November 21, 2024 • 8 mins
Olympian and Black Sticks great Simon Child is ending an almost 20-year international career.
Child first stepped onto the international stage in 2005, as a teenager, going on to represent New Zealand more than 300 times.
Renowned globally for his goal-scoring prowess, Child's 148 goals place him as the second-highest scorer in the history of New Zealand men's hockey.
Child said representing New Zealand was his "greatest achievement" and he was "incredibly grateful for the journey".
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Country Sport Breakfast with Brian Kelly on gold Sport.
We're Talking Hockey Now on the show. And it was
announced on Wednesday that Simon Child, widely recognized as one
of the all time greats in New Zealand hockey, has
officially announced his retirement, closing a chapter on almost a
twenty year international career. He joins us on the show
(00:22):
this morning, Simon, good morning, and congratulations on an amazing career.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Yeah, thank you very much. It's been a long one.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Well, it has been a long one. How difficult was
the decision to say, right, you know, this is it,
I'm pulling the pin.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
I think, I mean, like I've finished six years old now,
And I was pretty aware I was getting on an
agent whilst I was still you know, I thought I
was playing thanks some good hockey. I'd always sort of
had the paras Olympics in my sights as a bit
of a swan song. So I worked very sort of
back end of last year and early part of this
(01:03):
year just to get myself and you know, tip top
shape so I could give myself the opportunity to get there.
And although the games didn't work out as we as
a team had hoped for, and it certainly not as
me as an individual had hoped for. Overall ready placed,
I was able to get there at least get one
(01:24):
game and one quarter.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
And yeah, did you find it difficult sort of getting
fitter and fisterer and staying up with the younger players.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Absolutely, Yeah, that was the hardest spot. I'd had some
time out of the game sort of between twenty and
nineteen and sorry, twenty seventeen and twenty nineteen, and came
back into side for the World Cup at the start
of twenty twenty two and then played a little bit
through that year. But certainly I'm a dad with two
(01:55):
young kids and running a business with a great made
of mind, so those things all seem to take priority
when you get into your into your thirties and hockey.
Not to say hockey wasn't a priority, but I certainly
just had to make the time to get myself and
I would say peak physical condition, which isn't easy these
(02:17):
days because the kids seemed to be getting a little
bit faster and further, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
I'm just going to say, have you found that the
game has changed much in the in the almost twenty
years since you started as a well in international hockey
as a sixteen year old.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Yeah, changed a lot. I mean we used to play
two thirty five minute halves. Now we played two fifteen
minute quarters, which actually benefited me a little bit because
I mean I could get an extra rest every fifteen
minutes compared to the old halftime. So it has gotten quicker.
There's definitely a lot more aeria balls being played, so
(02:55):
it whilst you know the parts of the game is
still the same, it has changed and you know it's
a little more dynamic than probably was when I first started.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
I guess Kevin Towns was the man responsible for selecting
you to play for the Black Sticks when you were
just a sixteen year old. Can you remember the day
that you were named in that squad way back two
thousand and five?
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Yeah, I can't. I remember the day that I've made
my debut for the Black sixtingas at Elismore Park. I
was in my last year at school when I had
all my friends and family there to support me. But
I can't remember the day that I got named in
the squad. It was actually the back in two thousand
and four, but I couldn't tell you the exact day
(03:40):
in time. But It was at the dinner table and
mom and dad told me the news.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
And as a sixteen year old, were you going into
a team then that was quite a bit older.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Yeah, so there was a little bit of a handover
the guy, I said, just been through an Olympic cycle.
They just finished the Athens Olympics, and there was a
bunch of new younger players, including myself that was sort
of being blooded into the international international scene. So I
debured alongside I can't remember exactly, maybe seven or eight
(04:15):
other guys in that particular series, not all in the
same game, but we did have the likes of Dion
Gosling and Wayne mcado and Darren Smith who were all
sort of storts of the team at the time, who
were involved in that series to help help introduce us
new guys into the scene, if you like.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
And a pretty remarkable career starting out as a sixteen
year old and up until today. Four Olympic Games, three
Common Games, clinching a bronze medal of the twenty ten
Commonwealth Games in Delhi. I mean, is it how difficult
is it to pick up one? Is there a highlight
for you as from all those games, World Championships or whatever.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Yeah, there's probably a few that standout. Your first game
for New Zealand's obviously very special asient and to do
it it wasn't quite my home turf, but it was
at Lloyd Elsmore Park and Pakaranga. We did play a
lot of hockey for Auckland and the Scrip sides, so
it was almost a home away from home. The second
one probably my one hundred and fiftieth game, which was
(05:17):
actually against Australia and Hobart at the Oceania Cup and
we won that three nilt and if you look at
the statistics, there wasn't many times we beat Australia over
the course of my twenty year career, so you really
savored those occasions and they kept them in the team
at Rio. That's probably the one that stands out alongside
(05:38):
those other.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Two and representing New Zealand, I think in three hundred
and nine matches, which is pretty phenomenal. And you were famous,
renowned for your goal scoring ability one hundred and forty
eight goals, the second highest scorer in the history of
New Zealand men's hockey. What's the secret there, Simon.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Right place, right time.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
That's it as simple as that.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Yeah, No, Like I think obviously benefited from having great
players around me, whether it be in the midfield or upfront,
and hockey is you know, putting yourself in the in
the right place at the right time. But then also
just having you know, a NFE for goal and having
a bit of a knack for putting the ball in
the net, which you know, I think I was lucky,
(06:20):
lucky enough to have in my artillery.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Simon, what's next for you? I know you've got family
and business commitments, but will you'll still remain involved with hockey.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Yeah, I certainly will. I am doing a lot of coaching,
so I aim to get another season of club hockey
in with the Mighty Southern District's prem men's side. I
coached the the Prem women's side and I also coach
the Upland Women's National League side as well, so that
team's just gone back to back the National champs, so
(06:50):
hoping to make it through next year. So I'll still
be definitely heavily involved in the sport, just just wanting
to be in the black shirt any longer we'll miss that.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
What's the state of New Zealand hockey at the moment,
Simon do you think that's a.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Very good question. I think they're doing it pretty tough
if I'm being honest. Results haven't been great for the
men's or women's sides over the last two years, and
there's a few reasons for that, but I think they're
just we're needing more depth, more coaches, and more experience
(07:30):
and more quality in terms of games against opposition. We're
a little bit disadvantage being at the bottom of the
Pacific when it comes to enabling us to play good
quality matches against good teams. Australia often they don't want
to play us because they think they're better than us
and they like to keep that gap as much as
they can. And it's really difficult to get teams from
(07:52):
Europe down just because of the costs. So in short,
we we need more games against better opposition and exposed
a greater number of players in New Zealand to international hockey.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Well hopefully that will happen. Simon again, congratulations on a
phenomenal career and thank you for what you've given to
New Zealand hockey. Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Yeah, and I've been my honor and privilege. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
That's Simon Child, absolutely incredible really when you think about it.
Four Olympic Games, three Common Games, World Championships, medal at
the Commonwealth Games in twenty ten and Delhi a twenty
year career down when he was sixteen, still at school
near us today, it's amazing. It's gold sport. It is
the country sport. Breakfast
The Country Sport Breakfast with Brian Kelly on gold Sport.
We're Talking Hockey Now on the show. And it was
announced on Wednesday that Simon Child, widely recognized as one
of the all time greats in New Zealand hockey, has
officially announced his retirement, closing a chapter on almost a
twenty year international career. He joins us on the show
(00:22):
this morning, Simon, good morning, and congratulations on an amazing career.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Yeah, thank you very much. It's been a long one.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Well, it has been a long one. How difficult was
the decision to say, right, you know, this is it,
I'm pulling the pin.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
I think, I mean, like I've finished six years old now,
And I was pretty aware I was getting on an
agent whilst I was still you know, I thought I
was playing thanks some good hockey. I'd always sort of
had the paras Olympics in my sights as a bit
of a swan song. So I worked very sort of
back end of last year and early part of this
(01:03):
year just to get myself and you know, tip top
shape so I could give myself the opportunity to get there.
And although the games didn't work out as we as
a team had hoped for, and it certainly not as
me as an individual had hoped for. Overall ready placed,
I was able to get there at least get one
(01:24):
game and one quarter.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
And yeah, did you find it difficult sort of getting
fitter and fisterer and staying up with the younger players.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Absolutely, Yeah, that was the hardest spot. I'd had some
time out of the game sort of between twenty and
nineteen and sorry, twenty seventeen and twenty nineteen, and came
back into side for the World Cup at the start
of twenty twenty two and then played a little bit
through that year. But certainly I'm a dad with two
(01:55):
young kids and running a business with a great made
of mind, so those things all seem to take priority
when you get into your into your thirties and hockey.
Not to say hockey wasn't a priority, but I certainly
just had to make the time to get myself and
I would say peak physical condition, which isn't easy these
(02:17):
days because the kids seemed to be getting a little
bit faster and further, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
I'm just going to say, have you found that the
game has changed much in the in the almost twenty
years since you started as a well in international hockey
as a sixteen year old.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Yeah, changed a lot. I mean we used to play
two thirty five minute halves. Now we played two fifteen
minute quarters, which actually benefited me a little bit because
I mean I could get an extra rest every fifteen
minutes compared to the old halftime. So it has gotten quicker.
There's definitely a lot more aeria balls being played, so
(02:55):
it whilst you know the parts of the game is
still the same, it has changed and you know it's
a little more dynamic than probably was when I first started.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
I guess Kevin Towns was the man responsible for selecting
you to play for the Black Sticks when you were
just a sixteen year old. Can you remember the day
that you were named in that squad way back two
thousand and five?
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Yeah, I can't. I remember the day that I've made
my debut for the Black sixtingas at Elismore Park. I
was in my last year at school when I had
all my friends and family there to support me. But
I can't remember the day that I got named in
the squad. It was actually the back in two thousand
and four, but I couldn't tell you the exact day
(03:40):
in time. But It was at the dinner table and
mom and dad told me the news.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
And as a sixteen year old, were you going into
a team then that was quite a bit older.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Yeah, so there was a little bit of a handover
the guy, I said, just been through an Olympic cycle.
They just finished the Athens Olympics, and there was a
bunch of new younger players, including myself that was sort
of being blooded into the international international scene. So I
debured alongside I can't remember exactly, maybe seven or eight
(04:15):
other guys in that particular series, not all in the
same game, but we did have the likes of Dion
Gosling and Wayne mcado and Darren Smith who were all
sort of storts of the team at the time, who
were involved in that series to help help introduce us
new guys into the scene, if you like.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
And a pretty remarkable career starting out as a sixteen
year old and up until today. Four Olympic Games, three
Common Games, clinching a bronze medal of the twenty ten
Commonwealth Games in Delhi. I mean, is it how difficult
is it to pick up one? Is there a highlight
for you as from all those games, World Championships or whatever.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Yeah, there's probably a few that standout. Your first game
for New Zealand's obviously very special asient and to do
it it wasn't quite my home turf, but it was
at Lloyd Elsmore Park and Pakaranga. We did play a
lot of hockey for Auckland and the Scrip sides, so
it was almost a home away from home. The second
one probably my one hundred and fiftieth game, which was
(05:17):
actually against Australia and Hobart at the Oceania Cup and
we won that three nilt and if you look at
the statistics, there wasn't many times we beat Australia over
the course of my twenty year career, so you really
savored those occasions and they kept them in the team
at Rio. That's probably the one that stands out alongside
(05:38):
those other.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Two and representing New Zealand, I think in three hundred
and nine matches, which is pretty phenomenal. And you were famous,
renowned for your goal scoring ability one hundred and forty
eight goals, the second highest scorer in the history of
New Zealand men's hockey. What's the secret there, Simon.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Right place, right time.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
That's it as simple as that.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Yeah, No, Like I think obviously benefited from having great
players around me, whether it be in the midfield or upfront,
and hockey is you know, putting yourself in the in
the right place at the right time. But then also
just having you know, a NFE for goal and having
a bit of a knack for putting the ball in
the net, which you know, I think I was lucky,
(06:20):
lucky enough to have in my artillery.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Simon, what's next for you? I know you've got family
and business commitments, but will you'll still remain involved with hockey.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Yeah, I certainly will. I am doing a lot of coaching,
so I aim to get another season of club hockey
in with the Mighty Southern District's prem men's side. I
coached the the Prem women's side and I also coach
the Upland Women's National League side as well, so that
team's just gone back to back the National champs, so
(06:50):
hoping to make it through next year. So I'll still
be definitely heavily involved in the sport, just just wanting
to be in the black shirt any longer we'll miss that.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
What's the state of New Zealand hockey at the moment,
Simon do you think that's a.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Very good question. I think they're doing it pretty tough
if I'm being honest. Results haven't been great for the
men's or women's sides over the last two years, and
there's a few reasons for that, but I think they're
just we're needing more depth, more coaches, and more experience
(07:30):
and more quality in terms of games against opposition. We're
a little bit disadvantage being at the bottom of the
Pacific when it comes to enabling us to play good
quality matches against good teams. Australia often they don't want
to play us because they think they're better than us
and they like to keep that gap as much as
they can. And it's really difficult to get teams from
(07:52):
Europe down just because of the costs. So in short,
we we need more games against better opposition and exposed
a greater number of players in New Zealand to international hockey.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Well hopefully that will happen. Simon again, congratulations on a
phenomenal career and thank you for what you've given to
New Zealand hockey. Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Yeah, and I've been my honor and privilege. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
That's Simon Child, absolutely incredible really when you think about it.
Four Olympic Games, three Common Games, World Championships, medal at
the Commonwealth Games in twenty ten and Delhi a twenty
year career down when he was sixteen, still at school
near us today, it's amazing. It's gold sport. It is
the country sport. Breakfast
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