Why lacrosse?
‘ It started with a clinic at my secondary school. I thought it was a cool sport from the start. The great thing about lacrosse is that it’s a kind of combination of rugby, basketball and hockey, but with a stick with a net. It is a contact sport and you are allowed to push and hit the stick, so you wear a helmet, a jockstrap, gloves, and elbow and shoulder guards. I love the speed of it too: they call lacrosse the fastest ball game on two legs. I’ve been playing it for five years now and I’m in the selection for the Dutch team.’
They call lacrosse the fastest ball game on two legs
What are the differences between indoor and outdoor lacrosse?
‘The biggest differences are the smaller pitch and the shot clock. You have 30 seconds to shoot at the opponents’ goal. It is like an ice hockey pitch, actually, but without the ice. Because it is smaller, you play in teams of six instead of 10. I prefer indoor lacrosse because there is more technique involved. It really is about finding the little gaps.’
What is the World Cup like and how do you prepare for it?
‘It is the first time that the Netherlands is taking part in an indoor lacrosse World Cup. Twenty national teams are taking part. We have three coaches, two of whom come from America. One of them is a native American, and that is where the sport originates from. During the tournament, you play a match every day for a week. That is incredibly tough. At the moment we are training twice a month with the Dutch team in Utrecht. We also play regular matches. The next three months are all about preparing for the World Cup. I have three training schedules: one for the sports school, another one for wall ball – in which you hit the ball against the wall to practice throwing – and one for running. You need that, because it is non-stop action in indoor lacrosse; the ball is never still.’