Being in a national sports team is the dream of many, but belonging to the RedSticks, one of the most competitive feminine teams in the history of Spain, is already the reality of 20 women.
And it is that the Spanish field hockey team is one of the most competitive in Europe, having been the Olympic champions in Barcelona 92 and fourth in Sydney. The medal tables were filled in the world championships, achieving a bronze in London 2018 and obtaining fourth position in Madrid 2006. In the European Championship, they achieved two runner-up finishes in 1995 and 2003, a bronze in 2019, and five consecutive fourth places between 2005 and 2015.
We can continue seeing the beauties of one of the most competitive teams in our history and that is because the fight of this team is at a level of professionalism that only great athletes can achieve. The RedStick They were born to perpetuate these first triumphs and thanks to the training and effort of each one of them, the state of grace maintains the spirit of success and already foresees future triumphs. One of the veterans of the national team who is also an ambassador for Iberdrola, Beatriz Pérez, personifies that fighting spirit that elite athletes have and tells us about the life of one of these incredible women.
Hockey is not exactly a massive sport. How did your passion for it come about?
Casually. I was at the La Salle school in Santander and someone suggested I join a hockey team. My parents targeted my older brother and me. He was nine years old and I was seven. Then, circumstances lead you… I spent three years practicing at school. I felt very comfortable until I joined the El Sardinero HC club and when they start calling you up for lower categories of the national team you realize that you are worth it for this, that it is something you enjoy and that it gives you incredible moments and that along the way you meet incredible people. I was hooked by the atmosphere and the competition.
How is a hockey practice?
We have it divided into two parts. We warm up and do a physical part of the gym and then we go to the coach where we train possession exercises, ball exit exercises, attack and defense exercises. In this technical part we train some penalty corner moves that are specific field hockey moves.
What differences can there be between a male and a female training?
I would say there is no difference except for their physical conditions. But the technical level is exactly the same.
Who are you looking at? Who are your competitors?
Now hockey is very even. The best teams have long been the Netherlands and Argentina. Because apart from popularity, they have media and licenses, which I think is something that we lack. Hockey is very popular in the Netherlands, they have many clubs and many girls who practice it and that is why they have many players to pull from when creating a team. In addition, at a game level they are very decisive in front of the goal, they create opportunities and take advantage of them.
Is it more or less suffered than other sports?
I will try to answer you, although I have not been in the high competition of other sports. I perceive that swimming or rhythmic gymnastics are very hard disciplines. We spend many hours during the day, but we don’t get up too early, which happens with other elite sports. We have more divided training sessions throughout the day, very demanding, but perhaps not as rigorous, among other things, because we train a lot as a team.
What risks does hockey have?
It is not usual, but you can take a palazo at some point. I have had a fracture in one foot and in two fingers. But the truth is that we have the means to recover perhaps faster than normal.
What do the sponsors give you?
Opportunities. Opportunities to live experiences in environments other than those we would have in our usual environment. Iberdrola gives us visibility in the world of women’s sports, gives us experience and values my sport, which is field hockey. Iberdrola invests at the federation and club level and this is reflected in the competitions; both national and international. Resources increase and preparation is always better.
What are your goals three years from now?
Right now, in 15 days we have a World Cup to be played in Terrasa. In the short term, the objective is to obtain a good result. If it is with a medal, better. In the long term we have Paris 2024. The goal/dream is to win the gold medal. If you do not aspire to no maximum, you do not prepare for the maximum.
What does it mean for an athlete to train for a World Cup or for the Olympic Games?
I think we have it normalized because it is our life, our day to day and we don’t stop to think about it much. It is family, friends, and people outside our bubble who make us see the importance of high-level competition and how society values it. There are many hours of effort, but we do it because it is what we like and we also do it with friends and enjoy the journey. There is no better profession.
How is the atmosphere in a locker room?
Now we come from a generational change. Those of us who were in Tokyo had grown up together and we were like a family. Now there are new girls but the atmosphere is still very good. We’ve been together for months and people have fit in very well with the team and that atmosphere makes us play better.
Sport has a lot to do with life, it is respecting the other, recovering from defeats, knowing how to celebrate triumphs. What has hockey taught you?
That’s a good way to define it. Sport poses situations that have to do with everyday life. It has helped me to know myself. What frustrates me, what makes me jump, and how should I behave on the pitch? Sport helps me in many other areas and makes me control both positive and negative situations. Sport values effort, perseverance, responsibility, teamwork and camaraderie. Without a doubt, sport prepares you for life.
What would you say to girls who are thinking of looking for a sport to practice?
I would tell them to search and find the sport that they enjoy. If they have to try ten sports that they do it and that they share moments with other people, that is what it is about. Personally, I take many moments with my teammates from playing hockey, celebrating, crying, suffering and having fun together. In reality, many times society looks at the result, but the reality is that sometimes sport is fortuitous and things don’t always work out, even if you do your best. Behind every athlete there is usually a lot of work and that is why you have to value both the one who wins and the one who does not.