>

40 — Wednesday, May 20, 1998 — North Shore News

north shore news

SPORTS

Robert Galster

News Reperter
robert@nsnews.com

A raucous crowd of
20,000 Dutchmen
silenced by an unthink-
able upset of their
homeside squad.

“That's the imagery Pm
trying to instill in these guys,”
said) Saul Miller, a9 North
Vancouver sports psychologist
who has been working with
Canada’s national field hockey
team which is currendy prepar-
ing for the World Cap in
Holland. .

“That may be a fantasy
rather than a visualization,” he
added fusing his approach with
reality.

The reality is Canada is not
a field hockey powerhouse and
qualifying for a berth at the

FIVE members of
Canada's national field
hockey squad hail from
the North Shore. They are
(clockwise from bottom
right) Paul Wettlaufer,
Chris Gifford, Peter
Milkovich, Michael
Mahood and lan Bird. Dr.
Sau! Miller (with sunglass-
es) joined the team in
Holland for the World Cup.

NEWS photo Cindy Goodman

FAVOURITE
CYCLING

EVENT

Sunday May 31, 1998
Thunderbird Stadium, UBC
9:00 AM START
New 20km & 40km Routes

AIR CANADA @

The more pladyes you elec, the more
chonces you get fo WIN o trip for two

Ride as a Team, or come with a friend or your family

Every Rider receives a copy of che HeartSmart™
Shopper — Nutrition on the Run

Raise funds for heart and stroke research and health

promotion programs
CALL NOW TO REGISTER OR VOLUNTEER

| 738-RIDE

Offidal Magic Sponsors

NORCO

bemveeltathins

nition

Bayer 5 Gre.

| a
becel

sport's World Cup is in itself’ a
notable ; achievement

“On any day you can knack
anybody off" said Miller.
“We're not “going to win the
gold medal, bur if we can beat
one or two of the top teams
we'll have areal sense of
accomplisament.”

But it won't be easy consid-
ering the team’s firsts game on
May 212 is against the Dutch
team, Which is not only in the
sport's top echelon but also the
home team favorite at this
year’s event,

Vhe other perennial power-
houses ving for the trophy
include Pakistan, Germany,
Britain, India and Australia.

Miller said those squads are
the product of a homegrown
feeder system that fearures a
talent pool of as many as
2,000,000 players ta choose
from. In Canada, that number

stands at about 2,000.

As a result the ream needs
Ul the help it can get which
includes benefitting from ihe
services of a sports psychologist
like Miller. The history of their
relationship stretches back to
1983. At that time the team
needed to win a gold medal ar
the PanAm games in * enezuela
in order to qualify for the Los
Angeles Olympics the tollow-
ing, vear.

They did that and have
been a set unit since, with a
quarter of the 16-man_ roster
onginating on the North
Shore. Anchoring the squad is
veteran midfielder Peter
Milkovich who along with
defender Ian Bird and forward
Paul Wettlaufer are all
Handsworth grad. The remain-
der of the North Shore contn-
gent is made up of Sentinel
grad Mike Mahood and Chris

Mindpower helps field hockey squad

Gilford who both joined the
West Vancouver Field Hockey
Club after high school. :
Miller has proven himself
over the years. He has worked:
with such professional teams as
the Los Angeles Dodgers; :
Rams and Kings, the Seatde |:
Mariners and the New York:
Mets. ;
Interestingly the one team |
he has not worked with is the:

Vancouver Canucks, though’, an

that is not through a lack. of.
trying. It became something of
a habit for Miller to offer him:
self to. the floundering.tean
every year. Not uncoincidental
ly, it become something. of ;
habit for then general manage
and president Pat Quinn: to:
give Miller the cold shoulde:

Maybe the Canucks’. “ney
regime will give him a‘-sho
after all they have little” left te
lose.

A North Shore Youth Production of

Starring Emma Whibley as “Annie”

with Orla Adams Roisin Adams Mahdu Bagga Morgan Baker Emily Bamford
Scott Bames Natalie Bussey Vanessa Cardosa Zoe Connely Maegan Conway
Leah Conway Alex Crabtree Andrew Hay Caroline Hay Nadia Hovan Blake Hovan
Tammy Irvine Leslie Kennah fan Kirby Carley Laleune Nicole Marsh Dave Moris
Samantha Reale Diana Rowat Mandy Ryan Ann Sullivan Lindsay Udell Emma Whibley -

At The Centennial! Theatre
Friday May 29th~— 8pm Saturday May 30th —- 2pm & 8pm
All seats °12 through the Centennial Theatre Box Office. Call 984-4484

Presented By
north shore

Sponsored By

== Jim Parison Tovota
1765 Marine Dr, North Vancouver

ANNIE s presented through special arrangement with ark! alf authorized performance materials supplied by Music Theatre Intemational, 421 West SAd St. NY 10018