‘I found what I wanted in America’

Finally the time has come for young orange girls. After months of waiting, their World Cup is set to begin in South Africa. Friday’s first enemy is the United States, which has special memories of ‘our’ Kiki Rosemiger.

After about five minutes of conversation, Rozemeijer comes to a special realization. ‘In the United States I found that I really like this. I wanted to get the most out of it. I become the best hockey star. That time made me a stronger man. She knows what she’s aiming for. ‘

On the fence of the main yard in Potschefstroom, usually the local mat Northwestern UniversityPinocchio. Says the midfielder About her own year College teamPlayed for Duke University in East America from 2018 to 2019.

We practiced there daily, mostly at six in the morning. Then strength training. About the time Kiki Rosemeiger was in the United States

It brings back beautiful memories. “I was seventeen years old when I went that route. I was not sure what I wanted and decided to take a ‘break year’. I can play hockey at Duke. There I learned to play with a lot of courage. In the United States it is mainly ‘go, go and go again’, says RoseMeiger after the last practice before the start of the World Cup. “It’s very opportunistic. Believe and try. Don’t think too much, do it.”

You can find Rozemeijer’s detailed statistics on Duke’s site. Not only did he play matches and goals – which is unique in the Netherlands – but also the minutes he played and the percentage of goals and shots per fight. ‘It looks professional. That’s how you are treated there. You get a lot of clothes, paramedics with all kinds of doctors and specialists, not really casual. We practiced there daily, mostly at six in the morning. Then strength training. ‘

It was to perform as well as possible on the field. ‘Some players have been allowed to go to that university because they excelled in hockey. The others never played – we had a great team of 24 people – but never complained about it. Real team players always give their best during training. It was too fat to deal with. But when I thought out loud about what I wanted, I knew I had to go back to the big leagues. Although hockey is taken very seriously in the United States, the situation in the Netherlands is really high. ‘

Rozemeijer (left) plays with his teammates. Photo: Frank Uijlenbroek

Six is ​​different from Dutch culture

Rozemeijer also grew as a person during that special year. ‘I learned there to ask me more. There is a lot of encouragement to express your own opinion in the United States, otherwise you will be affected by the snow. This is very different from the Dutch Sixer culture. When a teacher asks something, everyone raises their hand. Everyone wants to be the best. It made me think about my own future. ‘

The special part of that future begins tomorrow at the Under-21 World Cup. ‘It’s wonderful to be here,’ says Rosemeiger, who takes the surroundings well. Beautiful little building with stands, ‘hockey office’. Orange responds to Malaysia coaching after the team.

“We’ve been looking forward to this for a long time. This team has known each other for a long time. I feel like you’re standing here with a crowd of friends who want to fight hard with each other.

A little while, and then it’s time. The national anthem will then be played in South Africa and the Star Spongled banner, the national anthem of the United States. “I’ve heard it before every game in the United States. But I do not really know the lyrics. I’m going to hum a little.”