Eldoraigne hockey boys hit their stride under coach Coertzen
Fresh off of a 2-0 victory over Hoërskool Centurion and a 2-1 win against Hoërskool Waterkloof last weekend, Hoërskool Eldoraigne‘s boys’ hockey 1st team is rolling under the guidance of Head Coach Stefan Coertzen.
They’ve taken on a busy schedule this season, playing 25 tournament and league matches, winning 14 and losing 11, but they’ve now won six matches on the trot.
Though the results earlier in their campaign were mixed, they now appear to have hit their stride. His team’s success hasn’t come by accident, Coertzen said.
“We’ve gone through different phases of growth,” he explained. “We worked on ironing out weak moments in games and learning from our mistakes.
“The consistency has come from simply trying to be better every match, even if it’s by just one percent. The wins are a result of all the lessons from previous matches and the commitment to constant improvement.”
While victories are always a welcome product of training and lessons learned from matches, Coach Coertzen insisted that the foundation of his team’s approach is focusing on the quality of hockey the team plays.
“No one coaches to lose, of course, but our focus is on playing good hockey. The wins are important because they show the players that there is a reward in sticking to the process. It takes time and patience, but it pays off.”
Finding the right balance between pushing players to perform and ensuring they enjoy the game is no easy task, but Coertzen believes that’s where values come in.
“The type of child we have at Eldoraigne responds well to being challenged, especially when it’s through values. When we break down the process to success, they find joy in every small achievement along the way. That short-term enjoyment leads to long-term performance.”
Mental and physical preparation go hand-in-hand to help a team achieve consistency, the coach said: “Mentally, it’s quite easy once we’ve built that value-based culture early in the season. It becomes part of everything we do during the lead-up to a match.
“Physically, we follow a structured plan of high- and low-intensity sessions, depending on where we are in the week. Sticking to that process helps us stay sharp and match ready.”
During the season, some important individual milestones have been achieved: Hanco Nel and Nico Janse van Rensburg both earned their 50th caps against Glenwood High. Aidan Troskie and Nathan van Zyl reached theirs during a derby clash with Hoërskool Zwartkop, while Daniël Fourie marked his 50th appearance in the weekend’s win over Waterkloof.
Reflecting on his side’s journey so far, the Eldos‘ mentor admitted they went through a tough start to the season. “We began the season with 11 new players in our 18-man squad. It was a challenge to get everyone on the same page. But to their credit, the boys adjusted quickly and were open to major changes in the way we play.”
He concluded by pointing out that the 2025 team is the most inexperienced side he has worked with in his four years at Eldoraigne, which makes their current run of form even more impressive.
“It just shows that our programme gives players the tools they need to grow and succeed. I’m incredibly proud of the commitment and progress they’ve shown so far,” Coertzen commented.
LAST 10 RESULTS
Eldoraigne 1-2 Affies
Eldoraigne 2-1 Waterkloof
Eldoraigne 1-2 Kearsney
Eldoraigne 0-2 Maritzburg College
Eldoraigne 5-0 Oos-Moot
Eldoraigne 3-1 Midstream
Eldoraigne 3-0 Zwartkop
Eldoraigne 4-1 Montana
Eldoraigne 2-0 Centurion
Eldoraigne 2-1 Waterkloof
