Former prodigy home to help

Quin Harris-Campbell chases after the ball with Whanganui-born Black Stick Martin Atkinson at Gonville Domain on Saturday.

Black Stick Martin Atkinson brought back a little bit of the programme that made him a veteran of seven tests to his old Gonville Domain stomping grounds at the weekend.

The ex-pat Whanganui player was home to see family before his 2017 season gets underway in Auckland and offered to take a couple of training courses with the new Wanganui Hockey kids academy.

Set up by Ian Glenny, there are around 25 youngsters who are spending a couple of months preparing for the coming winter games with fitness and skill sessions.

Martin Atkinson, joined by his brother Reid, took the academy members for three hour sessions on Saturday and Sunday, giving everyone a chance to work with him given several members have other Saturday sports.

Atkinson made his debut in a new look Black Sticks team which played Australia in November, one of eight new players under coach Colin Batch.

The return of several veterans from the Rio Olympics squad who were on sabbatical means Atkinson is no longer in the New Zealand wider squad, but he hopes to regain his spot with a good club season in Auckland.

"Not often I have a free weekend," he said.

At Gonville, Atkinson ran the students through a programme similar to the build up to an international game.

"Gave a little bit of fitness, a little bit of an idea of what it's like."

This included proper warmups, discussion about nutrition and how to take care of the body before the start of the season or big tournaments.