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When is a coach not a bus? When his name is Ric Charlesworth. Ric Charlesworth is the best coach in Australia. In any sport, mens or women. He is arguably its best ever hockey player. He is certainly Australia’s best ever hockey coach having led Australia to a third successive Champions Trophy overnight.
Jack Gibson, Rod Macqueen, Don Talbot, Harry Hopman, John Buchanan; all very good but one-sport coaches compared to the illustrious Doctor.
In the annals of Australian coaches, perhaps only Ron Barassi Jnr. and Norm Smith could be compared to Ric Charlesworth.
He mentored our Hockeyroos through their golden period from 1993 to 2000. In this period, the Hockeyroos won four successive Champions’ Trophies, two World Cups and gold medals at the Atlanta and Sydney Olympics.
He was particularly good with Nova Peris-Kneebone. A talented athlete Nova joined Ric Charlesworth’s hockey programme around the same time as he took over as Hockeyroo’s coach. Nova was Aboriginal, eighteen and a single mother. She took her baby daughter and relocated from Darwin to Perth.
Charlesworth, a strict disciplinarian asked each of his charges to commit to a 10-point plan leading up to the Atlanta Olympics. Point eight of the commitment read: “I will be the best I can be by being tolerant of differences in others and respecting them for who they are and what they have to offer.”
Alyson Annan, one of the greatest Hockeyroos, described Charlesworth as “her mentor and tormentor.” Annan says
of Charlesworth: “I hated you at times – actually, more often than not. You set such high standards for me every day that sometimes they seemed impossible to reach. But if you hadn’t set the bar so high, I would never have been able to contribute to the team as much as I did.” (From BEYOND THE LIMITS, By Nicole Jeffery).
Jeffery describes how after the gold medal ceremony at the Sydney Games, Annan presented her bouquet to Charlesworth, saying: “I don’t know if you remember, but I gave you my flowers in Atlanta and I want to give you these.” He replied: “I remember. I have them pressed in a book.”
The culture he was seeking was one of “multiple leaders” and responsibility for your own actions. He was challenging his wards to be the best they could possibly be. And then challenging them some more to stay the best.
In 2007, he was the High performance manager for the New Zealand cricket team. He has been mentor to many national team coaches at the Australian Institute of Sports. He has been awarded the mantle of the “Coaches’ Coach” many times in his career.
He is the Dr. Doolittle of Sports. He can talk to players and he can talk to the animals. He has played Sheffield Shield cricket and been part of three Shield winning teams.
But it is in hockey that he has the most distinguished doctorate. And his is not a honarium as bestowed on famous politicians and sportsmen. He is also a qualified medical doctor. He has been a Member of Parliament and this did not last long as Ric Charlesworth does not suffer fools gladly.
He is held in such high regard that the International Hockey Federation insisted India employ him to clean up their act. Predictably Charlesworth resigned in disgust at the red tape and cronyism that is so endemic in Indian sport.
Ric Charlesworth has a big vision and despite being shabbily treated by Indian administrators says, “World Hockey needs India.”
Since taking over as the Kookaburra’s coach after the 2008 Olympics he has coached Australia to every major hockey trophy on offer. The 2009 Champions Trophy and the 2010 World Cup.
Last night Australia played England in the Champions Trophy 2010 final in Monchengladbach, Germany. Before the final he said: “We have to play the whole time, we have to be relentless and I think we’re developing now the capacity to do that.”
Australia had earlier defeated the world number two Germany and the number 3, the Netherlands. Both were come from behind victories. England’s form in this Champions Trophy included yesterday’s win 4-3 against Germany and a 3-2 loss to Australia.
England, like in cricket, is building a resurgent hockey team and have been the big improvers. After all, they did invent the sport.
“We come to any tournament expecting to win,” Charelsworth said before the final last night.
Charlesworth has the Kookaburras the fittest of any other major nation. He is playing a high tempo game and is looking to transit quickly from defence to attack.
For this tournament he left behind five key players so he could trial new talent. He has his eyes fixed on the Olympics in London and it would take a brave man to bet against him.
How the Socceroos would wish they had someone like Des Abbot to run at the defence. Des is emerging as one of the hottest talents in world hockey and along with Jamie Dwyer gives Australia two of the deadliest predators in any team sport.
Ric Charlesworth left behind Mark Knowles (co-captain), Grant Schubert, Rob Hammond and Liam de Young. And to think Roarers have been complaining that there should not be wholesale changes to our cricket team!
Replying to a question as to how the new players would fit in to the squad Mark Knowles said: “I think in the past it might have been a bit daunting for a young player to come in and compete at this level. But given the team orientated way we play I don’t think that has been as much of an issue because everyone has their role. But I have been impressed with all the younger guys who have come in and done well in the first two games.”
The Kookaburras started the final at their usual high-octane pace and Luke Doerner rasped home a penalty corner in the 6th minute.
One minute later Jason Wilson stormed down the wing and centred to Des Abbott in the D and there was no stopping his shot. Wilson was rewarded for his pace on the wing and scored himself in the 13th minute. This was as emphatic an opening in a major final as any in the last forty years. At half time England were wishing this was a cricket match.
The second half was delayed by more than an hour as a storm drenched the field. England really needed a Tsunami to save them. The pitch slowed and England was able to compete at this slower level.
However, Jamie Dwyer put the result beyond doubt with a trademark feint and pinpoint finish from inside the circle in the 50th minute.
For the best part of a decade Germany, Netherlands and Australia have been close in performance and results. But in the last 18 months Australia, under Charlesworth have raised the bar. They are playing an attacking game that turns defence into the most exhilarating sweeps and lines unseen in world hockey,
John Wooden considered America’s greatest ever coach maintained that:”What you are as a person is far more important than what you are as a basketball player. “He coached sport as a life activity and said: “Learn as if you were to live forever; live as if you were to die tomorrow.”
The great coaches all were stern disciplinarians.Rinus Michels the father of Dutch “Total Football” was relentless in his discipline and so too, Brian Clough and Matt Busby. Alex Ferguson is a tyrant too. But in the end it is not about them. It is getting the best out of the players and the team.
Charlesworth has made every member of the team a leader and empowered them to be the best they can.
I say make Ric Charlesworth the coach of the Australian cricket team. But we may have to wait till 2012 because as Ric is fond of saying, “We have work to do.”
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