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Following the Paris 2024 Games we host several #AMA sessions with coaches who were at the Games so you can ask them your coaching questions. Jude Menezes, coach for Japan in the Paris Games was LIVE with us on Friday September 13.

Jude Menezes 🇮🇳 🇳🇿 is the former goalie for India before he moved to New Zealand and became a “kiwi” himself.

He worked as the goalie coach and an assistant coach for the New Zealand Blacksticks for many years and gained a lot of experience in international hockey coaching. Following the Tokyo Games he took on the new challenge of being the head coach for the women national team of Japan. In January 2021 he delivered a masterclass session for us about the PCD from a goalie’s perspective. And in 2022 he talked to us about rebound scoring.

In this Ask Me Anything session featuring Jude Menezes, the head coach of Japans national women’s field hockey team, valuable insights were shared about the teams preparations and experiences for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Jude Menezes discussed the difficulties encountered by teams ranked outside the top ten, particularly when it comes to preparing for these major global events. He emphasized that the team’s Olympic preparation involved a training camp in the Netherlands and some practice matches in Paris against countries such as the USA, Great Britain and Australia. This was crucial due to the teams limited exposure to high level competition.

Looking back at games, with stronger opponents like Belgium, China and the Netherlands Menezes discussed the valuable lessons learned. The team struggled to stay calm in moments which resulted in goals being scored against them, because of unforced errors.

Menezes talked about how the team uses formations with a back line but adjusts based on the opponents. He stressed the significance of executing the game plan rather than sticking to one formation, pointing out that tactics can shift throughout a game.

The coach talked about the impact of culture on team dynamics and coaching approach. He emphasized the significance of nurturing a team first mindset among players. The values were selected by the players themselves fostering a sense of unity and collaboration. This cultural element influences their training sessions and interactions highlighting the role of teamwork in attaining success.