It was a special scene, right after the Orange women won the European Championship final against Germany. Yibbi Jansen was already gleaming with the prize for top scorer of the tournament in her hands, when she was unexpectedly called forward again. This time for the honorary title of best player of the European Championship. The 25-year-old penalty corner specialist swallowed, accepted the award and visibly emotional rejoined her teammates.
Just that second run, alone to the podium and back, made the moment fraught. Alone, apart from the tight-knit group, and in the full spotlight. That she would become top scorer was no longer a surprise after her hat trick against Spain in the semifinals. But she had not seen the personal selection as best player coming. In the aftermath of such a collective achievement, it felt more uncomfortable for her toward her teammates than honorable.
Visibly emotional, Yibbi Jansen looks for her teammates after the awards ceremony. Photo: Willem Vernes
‘It is sometimes difficult that I am in the full spotlight,’ she says candidly. ‘There are so many good girls on our team who show good and beautiful field hockey. They don’t always get the attention they deserve. Then it feels a little unfair and uncomfortable that I get the credit at such a moment right after the final. After all, we really do it as a team.’
Cocktail of feelings
A crying Jansen is a rarity. Not after a glorious victory with the Dutch national team, nor after a lost final at SCHC. But Sunday was different. All the tension of the nerve-racking final match against Germany – in which the Dutch defended a 2-1 lead with all their might – the frustration about her green and yellow card and the elated title celebration with her teammates. It formed a cocktail of emotions that could no longer be tucked away.
‘Sometimes it’s nice to let your emotions run wild,’ she says. ‘Indeed, that doesn’t happen to me very often. Sometimes I want to, but it just doesn’t come. Now the release came out. I was balking at my cards. The referees whistled very strictly. It gave a bad feeling, towards my teammates. I am overjoyed how the team handled that. The girls were also very sweet to me, didn’t blame me for anything and immediately said they would solve it for me.’
Yibbi Jansen goes to the side surprised after her second green – and thus a yellow card – against Germany. Photo: Willem Vernes
In the final, Jansen was only able to use her dreaded penalty corner twice – without a goal this time. But she saw with her own eyes how others made the difference. ‘When you see how, for example, Sanne [Koolen] and Renée [van Laarhoven] put it down at the back, how a Lisa Post keeps playing superbly in all kinds of different positions, how Xan [de Waard] led the way and took the team in tow, that is so incredibly valuable. I value this team so much and I want to show that as much as possible.’
Team above all
Conversely, the appreciation within the group will also be great. Because anyone who becomes top scorer at an international final tournament for the sixth time in a row (!) has unmistakably played himself among the greats of global women’s field hockey.
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by Hockey.nl
