Indian ice hockey team coach Adam Sherlip is not bothered by the lack of practice ahead of Challenge Cup, believes in his wards and says this team has the ability to adapt to different conditions. Excertps.
Does the comparison between the level in New York and here bother youIJ
No I think it's a challenge. It's about challenges and overcoming them as a coach. I'm a teacher. I relish this. I get to play and watch the game that I love. How well we do is important to me but it's not what matters the most.
You've been practicing on smaller ice rinks. Will that prove to be the difference maker when you play inKuwaitIJ
For me it is all about creating game-like realities. So, dividing up the ice gets the players to read and react faster. It helps in getting their head up and in quick passing. We train for nearly four hours every day which for ice hockey is a very long time. And we skate harder and longer than average for a professional team. This helps up their stamina. My objective in preparation for the competition was to work on the fitness of the players.
Will the players find it difficult to adapt to the ice rinks thereIJ
I haven't been to the Kuwait rink but the ice differs everywhere. I've seen great ice and terrible ice in New York and Montreal but overall the quality of ice has been improving every year.
How has the training beenIJ
An advantage we have is that we have the ability to adapt. The ice is not equally split so that works to our advantage. When we have smaller rinks here, we first create game like situations and focus on left side of the rink and then the right. It results in quicker and harder passes and better reading and reaction time for the players. This team is the best that I have had since I've been here and they are a very enthusiastic bunch.