Kuper in charge

Hockey is in Riet Kuper’s blood.

She represented the Netherlands on the pitch for 10 years, coached the national women’s team from 1972 to 1977 and coached the Dutch U16 side from 1979 to 1995.

She’s a qualified FIH master coach, conducting courses across the world, and has been plying her trade with the Irish women’s team since 1998. And to top it all off, she is FIH 2003 player of the year and former Dutch captain Mijntje Donners’ aunt.

On a recent trip to South Africa, Kuper chatted to Karien Jonckheere and explained why despite her side’s disappointing performance in a four-nation tournament in Durban (where they failed to win a match), she is still hoping her team can produce something special at the Samsung Hockey World Cup Qualifier in Rome next month.

How and when did you start playing hockey?
I was a bit of late starter, so I only started when I was 16. My friends were all playing hockey so that’s why I started as well.

What is your connection to Mijntje Donners?
Mijntje’s mother is my sister. I used to give her advice in the beginning but now I’m sure it would be the other way around.

How did you get involved in Irish hockey?
I’m a FIH master coach and did courses in Leinster and Ulster so I knew about Irish hockey before I got there.

I was asked to do a tournament for them – I think it was the qualifiers for the Europeans in 1998 and obviously it worked because they asked me to stay on.

I still live in Holland though, near Maastricht, and I commute. It’s not a problem because I live close to an airport. I actually fly from Germany because I’m close to the border and can fly straight to Dublin. Because hockey is still an amateur sport in Ireland, practices have to take place on the weekends so it has worked well.

It was quite hectic when I still worked (as a co-ordinating officer for Nato) but I love the sport. I just retired though so now it’s easier.

Living in one country (and having represented them internationally) and coaching another, don’t you somehow feel torn between the two?
Not at all because there is quite a difference between the two. Ireland aren’t really anywhere near to challenging Holland. There’s a world of difference between Dutch and Irish hockey.

What’s your view on the state of Irish (and world) hockey at the moment?
The top four or five teams in the world are in a class of their own. Then there’s quite a big gap between them and the next six and then you get the Irelands and Scotlands.

In Ireland, the Irish Hockey Association have appointed a CEO and Technical Director and everything is getting restructured so in the next two years I think it will be easier for players to train and have time off and get financial support.

The players really find it a problem, never in the first or second years because it’s all still new but then after three, four, five years it becomes a lot tougher because it’s every holiday you have to give up and training takes up all your weekends. It’s hard on the players and motivation gets low.

Many players eventually just need time away from the game.

As a coach do you think it is an advantage having played at international level?
You, I know a lot of coaches who didn’t play at that level and they’re superb coaches. What you need to be is a technical expert.

How far are the Irish team in preparing for the World Cup qualifier?
We have just started with preparation. We had a four day training camp in Spain but that was more physical training and was very short and that was with the whole squad. We had two matches against Scotland, which I used as selection for this team but otherwise I didn’t see them until we came here to South Africa.

The week here in Durban has been ideal training for us. We have been training even on the days we had matches so I’ve been working them quite hard. But it’s been good because it is weather we can train in – yes it’s been hot but not the five degrees and rain we would have at home. I can see an improvement already.

What are Ireland’s chances in Rome?
We play Azerbaijan at the qualifier so I was quite happy to see them in Durban but I know that our team will have improved by then. We are also in a group with Italy, USA, New Zealand and Korea.

There are only five positions available so we have to finish top two in the group but that is going to be very tough. Obviously we will go for it though. It’s just going to be difficult, especially against Korea and New Zealand. We have an eight-week preparation programme. Realistically though, I suppose we should be aiming for a top three or four in the group but then there’s only one spot left in the playoffs. And it’s the hardest competition there is.

What are the plans between now and the World Cup Qualifier?
We are going to Argentina next month for a four nation tournament with Germany, Argentina and the US. Then we play England and Italy in early April and then I’m trying to organise a training camp in Holland just before we head to Rome.

This is the group I will be working with. We have a group of 21 but can only take 18 to Rome. So I will use this tournament to make selections.

What are some of the improvements that need to be made in the next few months to improve your chances?
There’s a lot of speed in this team but we can’t seem to capitalise on it so that’s something we need to work on. And obviously we have to work hard on the corners and defending as well.

The Irish league is very weak and these girls are the best in their clubs and can basically do what they want and get away with it. They pick up bad habits in the league and then they have to learn a whole new game when they get into the national setup.

What keeps you motivated as a coach and why do you do it?
First of all I love coaching. I’ve been doing it for 35 years. I worked a lot in Holland – at national under 16 level and seeing them growing up and making the national side. And I do a lot of courses. I like to travel and I like hockey people – wherever I go I see people I’ve known for the last 40 years.

I also love the sport itself – the way it’s changed over the years with synthetic turf and new rules is fantastic and the speed in both the women’s and men’s game is wonderful.

How many more years do you plan to continue coaching Ireland?
I’ll take it from year to year and tournament to tournament and see how it goes but it has nothing to do with results.

Whatever happens, when I do decide to leave, I hope that the level I have achieved will be maintained. I don’t know when that will be – it could be next year or the year after that.

When I retire from here, I’ll just conduct courses, I won’t take on another team. It’s time for someone else now.

It’s been lovely though. This is a fine group of people to work with and they’re all quite coachable and very nice to work with because we all respect each other.