As he comes to the end of his three year tenure at East London Hockey, centre back Josh Walsh-Oakes is happy to be nearing the end of his deadlines and exams, but it’s the end of the sporting season at the University of East London that has left him feeling retrospective.
With the curtain coming down on his foray into further education, his improvement on the pitch in his final season for East London Hockey meant Josh got to end the season in high spirits.
Personal Development
“I think as a player I’ve really improved a lot, compared to last season. I wasn’t really that confident in games, but this season I’ve enjoyed playing hockey a lot more, in games and in training.
“My main strengths as a player are the way I like to pressure the opposing players as much as I can and not giving them any time or space on the ball. I feel I’ve built on that a lot this season.”
Adversities
It’s not just his personal improvement Josh is proud of, however. The story of the East London Hockey teams for the last three years seems to have been one of facing adversity.
A lack of players, equipment and at some points even coaches has meant that the the men’s, women’s and mixed teams have all been at a great disadvantage for large portions of the season.
However, to their credit they have made the best of the situations they’ve been in and haven’t let it take the enjoyment out of the training sessions and Wednesday evening fixtures.
“I think the highlight of UEL hockey this year for me was seeing how far the club came from where it was at at the beginning of the season to where we ended the season at. When the season started we didn’t have a team and had to cancel our first few games, but we got new players in who quickly got to know the sport and it was great to see the team get to know each other in training.
“After getting so close to each other this year, I’m going to miss the social side of it just as much as playing. Being able to get out of my flat and see my friends whilst also keeping fit and playing competitively has been a big part of why I’ve enjoyed my time here so much.”
Taste For More
Whilst it hasn’t always been as easy as simply turning up for training and playing on a Wednesday for Josh and his team mates, the camaraderie in the squad has always kept him coming back with a smile on his face.
After having such positive experiences with his peers at East London sport, the centre back has been left wanting more and insists that despite all of the adversity the team has faced over the last three years, his time playing Hockey is far from over.
“I would definitely like to continue playing hockey after university. I feel that I’ve really improved as a player, so if possible I would like to continue improving even more, but it depends if I’m still living in London next year, if I am then I’ll definitely try to find a new club.”
