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MEET THE OLYMPIAN: JOSH SIMMONDS
Josh Simmonds first picked up a hockey stick in primary school at Yarra Valley Grammar in Melbourne's eastern suburbs.
Josh and some friends nominated hockey as their Friday afternoon sport choice one day. The next few Friday afternoons were spent learning about the game and playing together, under the watchful eye of Grant Allison.
So much did Josh and his friends enjoy and excel at hockey, they were invited to a trial session at Doncaster Hockey Club, where Mr Allison himself played and was heavily involved with the teams.
Josh spent plenty of the summer practicing with friends and joined the Doncaster Hockey Club’s Under 11s team for the following winter season. This was just the beginning of Josh’s hockey career.
Now, at 25 years old, Josh is headed to the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games as a member of the Kookaburras; the Australian Men’s Hockey team.
Between 2016 and 2017, Josh’s main focus was to make the Kookaburras team. As a relatively young member of the Kookaburras, Josh made the national team in 2018 and has been based in Perth ever since.
“The Kookaburras squad is 27 athletes that live and train in Perth, and that’s where the [Olympic] team gets picked from. I guess when I made the team in 2018, my goals shifted to making the Olympic team,” he says.
Josh explains that team members could elect to receive a phone call or an email about their status on the Olympic team. On the morning of Friday June 11, Josh sat down at his computer.
“The email was sent out right on 10 o’clock, so I was sitting there refreshing for ten minutes before,” he laughs.
“I wasn’t overly confident, but I thought I had a good shot.”
Upon finding out he had made the Olympic team, Josh was ecstatic. He and his fellow Olympic teammates celebrated and discussed their excitement over lunch that same day.
However, due to COVID regulations, Josh was forced to celebrate with loved ones over FaceTime.
“The impact of family not being able to visit, it’s pretty tough… once I get back to Melbourne [after the Olympics] I won’t be travelling for a while,” Josh says.
Being separated from his partner, family and friends wasn’t the only struggle Josh faced living in Perth during COVID.
At the beginning of 2020, when Australia started experiencing its first series of lockdowns, Kookaburras players returned to their home states as training was shut down. As a member of the Victorian Institute of Sport, Josh was permitted to maintain his training and fitness in Melbourne, although not at full capacity.
“I pretty much got the last flight out of Perth to Melbourne, and then stayed there for most of last year,” he says.
“We got permission to train, but we weren’t able to have any contact, so training was obviously limited.”
Towards the end of 2020, Josh received a travel exemption to return to Perth, but couldn’t begin training until he had completed 14 days of hotel quarantine.
He then finished the year in Perth before returning to Melbourne for the festive season, and upon his return to Perth, was required to complete another 14 days’ of isolation following a small outbreak in Melbourne.
Josh says the combination of travel and quarantine took a toll on him as a professional athlete.
“It was pretty tough, and pretty debilitating for your body.”
However, Josh remains confident in the regulations and safeguards that will protect him and his team when travelling internationally for the Olympics, including the team being fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. Josh is aware of the requirement to quarantine for a further 14 days upon his return from Japan, joking that by now he is used to it.
Having previously travelled to Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, England, Spain, Argentina, India, New Zealand and all around Australia for hockey, Josh appreciates the fact that he can travel during the pandemic.
“You can travel around and see the world as a part of your job… We’re in a bit of a privileged position where we’re able to at least do some travel, even though it’s for work,” he says.
Prior to the eased state of restrictions, the Kookaburras went over 400 days without an international match. This is something that Josh says was of concern to the team as most of hockey’s top teams are European, and they weren’t able to play practice matches or determine the other teams’ standards.
“In saying that, we’ve been able to just live and breathe our own hockey here and train every single day. We’ve definitely gotten a lot better because of it,” Josh says.
Currently training six days a week, Josh explains that his team complete stick work daily with a few trainings in the gym each week. In between physical session, players and coaches do a lot of review and analysis.
“When we’re not at the ground doing reviews or training, [we’re] recovering and getting ready to go for the next day. It’s pretty full on,” he says.
Josh’s favourite thing about hockey is the connections he is able to build with people.
“I love that everyone is going for a common goal, everyone is working really, really hard to achieve that common goal. If we win Olympic gold, you get to share that,” says Josh.
He explains that he competed in athletics from when he was very young to about age 15, but the individual aspect of athletics wasn’t as enjoyable as playing sport with others.
“My best mates come from hockey and the guys that we train with here every single day are kind of like family, so my favourite aspect is team camaraderie and the opportunities it gives you."
Josh credits his Kookaburras teammates and coaching staff with sticking by each other through both good and bad times.
“There’s ups and downs. My least favourite thing would probably be… tough times with injuries or non-selection. It’s a pretty high pressure environment, being in a squad like this. If you don’t make the team or you are injured, there’s nowhere really to hide… but obviously you have your team members there to help you,” he explains.
Kookaburras’ co-captain Eddie Ockenden is someone that Josh admires both on and off the hockey field. Holding the Australian men’s hockey record for most games played, Tokyo will be Eddie’s fourth Olympic Games.
“He’s someone that I get along really well with off the field, but also gel quite well on the field with,” Josh says.
Sharing the same half back position, Josh explains that Eddie’s knowledge and understanding of the game is unparalleled.
“I’ve learned a lot from him, not just watching as a player but also his professionalism off the field as well and the way he backs himself.”
The Kookaburras won the 2019 FIH Pro League in the Netherlands, beating Belgium in a thrilling 3-2 match, regaining the title of the number one men’s hockey team in the world.
Whilst this win was the proudest moment in his hockey career so far, Josh jokes that the Olympics are only a few days away.
“It would be an incredible moment to win an Olympic medal, let alone a gold medal… if we win gold then that’d take the cake.”
As a professional athlete, Josh balances the physical side of his training with a strong emphasis on mental clarity and focus. He explains that while he would used to feel nervous before a game, goal setting and positive self-talk has been instrumental in his success.
“I normally have two or three points I just talk to myself about before the game, but they are to do with the training and what I’m doing well. It fills me with confidence that I’ve got the ability to be there. That pep talk before the game refocuses me and takes the nerves away,” he says.
Crediting his work with the Kookaburras, Josh explains that instead of falling back to any unfavourable habits in a high pressure game, he has instead been able to revert to his team-trained habits.
Much like decorated tennis player Rafael Nadal, Josh is also quite particular about his pre-match routine.
“I like my drink bottles to be in the right spot, square on the bench. I always like to touch the centre line before we walk out, that’s always been a kind of superstition of mine.”
Though heavily involved at a high level of hockey as a young person, Josh still maintains his love for the game by enjoying the fun side of it.
“I’ve seen a lot of kids not necessarily get burnt out but get sick of playing the sport. They take it too seriously and forget the fun aspect of it,” he says.
Explaining that he didn’t make the Under 15s or Under 16s state hockey team, Josh persisted with his training and has seen great success ever since.
“If I’m the only Victorian here, that means that no one from that Under 16s state team that I missed out on has then gone to this level. Enjoy your friends. You can make lifetime friends, especially out of hockey as a team sport like this. Don’t beat yourself up and enjoy the fun moments.”
Josh speaks highly not only of his current coaching team at the Kookaburras, but of all the junior coaches he has played with, especially those at Doncaster Hockey Club, where he is still involved.
As well as his hockey network, Josh’s family and friends play a crucial role in his success as a sportsman. He is full of praise and appreciation for his partner, Chloe, who he says makes a big commitment to regularly get on a plane and visit him in Perth.
Josh is also deeply appreciative of his parents, Craig and Rochelle, for their unwavering support and continued encouragement.
“Mum and Dad obviously gave me a lot of opportunities to do junior, state and national tournaments, which cost money. As a young guy, this gave me the opportunity to become better,” Josh explains.
“Over the last few years, they’ve helped a lot with me living interstate and moving away from home.”
Some of Josh’s closest friendships came through sport at Yarra Valley Grammar. A student at the school since Prep in 2001, Josh made many lifelong connections and valuable memories.
A multifaceted sportsman, Josh began playing volleyball in Year 9 with some friends, coached by Adam Wallace. He notes that some of his fondest memories at Yarra revolved around volleyball tournaments with mates.
“We were quite successful at it and won quite a few AGSV championships. So Year 10, 11, 12 volleyball at the school, I loved doing it and was a bit of an escape away from hockey as another sport,” he says.
“Mr Wallace was probably one of my favourite teachers at the school.”
As well as Adam Wallace and Grant Allison, Josh also credits former Head of Boys’ Sport, Bryan Harper, as having a significant impact on him at the school.
“Bryan Harper shaped and helped me a lot, not only as an athlete but as a person,” Josh says.
“When I was finishing up [school] in 2013, I had a lot of sporting commitments outside of school. I had a lot of balance issues, but teachers helped me a lot with that especially in Year 12.”
Following the completion of his Year 12 studies in 2013, Josh went on to work at Yarra as a sports coach until 2018.
“Again, the relationship with the school there, they helped me a lot. Not just with employment, but also with opportunities to better myself and supported me with my dual career playing and coaching,” he says.
“Yarra gave me a lot of opportunities and developed me not only as a student but definitely as a person. I learned a lot from going to school at Yarra so I can’t thank them enough.
Josh and the Kookaburras begin their Olympic campaign against home country Japan on July 25.
Following the completion of his first Olympic Games in Tokyo, Josh is looking forward to spending the rest of the year with friends and family in Melbourne.
At such a young age and with many great years ahead of him, Josh’s life and career so far has seen a whirlwind of life lessons, wonderful memories and success.
Wishing Josh all the very best for the Olympic Games, and despite what may happen in Tokyo, he should be infinitely proud of his hard work and achievements so far. Go Josh!
