no real league development (leagues exist but are shrinking in numbers and depend in large part on international players), no opportunities to play in a collegiate setting. Quite frankly, there is no easy answer to solve this problem and I think it really has to start with grass roots development in multiplelarge US cities which will hopefully in 20-30 years pay off with a large player base.

PlanetFieldHockey

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