How one hockey-mad family produced three coaches

At this year's National Hockey Championship in Wellington, three brothers stood on the sidelines.
They might argue their playing days are behind them, but hockey certainly isn't.

Sam, Elliot and Joe Bartholomew were each part of different campaigns at this year's National Hockey Championship. Sam led the Tauranga Women, Elliot served as Assistant Coach of the North Harbour Women, and Joe helped Canterbury Men lift the national title.

While they all wore different coaching hats, they carried many of the same values. Values first learned growing up in a family where hockey wasn't simply a sport, it was a way of life.

The story starts with their parents, Ian and Lea.

Their father Ian grew up in Levin, while Dunedin was home growing up for their mother Lea. After meeting in the Navy and eventually settling on Auckland's North Shore, hockey quickly became the centre of family life.

As Ian puts it, "We were and are a hockey mad family.” He jokes that the poor boys did not have much choice in the matter.

Between Ian's decades spent playing, coaching and serving as North Harbour Hockey's Operations Manager from 1998-2008, and Lea’s years as Junior Secretary (plus what's been described as endless baking of the good stuff!), the turf became a second home.

Trainings at night. Saturday games. Rep hockey on Sundays. Like many sporting families, family holidays took a back seat to tournament weeks.

Looking back, it's the sacrifices that stand out most to the boys.

"For me the biggest thing I admire about Mum and Dad is their work ethic and just how much they did for us so that we never missed out on going to hockey tournaments," says Elliot.

It's only now that he fully appreciates what that involved. "I can't imagine how much money they would have been spending each year when we were all playing and going to two, sometimes three tournaments each.”

While each have followed their own path in the game, many of the values that shape their coaching can be traced back to Ian and Lea.

For Sam, one lesson from his father has stayed with him throughout his own coaching journey. It’s a lesson in how you make others feel.

"I think if you asked someone about how dad was as a coach, they probably wouldn’t remember what he taught them technically or tactically but they would certainly remember how he made them feel – seen, valued and cared for.  That’s something that comes more naturally to Joe and Elliot than it does to me, but it’s something I’ve always tried hard to emulate.”

Joe sees those same qualities in both of his parents.

"Mum and Dad always made people feel welcome and valued. Growing up, our home always had an open door, and they constantly went above and beyond, not only for us, but for our mates as well. It wasn’t uncommon to have half my hockey team over before a school match which Mum would cook or bake for all of us."

"They have always approached life and the people around them with warmth, positivity, generosity and a smile. Those values have stayed with me and are always at the forefront of my mind in the way I deal with others."

And perhaps that's the thread that connects the whole Bartholomew story.

Three brothers coaching at the same National Hockey Championship is a rare sight. Yet for Ian and Lea, it might simply be the latest chapter in a lifetime involvement with the game.

A lifetime spent playing, coaching, volunteering, supporting and giving back.

This year in Wellington, that influence could be seen on three different sidelines. It’s a special reminder that the sport's greatest legacy is often measured not in medals but in the generations of people who continue to give back.