Saturday, March 7, 2026

George Pinner: My first hockey coach


England hockey goalkeeper George Pinner on David Walsh, his first coach at Ipswich School.

David was brilliant and injected a huge amount of positivity into my sessions. I started playing in goal as a 10-year-old as I was ill one day at school but there was no way I was missing the session.

A year later, he told me I could play for England one day. I don’t know if he had the knowledge to back that up. I don’t know if he believed it or not. But the way he told it to me and the way the conversation went, it really motivated and inspired me so much.

As a coach that is so important. You don’t have to be the most technical or brilliant player yourself but bringing energy and positivity, that was

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