A staple in the Kookaburra's side since 2015, Josh Beltz has done it all for Australia- winning titles like the champions Trophy, Commonwealth Games and Oceanic Cup. One title remains elusive however, the coveted Olympic Gold, with Josh being a part of the squad that won silver against Belgium in 2020. As we approach the upcoming Olympic year of the Paris 2024 Olympics, Howie sat down with Josh to talk about his background in hockey, the emotions of performing and representing his country, as well as other interests.
Earliest memories of playing Hockey: What was it like stepping onto the field for the first time? Do you recall the excitement, nerves, or maybe a standout moment from those early games?
My parents did (and still do) play hockey, so my earliest memories aren’t necessarily from playing, but more so being out at the Tasmanian Hockey Centre (THC) every Saturday while my mum and dad played, umpired and coached. I would spend a lot of time in the playground with the other kids, eating hot chips, and occasionally watching a bit of hockey.
In terms of my first actual game/s of hockey, I cannot remember many specifics. I think I was 7 or 8 playing in the under 12 team, and obviously much smaller than most of the kids I was playing against. I do remember just having a lot of fun and wanting to play more. I don’t know if it still round somewhere, but I think my parents have some old footage from one of those video recorders of me just jumping around over one the puddles on the pitch during one of my first games, not at all interested in where the ball was.
Take me through the journey from those early days on the field to the pivotal moment of representing your country. What were the significant milestones or experiences that shaped your career?
In terms of representative hockey I have been fortunate to have played a lot for Tassie, and then later on getting the call up to the national team. I think I will probably refer a lot to it throughout the interview, but I love playing hockey, and a lot of those representatives teams just meant I got to train and play more, and of course spend more time with great mates. In terms of significant milestones or moments, I think my first year playing for the Tassie Tigers (open men’s) in 2014 was probably a catalyst to really set off the opportunity to play for the Kookaburras. We won that year, the first time a Tasmanian Men’s team had ever done so, so it was (and still is) one of my career highlights. Being my first year it didn’t really dawn on me at the time, but on reflection it was such an incredible achievement by that entire team. Off the back of that tournament I was lucky enough to get invited to Perth (where the high performance centre is based) to play some matches for Australia A against India. That was a really enjoyable experience and I guess I did something right, as the next year I was selected in the Kookaburras squad and moved to Perth permanently.
Describe the major injuries that you’ve encountered along the way and how they set you back at the time.
I have had a few major injuries I guess, these include two hip arthroscopic surgeries, a broken right tibia, fractured left patella and a few broken bones in my hands.
Injuries happen in any sport, and although I have had a few, they have for the most part been things that heal and then you are good to go again, instead of something that tends to hang around and linger.
Obviously it is frustrating when you cannot play or train, but I think injuries do provide a chance to take a step back and they definitely leave you hungry for more when you get back.
What role do you typically play on the field? Does your role differ for Australia vs Tasmania?
My position has changed a little bit over my time in the Kookaburras. I started as a defender, where I would play anywhere across the back 4. After a few years of this I ended up moving into the midfield which I really enjoyed and found some success. Of late I have moved back into a role more as an outside defender which is a good mix of both I believe, as it allows me to search forward and start some attacks, whilst still trying to lock things down defensively.
For tassie it is definitely more in the midfield, but I think that just comes down to personnel and where everyone else fits best within the squad. I don’t have a ‘favourite’ or anything like that.
Describe how COVID affected preparation for the Olympics. Were there unique challenges or adjustments you had to make?
Yeah COVID definitely affected the preparation for the Olympics, there was a period of about 14 months in the lead up where we played NZ a few times but that was about it, the rest was just training together as a group here in Perth. Obviously most countries were in a similar boat, but I think our squad really thrived on a unique opportunity to work hard as a group away from anyone else, and then be at a really high level when we eventually came up against the other nations at the Olympics.
There was lots of ‘hurdles’ and challenges throughout that prep, but it definitely felt like we had a bit of a mindset that welcomed the challenges and saw them as opportunities to respond positively and get the most out of the situation.
As an international player, what challenges do you face when competing on a global scale?
I guess Hockey, and I assume lots of other sports, is played very differently depending on where you are from. There are cultural differences, influences from other sports etc. so everyone internationally plays a bit differently and has their own unique style. So particularly in a tournament style competition there are challenges in adapting and recognising what sort of game you have to play.
From a high level perspective, the other tough part of playing on a global scale is the travel and time away. Last year, I believe I was away more than I was home for the first 8 or so months, so that makes it really hard to get a routine or consistency when you are home, and then it also impacts relationships and work opportunities. I am very lucky to have the support to travel and compete as much as I do from Hilary and my employer etc, but it is important to note how much of a big commitment it is.
Hockey is quite a technical sport, so it never feels like you have mastered many skills or are completely on top of every part of your game. We train so much that I think you develop a really high base level that you can bring to each match, but there are definitely fluctuations around that.
We also mix up our training week to allow for all sort of training drills, so you can practice high intensity, physically demanding skills and then also have opportunities to have more low intensity, narrow focussed skill development sessions.
What do your GPS numbers look like after each game and training session?
As I said before our trainings vary quite a lot depending on what we are focussing on and the type of drills we are doing. Our S&C coach has it pretty dialled in, so based off the training plan he can predict roughly how far we will run, as well as some more technical things such as the amount of hard stop/start efforts and high speed efforts. He tracks this live, so we can do some top ups if we didn’t quite hit what we needed too, or can back it off the next day if the session was a bit bigger than planned.
We try and make some training sessions as hard, if not harder than the matches we play, so when it comes to it we are in a position to execute what we need to do with as little physical fatigue as possible. We play with pretty quick rotations, so a lot of the physical effort typically comes in 4-8 minute blocks before you’re able to have a quick rest.
The actual numbers fluctuate a lot depending on playing time and also the style of play and match scenario, but a typical game might be about 6-7 kilometres, including 1000+ metres of ‘high speed’ running.
Describe the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games and World Cup selection process.
The selection process for all three is slightly different, but in essence you are always being assessed, so although there is a ‘date’ where the team is selected, there isn’t necessarily a selection event or match beforehand. We are being looked at each time we train and play, and then the selectors use all the information they have at hand to select what they believe is the best team to achieve success.
There is also a formal element of selection that has to be approved by the governing body (AOC etc.) but for the most part this is just a formality.
What does your typical year look like? Is there a pre-season or is it just travelling to different countries to play hockey?
The year looks very different depending on what tournaments or events are on. The World Cup and Commonwealth Games typically fall in the same year, and then the Olympics 2 years either side of that. These are typically the tournament that most of our preparation is centred around, but at the same time there is always some tournament or competition not far away which we are going to try and win, so there isn’t much down time.
There is definitely different training blocks where there are certain focuses, for example a fitness block (much like a preseason) when there isn’t any competition for a little while, or a training block focused on high performance just before we travel for some matches.
Walk me through a typical game day routine. What rituals or preparations do you have from waking up to stepping onto the field?
When we are in competition we will have a daily schedule and for match days this involves all the basic things, like an activation activity (a jog and a bit of a cruisy game), meetings, scouting etc.
Outside of this each individual has a bit of a freedom to do what they need to get ready. Depending on when the game is, I try and have a big meal about 4 hours beforehand, and if we are playing an evening game, I will aim to have a nap in the afternoon before some of the team meetings.
I definitely try and keep it pretty relaxed throughout the day, I don’t want to waste any energy with nerves or running through the game a hundred times before we even play. In terms of rituals or superstitions I don’t really have any, I guess I like to make sure I organised early and have all my gear ready to go, then I will make a coffee and have a shower before we leave.
What do you enjoy doing when you're not on the field? Any particular hobbies or interests that you're passionate about outside of Hockey?
I work for a small asset management company here in Perth as an Engineer which I enjoy, but outside of work and hockey I really enjoy spending time with Hilary and our dog, Bobbi. We love going to the beach or taking Bobbi on a walk up to the park.
I have also got right into the NFL over the past 4-5 years, so I love watching that, go Texans, and then listening to a heap of podcasts to stay up to date. I am also in a few fantasy leagues which take up more time and attention than I would like to admit!
Who has been the most influential person or mentor in your hockey journey and why?
There have been an incredible number of people who have helped me along my journey, and I could go on all day listing them, but for the purpose of the exercise a few that stand out are:
My family. Mum, dad and my younger brother Hayden have always been there to support, encourage and share the journey with me. The time and money my parents invested in me to do something I love is something I am very grateful for. No matter what, they made sure I could always take up any opportunity that arose, no matter what. I have said this a few times, but I think some of the matches in the living room against Haydos growing up have been some of the most competitive, heated and fun games I have ever played in. We are both super competitive, but at the end of the day love what we get to do, and recently having him in the squad as well, and getting to play for the Kookaburras together is a lifelong dream come true.
Hilary, my wife. We have been together for over 10 years now, and married for just over a month. She has always encouraged and supported me, and challenged me to the best person and hockey player I can be. She motivates me a lot to succeed and advocate for myself which I love about her. She also works incredibly hard to support us financially and helps shape our future together.
I have also had a lot of excellent coaches over the years, but I worked with Andrew McDonald for the entirety of my transition through the TIS and he played a massive part in me elevating my game to the standard required to progress to some higher ranks. He was a very tough but fair coach, and helped me develop the work ethic required at the next level.
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