A chat with Kieran Govers from the Australian Kookaburras
Kieran Govers jousting with Sohail Abbas
Tell us a bit about your history with hockey.
I started playing hockey at the age of 4. At 16 I was thinking about how to become a professional hockey player. I didn’t really like school so when I just turned 18 I moved to Sydney to start training full-time with NSWIS (New South Wales Institute of Sport).
Why do you think you made it to the level you’ve got to when others have failed?
My determination and never say die attitude.
What are your highest achievements in (sport)?
Becoming a World Champion in 2010 by winning the World Cup in India with the Kookaburras.
- Gold medal at Champions Trophy 2010
- Debuting for the Kookaburras in 2010
What are the best and worst things about being a hockey player?
Injuries, I’ve had my fair share! I’ve had two hip reconstructions and I’m only 23! I had to play for 6 months with an 8cm labrum Tear in my hip joint.
Hard on the hips, and the goalkeepers!
Tell us about one of the biggest disappointments you’ve had to overcome during your career.
Missing the Commonwealth Games selection and tearing my hamstrings 5 days before a month-long tour to Europe.
What’s it like playing in a sport where even at the national level the financial rewards aren’t great?
Yeah, it’s very difficult! Being world number 1 in our profession and getting no financial reward is very disappointing. Some of the guys have to have a full-time job in between tours and training which is hard.
If there are any businesses out there that have some spare money shoot it our way!!!
Who are your current sponsors?
BSc (Body Science) BSc supply me with sport/health supplements, compression garments and casual clothes, the essential products I need to perform at my peak every day.
Kieran in his BsC and AIS gear
Mazon (Just Hockey) Just Hockey supply me with my hockey equipment.
Mazon - Kieran's weapon of choice.
What role has your gym training/speed training played in your success?
Strength and speed are big factors in hockey. You need to be able to hold your own ground and be able to outrun your opponent.
Good back, better drag-flick!
What are your favourite training sessions?
That would have to be goal shooting!
What lifts and training techniques have had the biggest impact on your performance?
Squats deadlifts and bench are the biggest ones, having good strong major muscle groups is a must then working on your core as well because of the bent-over posture we play in all the time!
I call it the 100 clubs! Being able to push out 100kg+ on deadlifts, squats and bench is a minimum standard in the gym!
What’s your best lift in the exercise you consider most important for your sport?
I have pushed out 150kg in Squats. Strong legs produce the power to sprint!
What kind of power/speed testing do you do? What’s your current level?
We're doing 40m sprints. I aim to get between 5.10-5.20s the top guys in hockey hit between 4.90 -5.05. We also do repeat sprints which are tough so you aim to get around 25 secs.
What’s an average training week look like for you in the off-season, in-season?
In-season a typical training week looks like this:
Monday: 2hr stick and ball session (then meeting afterwards)
Tuesday: 1-2hr individual session then Gym
Wednesday: 2hr stick and ball session
Thursday: 2hr stick and ball session (then maybe a meeting)
Friday: 1-2hr Individual session then Gym
Saturday: 2hr stick and ball session
Sunday: club match
We only get blocks of 1-2weeks off here and there throughout the year.
What are your favourite high-performance foods? Chicken stir fry, chicken and broccoli and tuna
What are your favourite high-performance supplements?
BSc Multi-Vitamin, regener8 and BCAA capsules, BSc protein bar, BSc K-OS, BSc HydroxyBurn and the BSc Fuel series
BsC Supplements!
Nutrition is an area that seems to be getting more and more attention within both the athletic and general populations. How big a role do you think nutrition plays in body composition, recovery and health?
Personally, I find supplements essential. I believe that if you’re not taking supplements your body can’t be performing to its maximum. For me, struggling with a few injuries and training as much as we do, I rely on BSc products to get me back up into training day after day. People who think protein powders are just for muscle-building are WRONG!! There are many types of protein powders that do different things. Some people are believers and some reckon it’s a load of …….!!
I believe they make a big difference.
What are your goals for 2012?
Get selected for the Olympic Team and stay injury-free!
How do you motivate yourself on those days when things aren’t going the way you planned or your body just doesn’t want to get going?
Before training, I have a pre-work-out drink called BSc K-OS which gets you going! But if it doesn’t you just have to have in the back of your mind “you’re here playing/training as part of the Australian Kookaburras!” and if that doesn’t get you up then you should go home!
What role do your beliefs about life play in your training?
There are always hard times in life/my sport and there will always be a positive outcome down the road!
Do you use mental imagery/meditation/energy building activities like tai chi or chi gong/yoga?
I do yoga just to relax and help with my flexibility, it’s an important part of my training and life.
What’s something that you’re doing to improve your performance that other athletes might be overlooking?
My nutrition, sleep patterns make sure I get the essential hours needed to re-boot my body and I’m doing more stretching to work on my flexibility and prevent injury!
What’s something you know now that you wish you knew when you were starting your athletic career?
That my hip was going to cause me trouble and I would have got it fixed before I became a professional!
What advice would you give to young athletes striving to reach the top?
I always go by my saying “there are going to be speed humps in your life, it's how you get up and overcome them that counts”
How did you find training with Keegan as a young guy?
Training with Keegs was the biggest eye-opener for me as a young kid. I always wanted to become the best I could and watching Keegs train showed me how much I had to train and how much to sacrifice to become the best I can. He took me under his wing before he took off to travel the world and taught me the steps I had to change to get where I am today.
Keegan’s comment – Doing extra one-on-one training with Kieran was awesome because he was a few years younger but his skill level was a lot better than mine. We did a lot of extra sessions together and I’m sure that’s part of the reason I was able to play national league and occasionally be chosen as drag-flicker on short corners! Every time I hear about Kieran and the Australian Kookaburra’s I feel proud to have worked with such a talented and determined athlete who’s overcome more than his fair share of obstacles to become part of what will be one of Australia’s best gold medal chances for the London Olympics. He also has the opportunity to work with one of Australia’s best coaches, Ric Charlesworth.
The result of 19 years of hard work!
www.hockey.org.au/ – Kieran Govers
(Photo: FIH / Frank Uijlenbroek)
http://www.fih.ch/en/news-3463-australia-win-owen-g-glenn-fih-champions – Special congratulations to Kieran and the team for winning the Champions Trophy in NZ and holding their world no.1 ranking.
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