DaveR
03-12-2008, 12:40 PM
http://www.sportfocus.com/newsimage/hannah_hicks_sweden_2.jpg
With many of England’s top junior girls competing at home, at the Derby junior event, last weekend, Hampshire’s Hannah Hicks, was away in Sweden
Playing for team Ljungsbro, for the final weekend in the women’s division 1 league.
Picture the scene, Hannah plays the final match against Sara Shuster (Swedish National top 12 junior) and secures victory for her side, to give the team promotion to Sweden’s Elite women’s league next season. Ljungsbro is a small town close to Linkoping and Stockholm’s Skavsta airport, and the town was celebrating with their first ever team to play in any sport in Sweden’s elite.
Hannah’s teamates, Elin Binglov (the top 12 year old in Sweden) and Wang Friden (ex world number 8, from China) completed their four weekends work
Gaining first position in division one.
Hannah’s own very impressive string of victories over high level opposition during the course of the season included opponents of varied styles. Emma Varynen is the best young defender in Sweden and beats many older players, Hannah dominated and won 3-1. Emila Akerstrom is one of the top two “frictionless” players in the country, again Hannah won 3-1. Karin Svensson, Sara Lundin, Caroline Olsson and Nina Stenviken all qualified for the National top 12 in Sweden, but it didn’t help them against Hannah. Linda Dahlstrom, Phillipa Rohdin and Ida Soderland have all played several times for the national team, but none of them had any answer either, for the depth and variation of Hannah’s game. Among her other victims too, were former Elite players, Elsa Ekmann, Linda Ahlgren, and Marita Applegren (wife of the former world champion!).
http://www.sportfocus.com/images/dynabiz/ID3153/imggallery/6526.jpg
So why does Hannah play in Sweden you might say?
Simply the depth in the girl’s game in England leaves a great deal to be desired and if you are going to aim for the top then you have to learn to compete abroad as early as possible, first in Europe then in Asia.
It hasn’t all been plain sailing as Hannah has taken the major step of changing her style of play completely from a frictionless long pimple blocker close to the table, to an orthodox defender who is ready to attack from both close to, and back from the table.
As Hannah says herself “I have studied all the world’s best women defenders with my coach and hardly any of them have a strong attack. I intend to be a different type of defender. It’s been hard for me over the last 6 months or so and I’ve had a few setbacks, but now things are starting to come together. Obviously nobody is going to be a top defender at 16, so I’ve plenty of time to get there”.
Hannah will be on home soil this weekend, playing in the Hampshire junior team as they try to retain the County Junior Premier title they so valiantly won last year.
Geoff Ware
Item courtesy of ETTA
With many of England’s top junior girls competing at home, at the Derby junior event, last weekend, Hampshire’s Hannah Hicks, was away in Sweden
Playing for team Ljungsbro, for the final weekend in the women’s division 1 league.
Picture the scene, Hannah plays the final match against Sara Shuster (Swedish National top 12 junior) and secures victory for her side, to give the team promotion to Sweden’s Elite women’s league next season. Ljungsbro is a small town close to Linkoping and Stockholm’s Skavsta airport, and the town was celebrating with their first ever team to play in any sport in Sweden’s elite.
Hannah’s teamates, Elin Binglov (the top 12 year old in Sweden) and Wang Friden (ex world number 8, from China) completed their four weekends work
Gaining first position in division one.
Hannah’s own very impressive string of victories over high level opposition during the course of the season included opponents of varied styles. Emma Varynen is the best young defender in Sweden and beats many older players, Hannah dominated and won 3-1. Emila Akerstrom is one of the top two “frictionless” players in the country, again Hannah won 3-1. Karin Svensson, Sara Lundin, Caroline Olsson and Nina Stenviken all qualified for the National top 12 in Sweden, but it didn’t help them against Hannah. Linda Dahlstrom, Phillipa Rohdin and Ida Soderland have all played several times for the national team, but none of them had any answer either, for the depth and variation of Hannah’s game. Among her other victims too, were former Elite players, Elsa Ekmann, Linda Ahlgren, and Marita Applegren (wife of the former world champion!).
http://www.sportfocus.com/images/dynabiz/ID3153/imggallery/6526.jpg
So why does Hannah play in Sweden you might say?
Simply the depth in the girl’s game in England leaves a great deal to be desired and if you are going to aim for the top then you have to learn to compete abroad as early as possible, first in Europe then in Asia.
It hasn’t all been plain sailing as Hannah has taken the major step of changing her style of play completely from a frictionless long pimple blocker close to the table, to an orthodox defender who is ready to attack from both close to, and back from the table.
As Hannah says herself “I have studied all the world’s best women defenders with my coach and hardly any of them have a strong attack. I intend to be a different type of defender. It’s been hard for me over the last 6 months or so and I’ve had a few setbacks, but now things are starting to come together. Obviously nobody is going to be a top defender at 16, so I’ve plenty of time to get there”.
Hannah will be on home soil this weekend, playing in the Hampshire junior team as they try to retain the County Junior Premier title they so valiantly won last year.
Geoff Ware
Item courtesy of ETTA