Terry Maddaford: Code in need of fresh vision

Terry Maddaford

There is no doubting Ramesh Patel's passion for hockey. But at a time when the sport is going through a difficult period of change, his appointment to the newly created position of hockey director has understandably sent a ripple through the game.

Many see it simply as a swapping of hats - "jobs for the boys" if you like - after Patel's 20 years at the helm. Others will welcome Patel's move to a more hands-on role. Some might suggest Patel should have followed former national coach Kevin Towns in walking away.

As he will now be answerable to a yet-to-be-appointed chief executive - his old job - Patel might struggle to divorce the roles.

Funding cuts have severely curtailed planned programmes and led to a "pay-to-play" edict for New Zealand's next generation of internationals about to embark on self-funded trips to Junior World Cups. Yet there is, apparently, money aplenty to fund this new position.

Maybe the questionable shedding of the marketing/sponsorship position within the organisation has freed up the finances.

The new chief executive will obviously need those skills as income streams have fallen away, especially in the light of Sparc funding cuts.

Patel is also expected to move into the vacant high-performance role and probably oversee coaching of coaches. That may well prove to be his forte but some would suggest it might have been better to make a clean break.

In announcing the decision, Hockey New Zealand chairman Graham Child said: "The role will oversee all aspects of the game in New Zealand for players, coaches and umpires." That is a huge ask.

Suggestions Child might throw his hat into the ring as a candidate for the chief executive position are, hopefully, just that unless he is found to be the best person for the job and possesses the skills such a role demands in these testing times.

In the 20 years Patel has been chief executive, transtasman relationships have improved but not got as close as Patel wanted when he stepped into the role. New Zealand's world rankings (men and women) have fluctuated between six and 12 without ever consolidating a top-six spot.

The National Hockey League brought added interest but, mainly for financial reasons, has now reverted to the old tournament format. As well, a generation of potential Black Sticks was lost when Junior World Cup tournaments were bypassed.

The sport has been crying out for a shakeup. This was the chance to implement it.

History might prove the national body has got it right. In Shane McLeod and Mark Hager, Hockey New Zealand has national coaches capable of getting the best from their players.

Here's hoping the front office is also up to the challenge and has the right people to lead the charge.