11/09/2026
If you’re a young hockey player who wants to become elite, don’t specialise too early.
Become a generalist.
Learn how to play as a defender, midfielder AND forward.
Why?
Because every position teaches you something different about how hockey works.
Playing in defence teaches you what defenders hate playing against.
Playing midfield teaches you how to connect the pitch.
Playing forward teaches you how attackers create space and where they want the ball.
Some of the best teams in the world are incredibly fluid because their players understand the game as a whole, rather than only understanding one position.
I experienced the opposite.
I grew up almost exclusively as a defender, and when I eventually started playing further forward, it felt completely unnatural because I’d had so little experience there.
If you’re still young, use that time to experiment.
Play everywhere. Learn the principles that apply across every position. Understand the whole game.
You can specialise later.
Build the complete player first.