Beeston's Sam Apoola On Chance Beginnings, International Influences & Increasing Hockey's Diversity

Ahead of an important Men's Premier Division clash this weekend, Beeston's Sam Apoola spoke to Rod Gilmour of The Hockey paper about the battle to be in the top six at Christmas, his chance beginnings at the club and his thoughts on England Hockey's recent Change Starts Together conference.

Sam Apoola, Beeston’s in-form forward, is more than aware of the importance this month brings in the domestic and club hockey landscape.

November will decide whether Beeston battles for promotion or relegation when the top six and bottom five places are decided in the Men’s Premier Division, while Apoola also spoke of the need for more diversity in hockey, in the week that England Hockey launched its first ‘Change Starts Together' conference to drive more inclusion in the sport.

A pivotal few weeks for Apoola and Beeston starts in earnest on Sunday afternoon with a huge encounter against Surbiton at Nottingham Hockey Centre.

“Any more slip ups and it's extremely tight at the moment, but if we win our remaining games we should be fine,” said Apoola.

“Where you end up at Christmas decides your season already and there is no second chance. If you find form after Christmas it could be too late as you could be playing for relegation.

“November is a key month for us. We have a really new team, we had our head coach and players leaving. But we have gelled as a squad and starting to feel each other out and getting as many points this month is crucial to our season.”

Apoola, 23, says he started out at Beeston by chance 13 years ago. “It was the nearest hockey club closest to me and at the time they had just been promoted to the Premier Division. I was 10 at the time but I didn't know that when me and my sister rocked up.”

Apoola’s Dutch-born mother, who used to play ice hockey, was initially keen to get her daughter into team sports. But Sam also tagged along and he hasn’t looked back.

Moving up through the junior sections, his senior debut for Beeston arrived in 2014 at the Play-Off Finals at Reading. He got on for the last few minutes against the hosts in the semi-final and, on his 16th birthday, came a moment to savour in beating East Grinstead in the final. "That was quite a spectacular day for me," he recalled.

He then had two more years before university and set about establishing himself as a senior player, although opportunities were limited due to the men’s squad strength in depth.

In 2016, he won the England Hockey Cup at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre with Beeston, before playing for Leeds University, a trophy-laden season at Bowdon and an eventual move back to Beeston.

“The joy of being at such a big club, with so many members and teams, means I've always had the opportunity to play at a high level from U14 level upwards,” he said of his years at Beeston.

“Integration into the first team gave me the chance to train with GB players - the likes of Adam Dixon, George Pinner, Harry Martin, David Ames - and with players way better than me at the time,” he added. “You couldn't get away with things you did at junior level and it drove my standards up. It got me doing the right things."

He cites Pinner - who announced his retirement from international hockey this week - as an influence. "He was always shouting and would let me know if my technique was wrong. If it was right, he would let me know too! There was always feedback and telling me how I could improve my game.”

Spool forward to this season and he has scored three goals in as many games after missing the start of the season. “Sam just pops up and gets you a goal a game,” said Graham Griffiths, Beeston’s manager. “He is a good honest striker and gets in the right place. He's also just a really nice guy.”

On Tuesday, England Hockey launched the first of a series of conferences focusing on Equality, Diversity & Inclusion and Apoola will also be a keen observer on the next steps and how these events can transform hockey.

“It's something that has needed to happen for a long time,” said Apoola, who starts a graduate position as a computer scientist this month. “Since the tragic death of George Floyd last year, a lot of people have opened up and spoken of injustice around the world.

“It was Tendo Kimuli who first spoke out within hockey and the abuse he received on the side of the pitch growing up and at university. More now needs to happen and getting people talking about it is the first step in getting more inclusive and diverse England Hockey leagues.”

The 23-year-old has also been following the exploits of Great Britain international Rhys Smith and his work at Hockey Inner City with keen interest.

“It's just a great programme to get people in the cities who wouldn't have exposure to hockey and getting them to enjoy it. You can see from Rhys’ Instagram from the way the kids are training and loving the sport. More of that needs to happen and it can't be Rhys on his own. It has to be driven at England Hockey and club level and for there to be more hockey starter sessions.”

He admits that he has never been discouraged from playing his sport or faced any discrimination during his rise up the ranks. "There are times where you look around and you are the only person in a team who is a little bit different from anyone else," he said.

“In the world we live in today you have to be inclusive and think about the future and how you integrate everyone in society to play your sport. We could be left behind where others could play different sports. It's now about getting the access and the equipment to play.

“I'd like to think of myself as someone to look up to and be inspired by. At Beeston we now have an outreach programme and my two younger sisters, Nina [currently on a hockey scholarship at University of Michigan] and Ruby [an England U18 player], have taken Flyerz sessions.

"We have been out there as contacts for people who need help, to talk to or look up to and say that ‘if Sam, Ruby or Nina are doing it then I can play hockey as well.’”

Sunday: Beeston men v Surbiton, 14:00