Kwan Browne takes over as Southgate men’s coach this season after joining from Hampstead & Westminster
What is it about club hockey that you love?
The thing I love the most about hockey are the connections and the friendships. The hockey family is very close and I think that side of it makes it very enjoyable. I also enjoy being part of a team, the memories and support makes life great.
For all our budding juniors out there- what are the key attributes you look for in elite hockey players?
For me- to be an elite hockey player it’s around the attitude and effort firstly- if there is a desire to work hard with and without the ball and that is something they enjoy doing then that is great.
Then there are other things, of course, like technical ability and ability to read the game, but the most important things is that ability to enjoy and love the game both with and without the ball – getting involved in attack and defence and again enjoying both sides of the game, that will put them in a great place.
Hockey is so much based around transition and the people who transition best between attack and defence are the outstanding players, at the elite level having great basic skills and doing them under pressure is all important. It may sound boring but simple things done well can be pretty exciting as well.
Have you found any formula for what makes a team successful?
Having a great culture! Players understanding how things are done at Southgate on and off the pitch. Successful teams understand that everyone is different, everyone has their own ideas and is given enough space to share those ideas without being disruptive to the culture of the team.
A successful team combines an understanding of their teams DNA with the ability to consistently deliver on the pitch.
