Full Great Women Great Danes Interview Transcript
UAlbany's Great Women Great Danes is a new series that will be published during Women's History Month. The series will feature Great Danes, past and present, and celebrate the women of UAlbany.
Q: As a student-athlete, you were a successful field hockey player. Can you tell me about your experience here?
A: Yeah of course, it's been a while. It was a great experience. I was actually only supposed to go for a year, and then after a couple months Phil [Sykes] and Jazzy [Andy Thornton] were super excited and I was as well, so we discussed me staying quite quickly. Then I stayed for the full four years and I'm so happy I did. I made lifelong friends, [and] loved every minute of it. It was a great experience … it was overall something I still look back on very fondly.
Q: It seems like with each year at UAlbany you gained more and more accolades, what was that like?
A: Coming from Holland, it was very weird because I guess in the States you basically get an accolade or prize or award for everything. Here, that's not the case so in the beginning I felt very awkward and had to get used to that, I think. By the end, I think it grew on me and I really wanted to get certain awards or accolades … like okay now I do want to get offensive player of the year again or something like that. So, in the beginning I was super humbled and in the end it became something that I wanted to achieve.
Q: Can you tell me what it was like to win the America East Championship as a freshman?
A: Oh, that was amazing … that was so great. I don't remember but by that time I think it had been a season or two since they last won and, yeah, it was amazing. We were a [first year] class of three in the beginning and we ended with just the two of us, Cori [McConville] and I, and we were basically best friends from the moment we met. It was such a great group of girls. I remember that [Cori and I] had a really good connection with the seniors that year. [We], as two freshmen, went on spring break with the senior class. For me, obviously, everything was new, not just the country and the people, but just everything, the whole university system. So, I think it was the same thing with the accolades - the moment it happened and we won the America East, it didn't really like, ring a bell, how cool and everything it was. Then we ended up getting a ring so, I was just like, ‘Wait, wow, this is actually really cool.’ After that, it became a goal every year to try to achieve that. Also, I think I ended up scoring the game-winner in the final. For me, personally, that was a massive achievement. I had some problems with self-confidence and stuff like that, before coming to America and in Holland, [I felt like I didn’t] really get the recognition, as a player, I might have deserved. So, I feel like scoring that goal in that moment kind of gave me a boost of confidence, in a sense of [me thinking] ‘see, I am a good field hockey player and I can do this at important moments.’ So, there's a big community feeling that it was so cool to win it with this group, but also personally, I think it was a big step for me.
Q: You mentioned the transition a little bit so I'll just switch gears off of your athletic career. Can you tell me a little bit more about your transition when you came from Holland?
A: I did speak English, but it wasn't very, very good, I have to say. So, the language barrier was definitely a thing. And field hockey … like in every aspect of the game, it's just different. It's a lot more technical and in the States it's a lot more fitness and running and strength. Like [it] might sound weird, but before I got to the States, I had never been in a weight room … I was just this Dutch string bean. The team called me skeleton. It was just like a complete different … like shock, I guess. In that sense, it was great. Like I said, the game itself is just played very differently, so I had some … I needed some time to adjust to that, I think. But it also molded me into the player I am nowadays; I brought a bit of that American-like discipline and strength and fitness and all that back here. And now I think because of that I'm way more a complete player than I was before. I think we still have a bit of that European hockey style influence, because of Jazzy, and during my time, we still had Michelle Simpson [coaching] so we had that European influence. I think that was beneficial within the team and within the program. We did … I think we did play a little bit more European style hockey within an American mold.
Q: Do you remember what it was like balancing being a student-athlete with the academic requirements and the community service requirements?
A: I think, coming from here, and then going to the States, it was just like, ‘oh, wow.’ The way you can combine sports and school is just so different. Here, you basically only get any type of compensation for missing classes and whatsoever if you're on the national team, which is like 30 girls. And the rest of it, you have to like … hockey is just … it's a hobby, it's something you do outside of school and outside of work … even if you play at the highest-level type of thing. So, going to the States and being able to like actually make that happen and it all just being so intertwined, it really felt like one was not more important than the other. It was always … obviously, you have to do well in the classroom to be able to participate on the field but they're so molded together that I think it's an amazing environment to excel in. Everyone is trying to help you excel on both fronts. Here, I have my school or my work, and they're just worried about that part. I have my coach yelling at me that I should practice more or practice harder … it's just two different entities. To me, that was the biggest difference. So, I think coming from a world where they're not intertwined that way … for me, it was just amazing to be able to spend that much time in my sport, but also still have time for school. And to be honest, the school part was a bit easy for me so I didn't really have to spend that much time on school. I think, it is just amazing. Also, the whole community service and giving back to the community and that type of stuff are things that I did for the first time when I got to the states … it's way different here. So, I think that was great. Reaching out and giving back as a team, as a program, and as a university … those type of things taught me a lot. It's also taught me a lot about how privileged we were to be student-athletes and how thankful we had to be.
Q: You finished your career second all-time and first in Division I program history in points and goals. Did you know that when you left? What was that like?
A: No, I did not know that. Like I said, it wasn't something I was very invested in, in that sense. Like I said before, maybe in the end, it was like, ‘okay, , I've won offensive player once, now I want to get it again’. All these points and everything, it wasn't what I was there for … I just wanted to play field hockey. And after my first year, I was like, ‘Okay, I really want to give back to the program and I feel like I can make a difference here.’ I think that was my main goal and playing hockey with my friends was the main thought behind it all. So it was never like, ‘oh, I want to be the top scorer or I want to reach this [award]’. It was always funny when, even on senior day, they said stuff like that … I would be like, ‘oh, okay’ … it sounds weird but it's just so different coming from here and it not being a thing.
Q: What do you do now?
A: I'm a postdoctoral researcher at the university in Rotterdam. I got my PhD in October 2020. After UAlbany, I continued on doing my master's here in health economics. Then, I got my PhD and now I am doing a postdoc and my research is mainly focused on quality of life and well-being.
Q: Do you still play field hockey?
A: Yes, I do. I still do. It is my last season, though. I'm going to retire after this season. After UAlbany, I went to join a club called Victoria. And we were, I think for three years, we played at the top level in Netherlands, which is like the best competition in the world. We relegated last season, but we were in the top class for three years, which was amazing. This year, we're in the second class, and we are trying to make it back to the first class again. But, it is my last season. It's been enough. It's been a wild ride of like 23 years of field hockey at the highest level, I think, so, it's time for other things.
Q: What has that been like continuing your field hockey career and playing professionally?
A: To me, I think that's something that I learned when I was in the States … for me, that was always a thing that I was going to do. I was always going to continue on playing after university. Being at UAlbany and realizing that all these girls and guys had worked so hard to make it to college and then after college, it's just done, it's just over with for basically everyone except if you go pro or if you make the national team. That to me was just stunning, and especially in field hockey, like there's no club competition or whatsoever after college. So, I felt very, very fortunate to be able to continue on my career and to continue on playing. But on the other hand, it was something that I always planned to do. I think I loved it because Cori came with for a year and also played here. I think it's sad that so many girls … after college, it's just done for them. I think in Europe and also in Australia and New Zealand … there's a lot of places in the world where there's the opportunity to continue on playing. I wish more girls would take that chance. But I'm so happy I did. I think it was also great for me because of what I said earlier - when I left Holland, I had a little bit of a self-confidence problem, hockey wise. And after four years at UAlbany, and getting all those awards and people being like, “Oh, you're such a great field hockey player”, I started to believe it. So, I came back here, and I felt like I had something to prove. So that was … in the beginning, that was kind of like my drive, showing everyone that I can play this game. I felt very fortunate … and it's been great. It's always amazing to be part of a team and to work … you've been so accustomed to being part of a team and always working towards a goal together so I've just felt very fortunate to be able to play this long and continue on playing. About two years ago, two and a half years ago, I got really, really sick and I was told I would never play again. That moment was also very pivotal in me just being very grateful that I'm actually back out on the field nowadays. So I am just very happy to still play the game with my friends. It's the same, twenty years down the road, it's still the same.
Q: What has it been like balancing post undergrad school and a career with playing field hockey?
A: It's been tough. When I was still doing my masters, it was fine but when I started doing my PhD, it started getting a little bit harder. But, the good part about PhD is that you can really balance your hours … like it doesn't really matter when I do it. I had to just write a book and finish the PhD. So, even if I would decide to do it during the night or whatever, that was fine. Now with a postdoc, I have a little bit more responsibilities like supervising some PhD students and stuff like that. That's also one of the reasons that I am going to retire because it's just hard to balance it all. We bought a home, we are married, we have a dog … it's just a lot.
Q: It’s getting time to move on?
A: It's time to move on from the game and not always have to say no to everything because I have to practice.
Q: So, I heard a rumor from Phil, that you are actually married to a UAlbany baseball player.
A: That is true. Yes.
Q: Did you guys meet here?
A: Yeah, we did. We started dating my sophomore year and his junior year, because, we're the same age, but he's a year older in school.
Q: Is he from Holland as well? Or did he follow you back home?
A: He followed me. He's actually from Long Island. When I went home, I had to do a master's program of two years and we were kind of like … he had hopes that I would come back after my master's degree. That was the idea we had because I had some offers lined up to maybe be a grad assistant in America and Phil asked me to stay. But, I really wanted to play field hockey myself, still, and I knew that if I stayed in the States that was done. So, that was the main reason why I wanted to go back to Holland … because I wanted to play and Holland is the best place for that. So, we did two years of long distance and then I got the PhD position and he followed me here. The whole idea was that after four years I had to promise him that we would move back to the States. But then, I got the chance to do a postdoc. And it's all a really good gig here because you get paid very well while you do it. I know in the States you have to find your own money with fellowships and everything … it's difficult. Here, you get paid really well. So, in that sense, it was a good deal. Within those four years of me doing my PhD, the first weeks that he was here, he was kind of like, ‘oh, yeah, I can't wait to go back.’ And he would say ‘when we move back,’ like all the time, and then slowly, it started switching. He started really loving it here. He started building a life on his own. He joined a baseball team here and became national champion and European champion with that team. So, that really drew him in. He's the head coach of that team now, starting this season. It's kind of just been like a Cinderella move for him because he was one of those student-athletes who had to quit playing because there was nothing after college. And then he came here and joined his team and ended up being multiple time national champion, multiple time European club champion … it's just been insane. And now this season is his first year as the head coach of this team, one of the best ones in Europe. It's been kind of like a Cinderella story.
Q: What is his name?
A: Gregory Muller
Q: What does it mean that young females may I look up to you because of what you have done and what you are currently doing?
A: That feels great. I hope to set that example. I strive to be that person that people look up to, to be honest. And I had that at UAlbany, but I also have that within my team now, within my club now. I hope to be the person that people look up to … yeah, that feels great. I hope that little kids are inspired to work hard. And when you work hard, you can achieve anything you want. It's just amazing to sometimes see little kids come up to you and they want like a signature or whatever. And especially in the States, I hope the game continues on growing. That's a lot different here, obviously, because basically everyone is born with a stick in their hands but in the States, it's still such a small sport. I hope the game continues and more girls get to play. So yeah, that's really cool if that happens and like I said - I hope to be a good example. And I hope to show that you can do both. I know a lot of athletes who are so focused on their sport that they kind of put the rest of their life on hold or the other way around. They pick school or work over having like a longer athletic career. But I think that I show that having both is possible, especially in the work field I'm in. In academics, there's not a lot of athletes. I hope to show that even within a world like that, it's always possible to still do some things outside of that world and the other way around.
Q: How did the women around you help you to become the person you are today?
A: I think being part of a team you almost always have like an instant of like 22 new best friends like right off the bat. So, I think every teammate I've ever had has shaped me to be the person I am today … especially at UAlbany. Sometimes it really took me out of my comfort zone in that sense, like the people that were on the team or that I was teammates with ... the whole cultural differences or whatsoever, like I was never really teammates with someone that was like very religious or things like that. And at UAlbany that was a thing. That was the first time that I got into contact with people who had those beliefs or [other cultural differences] so I think that very much shaped me by widening my worlds and opening up a lot of things and possibilities that I would have never encountered if I didn't have these people around me. And I think, especially when I was at UAlbany, the whole kind of like the American Dream type of thing … like you work hard and then you deserve what you get. I especially shout out Cori - she basically taught me everything I know nowadays about America and about everything because she kind of just took me by my hand and like dragged me everywhere. But like I said, I think just the whole mentality of 22 or however many people you have on the team and striving towards one goal is something that just shapes you forever. Especially having some very strong women around you … it helps me every day.
Q: What does Women's History Month mean to you?
A: Ooh, that's difficult. I think being in the States has opened up that role to me that it hasn't always been a right for women to even play sports. I had never even heard of Title IX or anything like that before I got to the States, so I had no idea of that type of thing. I think for me, that was just like a whole box of … like a Pandora box that just opened up because I literally had no clue. And that's not because of ignorance but it's just because the whole system here is different. But, I think a month like this really brings back that thought and how recent it was that all this [change] happened, but that there's still so much to achieve. There are like massive discussions going on here now that women are still paid way less than the men while our women's team, for example, wins golds almost every Olympics. So, I think there's still so much to achieve. I think a month like this really makes you think about that again and gets that dialogue going and gets people thinking about it again, and basically forces people to stand still and think about it. So, I think that it's really important. In a sense, it's also sad that it has to be in place to force us or force everyone to think about and be involved with it. But yeah, if that's the way to achieve it, and to keep that dialogue going, then it's very important.
For more interviews from the Women's History Month #GreatWomenGreatDanes series, click here.
