The Nordic Caravan

The Nordic Caravan is a joint coaching project between Sweden and Denmark, where the EHF employs coaches from other countries to coach day camps to kids from these two Nordic countries over a 10 day period. This was the third year that the project has run, with a record number of kids attending, both boys and girls, ranging from 6-17 years old. This year, I, Jamie Hooper from Wales, and Mateusz Grochal from Poland, were asked to lead the coaching for the caravan. As we are both members of the EHF Youth Panel, we knew each other very well before arriving in Stockholm
2012:
Eurohockey Nordic Caravan 2012
The Nordic Caravan is a joint coaching project between Sweden and Denmark, where the EHF employs coaches from other countries to coach day camps to kids from these two Nordic countries over a 10 day period. This was the third year that the project has run, with a record number of kids attending, both boys and girls, ranging from 6-17 years old. This year, I, Jamie Hooper from Wales, and Mateusz Grochal from Poland, were asked to lead the coaching for the caravan. As we are both members of the EHF Youth Panel, we knew each other very well before arriving in Stockholm (for more information about the EHF Youth Panel, visit the Youth pages on the EHF website).
Three coaches from Sweden travelled with the caravan the whole way (EllaTorstensson, Sofia Blomgren, and Nicole Carlsson), with local coaches from the different clubs playing very important roles on the day.
9 kids from Sweden travelled the whole way with the caravan. The caravan first visited Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Lund in Sweden, then Slagelse, Orient and Kalundborg in Denmark. Every day presented different conditions to work with; with glorious sun to pouring rain and from 9 kids on one camp up to 50 on another! But as coaches we tried very hard to keep each day as diverse and fun and possible, particularly for the kids travelling the whole of the caravan. We wanted to make sure that as well as having fun, each kid walked away from the day having learnt something new and hopefully made some new friends, and would want to come again next year (listed below is a detailed account of what we did every day on the caravan). We both found the week extremely rewarding, both from a coaching perspective, as well as being able to get to know the kids and the local coaches away from the pitch.The idea of bringing different nations together through hockey is amazing; the concept, and full support from both nations is truly inspiring, and many other European countries have a lot to learn from this project. We both hope that the Nordic Caravan will continue to grow each year, and that we can continue to be a part of it. Thank you to the EHF, the Swedish Land Hockey Association, and the Dansk Hockey Union for an amazing few days, and most of all, thanks to the kids! We hope to see you next year!
Jamie & Mateusz
Sunday 24th
June: Coaches arrive!
Jamie and Mateusz arrive in Stockholm and get picked up at the airport by Sofia and Ella from Swedish Hockey.
Monday 25th
June: Stockholm camp (17 kids)
Local coaches: Sofia and Ella
10:00-10:30 – warm up; 123ABC, zonal pass-ball
10:30-11:15 – dribbling games; ‘in the D’, bulldog,
stuck in the mud
11:15-12:00 – passing games; 1234, passing and
shooting (tip-ins)
12:00-1:00 – LUNCH
1:00 – move indoors because the rain was too bad
1:00-1:20 – warm up; tag, smash the tower
1:20-2:20 – indoor clinic; dribbling, goal scoring, using
side boards
2:20-3:00 – TOURNAMENT
Tuesday 26th
June: Gothenburg camp 1 (Partille; 25 kids)
Local coaches: Sofia, Ella, Nicole, Niclas Franzén, Henrik Fasth
10:00-10:20 – warm up; 123ABC, zonal pass-ball
10:20-10:35 – dribbling games; ‘in the D’, stuck in the mud
10:35-12:00 – core skills clinic; basic dribbling (forehand and
reverse), Indian dribble, V-drags, 3D skills
12:00-1:00 – LUNCH
1:00-1:20 – warm up; peaks and valleys, tag
1:20-2:15 – passing clinic; 1234, find-a-goal, king ball,
hitting game
2:15-3:00 – TOURNAMENT
Thursday 28th
June: Tosselilla Adventure Park
Day off! 5 coaches and 9 kids go to Tosselilla
for a fun day.
Wednesday 27th
June: Gothenburg camp 2
(Partille; 23 kids)
Local coaches: Sofia, Ella, Nicole, Anton Melander,
Simon Melander, Erik Ströby
10:00-10:20 – warm up; catch tag (around circle),
zonal roll-ball
10:20-10:35 – defending games; bulldog
10:35-11:45 – defending clinic; tackles (block; jab;
shave; steal), channelling, tackle boxes into D
11:45-12:00 – defending games; numbers games
12:00-1:00 – LUNCH
1:00-2:00 – goal scoring clinic;
2:00-3:00 – TOURNAMENT
Friday 29th
June: Lund (9 kids)
Local coaches: Sofia, Ella, Nicole, Jonas Hesselvig
A special day camp for the 9 kids travelling the whole caravan.
10:00-10:30 – dynamic warm up; run, jumps, stretching, footwork,
sprints, under-over, elephant run
10:30-12:00 – 3D skills clinic; hockey tennis, dribbling, eliminations,
passing, goal scoring
12:00-1:00 – LUNCH
1:00-1:30 – warm up; perception-based
1:30-2:30 – advanced passing clinic with goal scoring;
2:30-3:00 – conditioned games; back to back goals, captain game
Saturday 30th
June: Slagelse (50 kids)
Local coaches: Sofia, Ella, Nicole, Jonas, Jens Hald, Trine
Moll Christensen, Lotte Christensen, Emilie Blankschøn
Kids split into 8 groups; 7 groups by age, and 1 group for GKs
10:00-10:20 – warm up; run, stretches, ‘around the world’
10:20-12:00 – clinics; goal scoring, eliminations, defense,
passing, dribbling, 3D skills, conditioned games, GK
12:00-1:00 – LUNCH
1:00-2:00 – games; defending game, flat goals game,
conditioned game, smash the tower, cheat, overtakes, GK
wall-pass game
2:00-3:00 – TOURNAMENT
Sunday 01st
July: Orient (26 kids)
Local coaches: Sofia, Ella, Nicole, Jonas, Daniel Denta,
Andreas Haldrup, Thomas Christensen
10:00-10:30 – dynamic warm up;
10:30-12:00 – goal scoring clinic; intensity and
pressure V dynamic and technical
12:00-1:00 – LUNCH
1:00-1:20 – warm up; deep perception, stretching,
peaks and valleys
1:20-2:00 – advanced passing clinic; focus on
technique and working under pressure
2:00-2:30 – games; Kabadi, GK wall-pass game
2:30-3:00 – TOURNAMENT
Monday 02nd
July: Kalundborg (19 kids)
Local coaches: Sofia, Ella, Nicole, Jonas, Anita Holm
Jensen, Jan Kaiser, Bettina Eriksen
10:00-10:30 – dynamic warm up; pushing, wave
10:30-12:00 – posting up clinic & goal scoring clinic
12:00-1:00 – LUNCH
1:00-1:30 – warm up; chain tag, stuck in the mud,
around the world
1:30-2:30 – games; zonal game play, goal scoring
game
2:30-3:00 – TOURNAMENT
Tuesday 3rd
July: Coaches fly home!
If you would like to find out more information about the coaching involved with the caravan or any of the specific drills listed, please do not hesitate to contact either head coach; Jamie – just_jamie1990@hotmail.com, or Mateusz – mg102@wp.plT