‘India need to develop junior talent more specifically’: Janneke Schopmann

The head coach of women's team sat down with HT to talk about the team's fluctuating fortunes, the need for role-specific players coming through the jr setup

This is not a fun tournament to play, Janneke Schopman says with a smile. Going by the emotional rollercoaster of the Indian team's first couple of days at the FIH Women’s Hockey Olympic Qualifiers in Ranchi (3-1 win against New Zealand after losing to lower-ranked USA 0-1), it's evident why.

The two games here almost epitomise the fluctuations between this Indian team’s quality on a good day and struggles on a bad one (PTI)

Taking a breather from the tournament where India's 2024 Paris Olympics berth is on the line and where “we’re playing a final every day now", the Indian head coach sat down with HT to talk about the team's fluctuating fortunes, the need for role-specific players coming through the junior setup to help with options in the senior team and dealing with outside noise and pressure around her decisions and selection calls. Excerpts from an interview:

The two games here almost epitomise the fluctuations between this Indian team’s quality on a good day and struggles on a bad one. In your three years with India now, have you seen any progress in bridging that gap?

Yeah, we’re looking for consistency. I think there’s progress in the sense that in the Asian Games when we didn’t show up in the semi-finals (4-0 loss to China), we just didn’t show up. People were absent. I think that didn’t happen against the US. We were there, but we struggled finding the right solutions and too many players just didn’t get to the quality that I’m used to. So, for us, it is about learning to deal with these different situations, where people look at us now and we’re not the underdog. People expect us to win, and not go, 'Well, if we win great, and if we lose it’s very much possible'. That’s the journey we’re on, and yesterday (Sunday) is a testament to our growth.

You take something from every game. And unfortunately, sometimes, you have to lose to win. The (2023) Asian Champions Trophy (unbeaten India won gold) was really good for us. But at the same time, you never lose a game, you’re never behind. In that respect, it doesn’t help to overcome adversity either.

This is a young team probably going through a transition, which can be tricky to handle. How do you look at this phase?

For me, it’s been great to work with Eric (Wonink, coach of junior women's team from 2017-2023) in the past. I've been heavily involved with the previous Junior World Cup (2022) and its preparation (India were 4th). You see a lot of players of that Junior World Cup team in this team. They're very good hockey players, but they don’t know that. They haven’t experienced so much, and they have to get that.

Is there enough talent coming through from the bottom up, in terms of specific positions, which can in turn give you enough options for each role, like dragflickers and strikers?

If I’m completely honest, I do think that with the recent injuries and stuff that we’ve been having, it’s a little bit tight. In terms of what is going on in the junior setup, we have lots of talent. It’s just about developing them more specifically. Whether it’s on dragflick, defensive skills, etc. Because then you know that when an experienced player retires, the next one is ready to go. I do think there are 4-5 players in the juniors right now that I think can join our team.

And when is the right time to develop them more specifically according to positions?

It’s when they’re in the system. Deepika, who I pulled up quite early last year, is a good example. And it was struggle for her, because she came up and then didn’t play much and wasn’t selected for the bigger tournaments. It’s only now, from last June onwards, that she's made it. Just being in our environment, learning and training from our senior players does develop them and give them a platform to be better. But they also have to play. So, I was happy that she played in the (2023) Junior Asia Cup and took the responsibility there. Same goes with someone like Vaishnavi (Phalke) and Jyoti Chhatri.

You seem to have a lot of conviction as coach — whether in the kind of hockey you want the team to play, the ideas you’ve brought in, or some selection calls you’ve taken...

I’m a strong believer in development and growth. And I enjoy working with this team because the girls are willing to look at themselves, be better, be vulnerable at times. That comes with falling and getting up, and doing that again. Yes I have ideas, but for me it’s more important that the players buy into it. When I started out, it was really important for me to look at what they want. For example, against USA, the girls were going away from Indian hockey. That’s not just us. Sometimes we get away from it.

And how do you deal with the outside noise around your decisions and ideas?

You know, it’s been tough, I’ll be honest. At the same time, I care about what my players think and what my staff thinks. I try to not get too busy with what other people think. I don’t really look at social media a lot. I know what I’m doing. I know why I’m doing it. I have reasons for it. And what is important for me is that I can stay true to myself. Yes, there are decisions I have to make that I believe are the right ones. Maybe I make a mistake, and that is fine. As long as I don’t do what other people make me do, basically, and I don’t have regrets. I think there’s always a force. And I focus on ourselves, I focus on the girls, and not on the other people.

You speak of development but India hockey is looked at more through the prism of results, especially in the bigger tournaments. Do you feel the pressure when things don’t go your way there?

Of course. Look, sure it’s frustrating. I want to win also. I’m a competitor. But if I understand where we are in our journey and why we’re not winning, then I can live with that. Like against USA, it was difficult, because it wasn't true to who we are. In the (2022) World Cup (India were joint-9th), that was where we were in our journey at that point. I think that is my benchmark. And as coach, if we’re losing and I feel we should have been winning, I have to draw my own conclusions because then I am not doing my job right.

At the same time, if you talk about development, if Hockey India keeps developing the women’s side and investing like this, I strongly believe India can be among the top three in the world. Like the men. Yes, it may take 5-6 years more years probably to be that consistent and be there. But I do think you can.