1. Canada's Senior Womens Team News

Women's Pan American Cup team announced

Field Hockey Canada and head coach Louis Mendonca released the names of those who will represent the Canadian women’s national field hockey team at the 2009 Pan American Cup. The tournament, which runs 7 – 15 February in Hamilton, Bermuda, serves as the continental qualifier for the International Hockey Federation’s (FIH) 2010 World Cup of Hockey.

Those named to the team include a strong mix of veterans and relative newcomers. British Columbia once again embodies the bulk of Canadian players with 13 provincial representatives. Three of the athletes hail from Ontario while two are from Prince Edward Island.

Canada, ranked 20th in the world by the FIH, plays the host Bermudans on 7 February before taking on arch rival Argentina on 8 February and Trinidad & Tobago on 11 February. The gold medal game is scheduled for February 15th.

Mendonca will be facing his first major test as new head coach of the women’s program. He led the men’s national team to a respectable 10th-place finish at the Beijing Olympic Games last August.

He and the women’s team recently returned from a training tour in Ireland where they earned a win, loss, and draw against the Irish senior team.

The Pan American Cup will also feature additional Canadian content as officials Madge Johnson (Vancouver, BC) and Wendy Stewart (Calgary, AB) will serve as a technical official and umpire respectively.

For 2009 Pan American Cup Roster and Information click here

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For other news in regards to Senior womens Squad, please visit website

An invitation Only Selection Camp planned for March 15 – 21, 2009 in Vancouver. Also head coach Louis Mendonca will be at the following Tournaments to identify players for the national program:

Under 16 Athletes, April 17-19, 2009 Lower Mainland, British Columbia

Under 14 Athletes, April 24-26, 2009 Lower Mainland, British Columbia

Under 18 Athletes, May 8-10, 2009 Victoria British Columbia National Level Tournaments

U18 Invitational Tournament – July 16-19, 2009 Vancouver, British Columbia

Senior Nationals – July 21-26, 2009, Calgary. Alberta

U16 National Championships – July 30-August 3, Ontario

2. Canada's Senior Mens Team News

Field Hockey Canada is happy to announce the following carded athletes for the men's national squad in 2009. Click here to see the all athletes and bios. Congratulations to those selected.

The team will now travel to San Diego for training and competitions against the US and a German Club an der Alster from February 11 to 21, 2009.

3. 2009 NATIONAL WOMENS COACHING WORKSHOP

The Coaching Association of Canada’s Women in Coaching Program is pleased to announce that the 2009 National Coach Workshop will take place at The Briars Resort (www.briars.ca), Jackson’s Point, Lake Simcoe, Ont., on March 27 to 29. The aim of the workshop is to bring together the top women coaches in Canada and to:

•facilitate a stronger network of women coaches who are in national team positions and are focused on Olympic and Paralympic preparation for 2010 and 2012.

•provide professional development and support specific to women coaches involved in high performance coaching.

•create support mechanisms focused on sustaining women in national team positions.

Coaches who are selected to attend the workshop will have the opportunity to shape the agenda. Once the coaches have been confirmed, a needs assessment will be carried out.

The workshop facilitators will be Dr. Dru Marshall and Dr. Penny Werthner.

Dru Marshall is the deputy provost of the University of Alberta. An NCCP Level 5 coach, she coached field hockey at the university, provincial, and national levels for many years. She contributes to the development of women’s sport through teaching and research, mentoring, and serving on numerous provincial and national committees.

Penny Werthner is a professor in the University of Ottawa’s School of Human Kinetics. She is a practicing performance consultant who works with many Olympic team athletes and coaches. She was the consultant for the canoe/kayak team at four Olympic Games and is the national freestyle ski team’s consultant. She is an NCCP Level 4/5 presenter for Tasks #7, #8, and #17. A former Olympic track and field athlete, Penny represented Canada internationally from 1970 to 1981.

Passing the Torch A special session will feature Olympic coaches Yihua Li and Xiuli Wang, two of Canada’s most successful coaches on the world stage.

Yihua’s diver, Émilie Heymans, won the 10m silver medal at the 2008 Olympic Games. In 2000, her diver, Anne Montminy, won Olympic silver and bronze medals. Heymans, the 10m world champion in 2003, also has to her credit two Olympic medals in the 10m synchronized event. Since 1997, Yihua has been the head coach of the Pointe Claire Diving Club, the first woman to hold this position. She will share key learnings and challenges she had to overcome in Beijing.

Xuili was one of Canada’s most outstanding coaches at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games, coaching four Olympians to the podium. Her success continues with Kristina Groves burning up the track at every meet she enters. Xiuli was the winner of the 2006 Jack Donohue Award, which recognizes a coach’s dedication to the profession of coaching and the outstanding performance of athletes during the past competitive season. She will talk about her preparation strategies and the challenges she is facing leading into the 2010 Vancouver Games.

Nomination Procedure: Coaches must be nominated by their national sport organization (NSO). Space is limited. Priority will be given to: #1 head coaches preparing for the 2010, and 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games #2 assistant coaches preparing for 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games #3 senior national team head coaches #4 senior national team assistant coaches #5 junior national team head coaches/senior national team coach pool

Use the 2009 National Coach Workshop Nomination Form. Forward via e-mail or fax to Britany Gordon, Women in Coaching program, no later than February 9, 2009 at bgordon@coach.ca or by fax 613-235-9500. Successful candidates and their NSO will be contacted by February 16, 2009.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Sheilagh Croxon at 647-988-7877 or by e-mail scroxon@rogers.com

4. 2008 Ottawa Sports Awards : Denys Cooper on wins the Lifetime Achievement - Technical Official.

FHC would like to congratulate Denys Cooper on winning the 2008 Ottawa Sports Awards Lifetime Achievement - Technical Official. The Banquet was held in Ottawa on January 21, 2009 at Algonquin College.

The Outaouais Field Hockey Club (Ottawa) and the local Ottawa field hockey community nominated Denys Cooper for the 2008 Ottawa Sports Awards Lifetime Achievement - Technical Official and we are pleased to announce that he won.

Denys Cooper’s passion for field hockey started 49 years ago, when we named the first eleven at the University of Exeter. After he graduated in science, Denys continued his education to graduate program in Chemistry at the University of Liverpool. Winning the National Research Council of Canada doctorate fellowship moved him to Canada, where is passion field hockey followed.

In 1968 he became member of the Montreal Grass Hockey Club. In the late 1960s and early 70s Denys officiated and played. Some notable dates in this field hockey career include:

1969 Founding member of Quebec Field Hockey Association

1970 obtained a Canadian National Umpire’s rating.

Executive of the Canadian Field Hockey Umpire Association (CFHUA):

- Secretary from 1975 to 1976

- President from 1977 to 1979

Chairman of the CFHUA Technical Committee from 1976 to 1986. One task of the committee was to bring into line both men’s and women’s rules – a remarkably long-sighted goal considering that the National and Provincial Associations amalgamated in 1992

1975 Umpire at Pan American Games in Mexico City - led to FIH International badge.

1976 in Montréal that field hockey was first played on turf at an Olympic Games. You can imagine the amount of planning and work that was involved in persuading the City to put down Astroturf. Denys Cooper and Walter Kooiman were the driving force behind this technological innovation in Canada - to install artificial turf in Montreal for the 1976 Olympic Games.

Denys was also a statistician on the field hockey technical committee at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games.

Denys’ international field hockey activities peaked in the late seventies and early eighties when he was first an official at the Pan Am Games in Mexico and a judge at the Pan Am Games in Puerto Rico.

After moving his family to Ottawa in 1973 he became a member of Outaouais Field Hockey Club and is currently a lifetime honorary member. Also he has been the Outaouais Club Treasurer several times over.

Despite this exhaustive list of high level activity Denys Cooper has been and continues to be stalwart supporter of the Outaouais Field Hockey Club and the local high school league. He has always found time to umpire high school hockey and used to be involved in organizing the Club’s indoor leagues.

Although he retired as a player 2004, he still umpires at the local women’s high school and club games. Recently Denys umpired at the 2006 Ontario Summer Games in Ottawa and worked at the Technical table during the 2008 Ontario Summer Games in Ottawa

Denys was one of the main umpires in the 2008 NCSSAA high school league. He umpired many a game by himself on the grass fields of the city’s high schools and always enjoyed the experience.

Denys Cooper has been and continues to be stalwart supporter of field hockey. We congratulate Denys on winning this award, and also send many thanks for his 50 plus years dedication to Field Hockey. We would also like to acknowledge Denys’ wife, Jennifer and their 2 children, Bruce and Gillian.

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Also Honoured at 2008 Ottawa Sports Awards was Malinda Hapuarachchi (a previous Outaouais FHC member). Malinda received the Individual Sport award. This is the 2nd time she has received this award. Previously she received it in 2006. Malinda played for UofT and is now helping coach at Queens

5. Upcoming Club Tournaments:

Unviersity of Calgary Indoor Tournament Feb. 13- 15th , 2009 in Calgary, Albert

H.C. Eindhoven Youth Tournament May 30- Jun. 1st, 2009 in The Netherlands

Lal Bahadur Shastri HC Tournament Festival Nov. / Dec. 2009 in New Delhi

Italy Field Hockey International Tophy Sept. 4 - 6, 2009 in Padua, Italy

More info visit the website

6. Attention Coaches - 2009 USA Coaching Tour

USA 5-Week SUMMER Tour 2009 For Canadian Coaches

Academy International is offering a summer tour of the USA coaching field hockey to girls ages 10-17. As well as experiencing a different American city each week you can also do your own traveling with a friend after your coaching tour has been completed.

Academy International pays for the upfront cost of the airfare along with weekly wages and expenses in the USA. This is a great opportunity for travel, to make new friends, all while teaching a sport you love.

Minimum age requirement is 20 and playing or coaching experience is needed. Spaces are limited so apply early at www.academyinternational.net Employment 2009. For more information please e-mail Martyn Conquest at sports@academyinternational.net

7. Overseas Training Opportunity this Summer

Take your opportunity to become a Golden Team now!

Introducing a unique international field hockey summer camp. It is held in the Hague, the Netherlands this year. Champs at Camps offers ambitious hockey teams around the world a 10-day development program. You will train with world's best coaches and players, who will give you a lifetime experience and a way to discover all the ingredients to get to the top!

Involved players will be trained by the worlds best field hockey players in the world, including the Dutch Olympic Gold medaillist of Bejing, with a program tailored to help them excel on and of the field. Our unique concept offers your players the opportunity to benefit of the rich experience and knowledge of the 9-time World Champion Hockey Nation-the Netherlands!

For more information visit www.champsatcamps.com or email info@champsatcamps.com

8. Win the trip of a Lifetime . . .

Calling residents of Canada and the US…

…this is your chance to win the trip of a lifetime to the Games! Sportspeople from Canada and the US who complete their Games registration and book a Main Games Package with Goway Travel before 27 February 2009 have the chance to fly and stay in Sydney for free!

10 night Main Games Packages start from USD$2359 from LA and CAD$2749 from Vancouver (per person based on twin share). The prize includes return flights for two from LA to Sydney and 7 nights twin share accommodation in Sydney.

There is no better time to register for the Sydney 2009 World Masters Games so don’t delay. Register now Register now and you could win the trip of a lifetime to the Games!

For terms and conditions please visit the Goway Travel website. Goway Travel is the official Games Travel Provider in North America