Valencia, February 2025. In the middle of his tenth season in Cartouche Men’s 1, Matthijs van Aken (30) decides to quit during their team trip. A choice prompted by communication differences between coach Robbert Paul Aalbregt and the central defender. ‘I would have liked to continue, but how the staff dealt with me is not neat.’
Van Aken once started playing field hockey at Spijkenisse, but as a ten-year-old he followed in the footsteps of his older sisters Elselieke and Bernice. They would later play in the big league for HGC and Klein Zwitserland, but played in youth for Rotterdam. So just like the youngest of the family. He made it to the South Holland team and was briefly part of the Dutch shadow team. Yet Rotterdam Men’s 1 proved just too high.
‘I was on the list for a year, but made my playing minutes with Men’s 2. Sonja Thomann then became coach of Cartouche and asked if I wanted to play there as well. Immediately it felt like a warm bath. It was a super nice group consisting mainly of students, where serious field hockey and laughter were combined. Thursday nights we went out, but Sundays we were there.
Earlier this season Timo Goor already told us about this team that now plays together again, but in Men’s 4. ‘It was a talented batch that also included Jochem Blok and Jasper Siebert as youngsters. They came over from Rotterdam in the same year as me.’ Van Aken experienced the sporting highlight with much of this squad in 2019. ‘Then we played playoffs for a spot in the big league against Tilburg. I had been in Brazil for six months that season for my studies, but because of an injury to Steven Doorman I was suddenly allowed to play those games in the center of defense. A crazy experience.
Cartouche made it to the playoffs for a premier league ticket in the 2018-2019 season. Photo: Orange Pictures / Herman Dingler.
Almost national champion
Cartouche narrowly missed out on promotion at the time. Still, Van Aken was close to a national championship. A year earlier he played the final for the title. It was lost to Amsterdam, also the best in the Netherlands in 2025. The few weeks before such a denouement and of course the matches themselves are the best memories I have. Also the play-outs, which I played later. You live in such a bubble with each other. All the focus is on field hockey, with 22 men with whom you work intensively all year long towards something’.
Of the strong lineup back then, only Sven Westendorp and Joost Meijer remain, in addition to, until recently, Van Aken himself, of course. His role has thus changed over the years. ‘If you are in a team longer, you automatically become one of the leaders. You guard the atmosphere. Are you also helping younger guys.’
Van Aken has been one of the leaders at Cartouche in recent years. Photo: Monique Duran
‘A few weeks before the restart of the league I had a conversation with Robbert Paul. He indicated that he also wanted to give young players the chance to play at center back. Fair enough, I said, I had already indicated I was quitting at the end of the season. I understand that kind of choice and was eager to compete for that position and help the young guys. But in the weeks that followed, I didn’t get that chance to fight for my spot and wasn’t involved in anything. I had to stay home at a practice match and felt that the choice had already been made. In Valencia, for me it was full stop. I didn’t feel part of the team and wasn’t told anything. And this while choices were being made about me. Fine if I play less or on a different position, but at least communicate about it.’
Van Aken tells it over a month after he made his decision, without a charge of frustration in his voice.’The team reacted super. Everyone understood. Even the young guys with whom I hadn’t talked about the friction with the staff yet. Also the club handled it nicely. In that respect I have absolutely no aftertaste. But after so many years in Men’s 1, I think it is a shame that it ends this way. There were so many more opportunities to end it well. I would have liked to continue, but not this way.
In response to Van Aken’s words, Aalbregt is brief but powerful. ‘I don’t recognize myself in this at all. It is unfortunate for Matthijs that he has experienced it this way, but there have been several conversations with him in which we have shared our ideas with him, both before and after the winter break.’
Empty agenda
At the end of this season, Van Aken would be saying goodbye to the first team anyway. Something the staff and his teammates also knew about. ‘It might make it a little easier for me to accept what happened in my last weeks. I didn’t regret it for a second. The Monday after the team trip I did have a crazy feeling. Since I was ten years old, I had been training three times a week. Now my schedule was suddenly empty in the evenings. I was no longer in the group app. It felt like I fell into a hole.’
For the first two weeks after, Van Aken didn’t touch his stick. There was time for friends and reflection on the weeks before. But soon the blood crawled where it can’t go. ‘I’m going to play with Men’s 2. I know the team and they can use me.’ He has already encouraged his old team, too. ‘At the home game against HCAS I just stood along the line. Ede-out was a bit too far for me, but I will definitely keep following them.’ Uncomfortable towards the staff is not for me. No more uncomfortable than in the weeks leading up to my decision to quit.’
by Hockey.nl
