Bam Joins Maryland Hockey Staff
5/10/2012 8:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
May 10, 2012
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The 2011 national champion Maryland field hockey team welcomed hockey professional Marvin Bam to its high performance staff this week. Bam, a native of South Africa, will join the Terrapins as an assistant coach/technical director.
Bam comes to College Park after playing and coaching professionally in South Africa and the United Kingdom. As a member of the the South African hockey team, Bam played in over 30 international tournaments and test series with the South African team, as well as the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2006 and 2002 Men's World Cups.
"I feel extremely privileged to be given the opportunity to work alongside legendary coach Missy Meharg as the new assistant coach and technical director at Maryland," Bam said. "To be working at this prestigious University, with its past successes, excellent faculty and talented athletes fills me with enthusiasm for sport and success.
"Having played and coached in a number countries, nothing compares to the NCAA, which lends itself to professional coaching of athletes who go onto compete at the highest level. This, and being a part of Maryland's successful team, is definitely something I cannot wait to contribute to and hopefully continue to build on the successes of the past."
Bam is a certified Level I coach in South Africa and Level 2 coach in the United Kingdom and has worked with six hockey clubs between the UK and South Africa as director and head coach. Most recently, Bam has served as the director of hockey coaching and physical education teach at Cheltenham Ladies College in Great Britain.
"Marvin Bam had an outstanding interview with us. His international hockey experiences, as a coach and player, in two different continents is exciting," head coach Missy Meharg said. "The addition of Marvin with our present coaching staff of Dina Rizzo and Barb Weinberg, supports Maryland's continued efforts to provide our women with a highly progressive, knowledgeable and up-tempo style of teaching hockey."
The Terrapins have won five of the last seven NCAA titles (2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011) and three of the last four ACC championships (2008, 2009, 2010).
They will play an exhibition game against the U.S. Under-21 National Team Aug. 19 at noon in College Park. The Terps open the regular season Aug. 24 at California and Aug. 26 at Stanford. Their home opener will be Friday, Aug. 31 vs. 2011 Final Four team Old Dominion at 7 p.m. under the lights at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex.
