SuperSport Schools Plus

Player Profile: Matthew Temmis (Parel Vallei High School)

By Avuyile Sawula , in Hockey | Featured Hockey | News , at 2024-07-30 Tags: , ,

Matthew Temmis and Parel Vallei finished a very respectable fourth at the Cape Town International Hockey Tournament. Photo: Cape Town International Hockey Tournament
Matthew Temmis and Parel Vallei finished a very respectable fourth at the 2024 Cape Town International Hockey Tournament. Photo: Cape Town International Hockey Tournament

Calm, composed on the ball, humble, hardworking, and a team player are some of the terms that can be used to describe Matthew Temmis‘s character on and off the AstroTurf.

The 18-year-old, who plies his trade for Parel Vallei High School (PV), in Somerset West, has been, for several years, among the standout players for his school, and has represented Boland at various inter-provincial tournaments. Last year, he was named in the SA Schools u17 squad.

Temmis is currently in matric, and this coming Friday night he will play his final match for Parel Vallei when they host Gqeberha’s Pearson High School in their annual interschools weekend exchange.

Ahead of the highly anticipated encounter, he chatted with SuperSport Schools Plus hockey writer Avuyile Sawula about how his love for hockey began, his time at PV, representing Boland, and the future.

Accidental hockey player

In his primary school days, Temmis attended Laerskool Hendrik Louw, in Strand and, to be frank, playing hockey never crossed his mind.

He dabbled in several sporting codes from a young age and appeared to be on his way to becoming a good rugby player. Then, in grade 2, one of his best friends introduced him to hockey.

He fell in love with the game. He tried out many different positions and rugby, his first love, slowly disappeared from his radar.

“I was actually a rugby player. All of my friends played rugby in school,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“At that time, it was only my grade 2 friend who played hockey. He encouraged me to try out the sport and, since I was a kid who loved sports, I went for it. I loved it and never really looked back.”

After discovering his new passion, Temmis made the move to Parel Vallei in grade 8 and set his sights on taking his game to the next level.

It took him just two years to make his first team debut. Along the way, he was selected for the u16A Boland side, and in 2022 he was called up to the SA u16 High Performance camp.

“When I got to PV in grade 8, I didn’t know what to expect because I wanted to go to Paul Roos,” he revealed.

“I was accepted at PRG, but my dad insisted I go for PV. He knew about it and I trusted him.

“The first two years were great and in grade 10 our hockey improved, and I started enjoying it.

“I made my first team debut against Worcester Gimnasium, and I took home the man of the match accolade, so that was quite special for me.”

Temmis on the charge against Pearson High School in their meeting last year. Photo: Supplied
Temmis on the charge against Pearson High School in their meeting in 2023. Photo: Supplied

Representing Boland at SASHOC National Weeks

This year, Temmis was member of the Boland u18A hockey team which claimed the silver medal at the SASHOC National Week in Bloemfontein. In a back-and-forth final against their neighbours, Boland lost 2-3 against Western Province A.

It was his second year representing the u18A team at the inter-provincial event. In 2023, he was part of the team that finished fourth. At the conclusion of that tournament, he was named in the SA Schools u17 team.

This time around, however, he was taken out of his comfort zone. Despite preferring to play in his usual centre midfield position, he was moved to outside midfielder and, at times, right back.

The tournament, Temmis said, was a massive learning curve for him. “The tournament was good. Last year we fell out in the semi-finals and this year we went with a different mindset aiming to win,” he explained.

“It’s disappointing when you come that close, but the boys played some brilliant hockey, and I was proud to have contributed to the team.

“The experience of also being moved to other positions was nice, because I’m normally a centre midfielder.”

Influential figures, and support system

To get to where he is, Temmis, with the support of his family and the coaches at PV, has had to put in the hard yards, which have featured long hours on the Astro, in an effort to make him a better player.

From a young age, he’s been mentored and guided by the first team head coach and Head of Hockey at PV, Michael van Rensburg. Temmis credits him, and Van Rensburg’s assistant coach, Dewald Raath, for making a positive impact on his career.

“Coach Michael and Dewald have been with me for quite a long time,” he said. “They’ve continued to believe in me, motivate me constantly, and if I need anything, they are always there to help.

“I remember in grade 8, I was a centre-back, and coach Michael saw something in me that I didn’t see. He then moved me to centre-mid, and since then I’ve been playing there. All credit to him.

“It’s going to be hard saying goodbye to them, but I’m grateful for their contributions towards my hockey.

Photo: Parel Vallei High School
Photo: Parel Vallei High School

The youngster also praised his family, who, he said, have backed him from the first time he picked up a stick.

“I don’t come from the best background, but I’ve always had the goal and mindset of being a winner and becoming a professional hockey player one day,” he explained

“In my pursuit of that dream, my parents have backed me since day one, believed in me, trusted me, and they’ve been on my side.

“I remember all the early mornings my father had to wake up to take me to practices. Sometimes he’d be forced to take leave from work to drive me to tournaments. My father is my biggest supporter. He’s at almost every single game and I truly am grateful for him,” he concluded.

Temmis, who recently earned his 75th cap for the first team will, alongside his teammates, be aiming to end his season with a bang against Pearson High.

Parel Vallei enters the clash on the back of a narrow 2-3 defeat against Paarl Boys’ High last week.

The action will kick off on the PV Astroturf at 19:30.

Avuyile Sawula
error: Sorry ol' chap, those shenanigans are not permissible.