CHENNAI: After that loss to Great Britain in the group stage, the support staff reminded the women’s hockey side of the platform they were playing in. As a motivational tool, it isn’t out of the ordinary but asking the team to take a step back worked wonders. One of the support staff, analytical coach Janneke Schopman, set to be the new chief coach after she comes back from the US, lifts the lid on what went on in Tokyo. “We tried to remind them of the fact that we were at the Olympics and that we should make the most of it,” the Dutchwoman says.
The reminder, they felt, was necessary after the team went into that Great Britain match with higher expectations only to lose 1-4. “You easily forget about these things when you are a player. You feel the pressure to perform, the urgency, disappointment... In the end, if you can take a little bit of a step back and look back at all the work you have done to get where you are... I think what I have learned as a player myself is you sometimes just have to embrace the fact that you are there and be proud also a little bit in order to play better and improve and to have more success rather than just go far down that you kind of forget about all these things and just put more pressure. I think after that third game that was a small reminder...,” Schopman explains.
It kind of helped that Rani Rampal & Co came together after that match to exchange a few words with each other about the things that needed to be done to course correct. “What happened was actually the team came together and had a tough talk but a good talk... it was honest. From that moment on, the team unity came forward.” It’s fair to say it was looking iffy till then, even if they were playing well and generally passing the eye test. However, the team, Schopman admits, went to Tokyo without any real expectations and were logically able to write off the opening two defeats.
“We came into the tournament without any real expectations,” she explains. “We just wanted to play and see where we were at. The Netherlands and Germany games... you know you are playing good opponents. I think for parts of the game, we were able to compete but in the end, they are more experienced and better in certain aspects of the game, so it’s potentially logical you lose those two games.” What she credits the team is for their boundless quest to learn and grow, like how they did during the latter stage of the Games. It’s something she has been observing ever since walking through the Sports Authority of India (SAI) gate at Bengaluru in January 2020.
“In terms of development, they have developed tremendously,” she says. “This group of people is tremendously invested in learning and growing... I think that was very rewarding from the moment I joined.” When coach Sjoerd Marijne introduced Schopman to the side, he encouraged them to use the latter as a sounding board. It was something the members eventually did. “I was kind of interested to see if they would... from day one (they did),” Schopman, who won Olympic gold while as a player with Netherlands in 2008, says.
“I think the team has made steps mentally, individually... we did mindfulness... the willingness to learn, grow and do all these things... I think that’s amazing and I think that’s the base for future success.” With a packed calendar ahead — Asian Champions Trophy (October 2021), Asiad (September 2022), CWG (July-August 2022) and World Cup (July 2022) — the 44-year-old will be hoping that’s the case.