With her 33 years and 252 international matches, Margot van Geffen is the most experienced player of the national hockey team. The Olympic Games in Paris will be her last major tournament with the Orange. The Brabant woman tells in a candid conversation that she had doubts about her sporting future a few years ago. “I lost the fun in the game.”
As a top athlete, winning is the most beautiful thing there is. There isn’t a prize that Margot hasn’t already won as a hockey star. From Olympic, world and European champion with Orange to national and European champion with HC ‘s-Hertogenbosch. Next week she will go with the Netherlands for her fifth European title. “We are the top favourite, but it is not the case that we just pick up gold. Every team is determined to beat us.”
Opposite the beautiful side of top sport are Margot’s unpleasant moments. Such as the troubled period after the 2021 Olympic Games. There is said to be a culture of fear within the team, which led to the departure of the national coach and technical director. “I also looked in the mirror. Maybe I was too direct or rude to teammates? Was I still able to be myself? We talked to the girls and they really liked my approach.”
“That insecure feeling lasted for a few months.”
She had doubts about her sporting future due to the unrest. In addition, there was a mental dip at the start of the season. “I lost the fun in hockey after the Games. A lot of people watch that tournament and everyone wants something from you. It’s all great, until after the tournament the competition starts again and you’re nobody anymore. That insecure feeling lasted for a few months. After conversations with family, friends and a sports psychologist, I decided to leave the negative thoughts behind me.”
What also helped her to find the fun again was a transfer. HC ‘s-Hertogenbosch with which she achieved so much success, she exchanged for HGC in 2022.
“At HGC I learned to lose.”
“We won everything in Den Bosch, but I was ready for something else. It’s been good for me because at HGC I learned to lose. I could even cheer if I had earned a penalty corner. The results resulted in some grumpy Sundays, but I turned that into something positive. Next season I am confident that we will achieve something beautiful.”
She remained in the picture with the Orange and is the experienced leader on the field. “You can see me as a connector in the selection. If I see that girls are in trouble, I will help them. When I came to the Orange squad myself as a rookie, I had no idea what was going on within a team. I just grabbed my bag to play hockey.”
“Maybe I’ll open a coffee shop.”
Her farewell with the national team is getting closer. “First we try to win the European Championship and hopefully I will be there in 2024 with the Olympic Games. After that I will stop at Orange and I will see what I will do at club level. Do I already think about life after hockey? A role as an assistant coach seems interesting to me, a team process is fun. I can focus more on my job as a personal trainer and maybe open a coffee shop.”