Cris Maloney coaches players in the Ocean Atlantic Field Hockey Association’s indoor hockey league. (Photo by Mark Czajkowski.)
By Julie Kayzerman
With what felt like a 90 mph field hockey ball flying right at him, Princeton resident Cris Maloney jumped out of the way in shock. He said he had never seen a shot hit that hard in all of his 40 years of experience with the sport.
It was a young man at Maloney’s camp who had drilled the shot. Despite his immersion in field hockey, the speed of the shot was surprising as Maloney still isn’t quite used to seeing men hit the ball since field hockey is typically dominated by females in the United States.
“There is a culture bias against it as a boys’ sport in America,” Maloney said, “but when guys play they have fun and enjoy it.”
As there are very limited opportunities for men to play field hockey in the United States, they can always learn the sport at Maloney’s Ocean Atlantic Field Hockey Association in Princeton which provides several different programs for anyone from ages 7-100 to learn the game, including their indoor program, Ricochet Hockey.
“Indoor is a huge advantage because you’re constantly playing the ball,” Maloney said. “The ball within minutes is all over the court. You can play outdoor and never shoot a ball for 60 minutes but for indoors, you’re going to touch that ball many times. It helps the older kids because they get so many touches on the ball which is very beneficial.”
Two boys that have benefited from the program are Hamilton residents Henry Kelly and Nick Wilke, who took part in the Nation Indoor Tournament last year and won a gold medal.
“I like the fact that I can travel to a different place,” said 12-year-old Kelly on the tournament. “I also like that we won the tournament!”
Starting to play the sport at such a young age with a program like Maloney’s can be extremely beneficial to a future athlete.
“Many high school players only begin when they’re a freshmen in high school and are always trying to catch up,” Maloney said. “They don’t really have a chance to establish those fundamental skills.”
This especially evident in the case of boys who typically aren’t exposed to the sport until much later. This was the case for Maloney as he began playing in high school after shooting the ball around with his friends that played for the high school girls’ team.
Kelly hopes to continue playing field hockey but realizes that “it’s a lot more difficult” in trying to pursue the sport as a boy.
However, under the leadership of Maloney, it will be no surprise if Henry finds a way to continue playing the sport well into his adulthood, especially as USA field hockey is continuing to offer more opportunities for boys to play.
Maloney’s program also offers the opportunity to learn how to umpire in the sport for both teenagers and adults.
Two Princeton High students Trish Reilly and Avery Peterson play field hockey together for their high school team and decided to learn how to umpire.
“I wanted to start doing it because I thought it would really help with my own personal game,” Reilly said. “It really helps me know what refs are looking for.”
So whether you’re a boy, a girl or an adult looking to learn the sport, Maloney said his programs are available to teach both fundamental and advanced skills while still having fun in the process.
“I’ve been playing for 35 to 40 years and it’s just so much fun,” Maloney said. “If you play it and love a sport than it doesn’t matter what the barriers are or what other sort of societal pressures there are. I don’t care. I love the sport.”
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