Cazadores keen to start winning

Cazadores Inline Hockey club hope to finally move out of the shadow of Coastal Pirates from Swakopmund this season.

Pirates have dominated the inline hockey club scene in Namibia for the past decade, but Cazadores are determined to turn the tide after recently appointing a new coach, Josh Blair from Canada. Interestingly enough, the 26-year-old Josh is the twin brother of Coastal Pirates and Namibian national coach Nate Blair.Josh said although he was initially sceptical about the standard of inline hockey in Namibia, he had been pleasantly surprised since taking over as head coach at Cazadores.”I have been pleasantly surprised by the developmental and skills levels of the players here in Namibia.My main aim is to develop the kids to a higher level so that they can hopefully represent their country in the future.At the same time I hope they will enjoy playing hockey and be eager to come to the rink to play,” he said.Blair said it often just needed a bit of encouragement to help develop young players.”I started playing hockey when I was eight years old but initially I didn’t have much confidence and thought that I would never make the grade.But my father believed in me and encouraged me a lot and I went on to represent Canada.So I would also like to instil that self belief in these young kids here,” he said.Josh has been playing an instrumental role in expanding Cazadores’ developmental programme which was initiated two years ago.This year Josh and Cazadores club member Tina von Finkenstein have started coaching lessons at the Aam Been Dee Bridging School in Okuryangava, Katutura, where close to 80 children are taught the basics of skating and inline hockey.The weekly classes have been very successful and they hope to soon enter a team in the Under 8 national league.Josh is also coaching the national Boys U18 team that will compete at the World Junior Championships in Philadelphia, United States in June.The Namibian season, meanwhile gets underway with the Badgers tournament at the Windhoek Showgrounds from March 12 to 16.It will provide the first test for Cazadores against their old foes Coastal Pirates, and Josh, for one, believes that he can outdo his brother this time around.”Things are changing.I’ll put my money on our team this year,” he said.Interestingly enough, the 26-year-old Josh is the twin brother of Coastal Pirates and Namibian national coach Nate Blair.Josh said although he was initially sceptical about the standard of inline hockey in Namibia, he had been pleasantly surprised since taking over as head coach at Cazadores.”I have been pleasantly surprised by the developmental and skills levels of the players here in Namibia.My main aim is to develop the kids to a higher level so that they can hopefully represent their country in the future.At the same time I hope they will enjoy playing hockey and be eager to come to the rink to play,” he said.Blair said it often just needed a bit of encouragement to help develop young players.”I started playing hockey when I was eight years old but initially I didn’t have much confidence and thought that I would never make the grade.But my father believed in me and encouraged me a lot and I went on to represent Canada.So I would also like to instil that self belief in these young kids here,” he said.Josh has been playing an instrumental role in expanding Cazadores’ developmental programme which was initiated two years ago.This year Josh and Cazadores club member Tina von Finkenstein have started coaching lessons at the Aam Been Dee Bridging School in Okuryangava, Katutura, where close to 80 children are taught the basics of skating and inline hockey.The weekly classes have been very successful and they hope to soon enter a team in the Under 8 national league.Josh is also coaching the national Boys U18 team that will compete at the World Junior Championships in Philadelphia, United States in June.The Namibian season, meanwhile gets underway with the Badgers tournament at the Windhoek Showgrounds from March 12 to 16.It will provide the first test for Cazadores against their old foes Coastal Pirates, and Josh, for one, believes that he can outdo his brother this time around.”Things are changing.I’ll put my money on our team this year,” he said.