Thank you to the Trust for its kind support in assisting me attend the New Zealand Future Black Sticks Training Camp. I wanted to let you know a little about what happened when in Hamilton during the first week in October. I was honoured to be one of three players promoted to the U21 training group from the U18 group. This was exciting for me to be up against more experienced and skilful players as I like to test my skills against the best I can. I got to room with my friend from Auckland (Kings and U18 promoted player) and be surrounded in a dorm full of like-minded players who share similar aspirations to me – that was very motivating. There was a big focus on the Black Sticks culture and attitude, training and skill development with lots of drills through the week. For the fitness test I was ranked in the top 10 out of a total of approx. 70 participants, across both U18 and U21 age groups.

The two games we played were very full on, with positioning, game style and speed different to what I was used to. It did take a little time to adjust and got some positive input of my improvement and adjustment made in the second game. We set some personal goals pre the camp, monitored those with a coach and got feedback at the end on my strengths and what I needed to work on to advance my game. I now have some clear goals set on what to work on to advance my game further.

It was a very challenging and rewarding time away and I’m excited to be continuing my development towards my future goal of someday representing NZ as a Black Stick.

Ryan Caldwell