IT MUST HAVE BEEN TRUE LOVE - MICHAEL MCCANN AND HOCKEY
The story of an Australian guy who dedicated his youth to his early love
It all began in the early eighties in Sydney when four-year-old Michael eager to emulate his older brother started playing the sport which would become the most important part of his life. The conditions for the young love were perfect. First and foremost Michael comes from a family crazy about sports and hence he had parents who supported their son’s love life. His junior trainer, a former national hockey player, had another huge impact on his dedication to hockey as Michael spent most of his time at his house with his three sons, playing hockey in addition to training. Besides love was not put at risk by the usually dangerous enemy of such young lovers, namely school, especially because McCann who calls himself “not to be the most academic person”, took the relationship really seriously and started playing for the senior men’s team of his club in Sydney at the tender age of thirteen, which left no time for school.
From then on everything worked out perfectly well for the young couple and they have become internationally known since 2001 when “Mick” was included in the national hockey team. Their relationship definitely attained its culmination in 2004 when the Australian national hockey team won the Olympic Gold in Athens. This victory was the most emotional moment for the player himself as it presented a special victory for his country and furthermore he could personally “complete” the collection of medals of his junior trainer which lacked the Olympic Gold.
During those very intensive years the couple spent about eighty hours a week together, which for a long time left no space for any serious external disturbances like additional girlfriends. But in 2006 when “Stiffler” (Michael) played for a hockey club in Barcelona for a year, Hockey got serious opponents. On the one hand Michael met an Austrian girl who has been an additional lover ever since, and on the other hand the phenomenon “age” influenced Michael in his decision to reduce time with the love of his youth. As a result McCann quit playing actively in 2007 because, so he says, he “wanted to enjoy life and relax a bit”. But Michael could not imagine a life without Hockey, so for the last two years he has worked as a full-time hockey trainer for the “Mannheimer Hockey Club”, which has contracted him for at least another two years.
Today Michael seems to be really happy with his decision since he still spends about forty-five hours a week with his old love, Hockey. And thanks to maintaining this relationship, he can still travel a lot around the world, which Michael appreciates very much. But on the other hand Michael is finally able to live a more normal life with his Austrian girlfriend, which striking up such a strong relationship at an early age never really allowed him to live.
