A wood medal. That’s what captain Boukje Vermeulen and her teammates obtained in late Might after profitable the European Championship ultimate with the Dutch girls 50+. “I’m positive that was meant to be sturdy,” she says with a wink, “nevertheless it was somewhat disappointing. Luckily, what counts is the consequence: gold. Within the ultimate, England was defeated 2-1.
It was Vermeulen’s seventh participation in a Masters match. Six occasions she gained gold, as soon as silver. And no, you don’t get used to that. ‘As quickly as you stand there, you solely need one factor: to win. That outdated fanaticism simply comes again to the floor.’
In Valencia, the group performed six matches in ten days, in temperatures effectively above 30 levels. Not everybody appreciated it immediately. ‘After the primary match we thought: how on earth are we going to maintain this up? We had educated collectively a number of occasions, however there have been no set patterns. And since we didn’t play on the similar stage, typically we didn’t assume the identical manner. However in such a match you develop nearer to one another.
The ‘golden’ girls Masters 50+
No protein bars
Preparation for the match started as early as September. Coaching classes had been organized, open classes introduced through Instagram and gamers snared from their very own community. ‘Typically it’s important to disappoint folks. Typically you might be already glad that everybody is match. However ultimately there was a group. After which as soon as the match began, the fanaticism in everybody got here out. All of us wish to win and cross boundaries, at the same time as a gaggle. The perfect should play, or the most effective combos. For some it’s a disappointment in the event that they play much less because of this. Then conversations come up about that.’
So the match was robust, but in addition relaxed. The group stayed in flats close to the ocean, organized by the group itself. In between they labored, swam or visited town. It’s not a camp journey, nevertheless it’s not a prime sport both. We all know from expertise when you need to or shouldn’t drink wine, however we don’t go on protein bars and vitality gels. We organized an orange drink in the course of the week. As a result of our group was closest to the seashore, the opposite two groups from the Netherlands (males 45+ and 50+) joined us. Very cozy. That manner we additionally acquired to know one another higher. That made it additional enjoyable to cheer one another on the next days.’
The latter was badly wanted on the finish of the match. The Dutch girls fell behind 0-1 early within the ultimate. Solely within the fourth quarter did the sport flip round. It turned 2-1, after which a busy ultimate section adopted: ‘We acquired a few questionable penalty corners within the ultimate seconds. When the whistle blew, there was largely reduction. We had finished it once more.
The identical went for the lads 50+, who gained the gold towards England through shoot-outs. The lads 45+ got here to bronze. From the group little was organized, however after dinner we went with the three groups to a seashore membership. There we had a pleasant get together collectively. However not too loopy. The following day we had been on the aircraft at six within the morning. A couple of hours later I already had my first work assembly’.
The orange males Masters 50+ additionally celebrated due to their first place after shoot-outs.
Like mom, like sons
On Sunday, Vermeulen, a former main league participant with Rotterdam, nonetheless performs within the 30+ at her outdated membership. She is 55, her opponents typically twenty years youthful. ‘Then, in fact, I get handed by all of the younger deer. On the 50+ I really feel I can nonetheless do one thing and I additionally get to be again at my acquainted publish, as center-mid, as a substitute of a line behind.’
At house, they adopted the match at an applicable distance. Vermeulen’s sons and Rotterdam gamers Pepijn and Timme van der Heijden sometimes despatched an app. ‘No less than they weren’t in a house app group with 380 folks wherein I gave a before-and-after evaluate day-after-day,’ she jokes. ‘However they did bravely ask the way it went. And particularly: how does the washer work once more?
