With a combination of clever psychology, ironclad focus and a good dose of preparation, goalkeeper Olivier Smeets led Orange Boys Under 16 to third place at the 8 Nations tournament in Houten on Saturday. In a nerve-wracking shoot-out series against Belgium, the Pinoké goalkeeper kept his cool. Behind that heroic role is a young goalkeeper who has almost made shoot-outs a science.
‘The most important thing in shoot-outs is that you get inside the player’s head,’ Smeets says with a big smile as the medal dangles around his neck.
Where other goalies use their water bottle as a cheat sheet with information about the shoot-out players, Smeets chose a different strategy: disinformation. ‘On my water bottle it said nothing special, a little bla bla,’ he laughs. ‘But they thought: oh shit, he knows something about me. And then they start doubting. So that works.’
The mental game was not a trick, but part of a conscious strategy during Smeets’ shoot-outs. ‘You can play with the way you come out. Aggressive one time, then calm and then fierce again, for example. You have to throw them off balance, that they think: what is he going to do?
Goalkeeper Olivier Smeets in action during the shoot-outs series against Belgium during the 8 Nations in Houten. Photo: Willem Vernes
Strategy perfectly expressed
In the battle for bronze against Belgium, everything came together. The tension was palpable all the way to the stands, but Smeets remained stoic. At the first Belgian attempt, he came out aggressively. He caused a penalty ball that he then stopped. He also stood his ground on the fifth Belgian attempt, which could have killed the Orange. In the sudden-death that followed, Smeets defused two Belgian match points. Leading 6-7 for the Dutch, he again emerged victorious from the one-on-one duel, securing the bronze medal for the Orange boys.
According to national coach Sjoerd Wolters, Smeets is an outspoken perfectionist. ‘He wants to get everything right down to the last detail,’ he says. What also makes Smeets special is his mental strength and flair. ‘He is serious, but also a bit of a showman,’ Wolters says, referring to the water bottle Smeets used to play the mental game.
That mix of sharpness and bravura fits perfectly with the character of the Amsterdam region, where Smeets comes from, according to the national coach: assertive, confident and not afraid to stand out. And you can see that in his play during the shoot-outs. He is not a wait-and-see goalkeeper, but one who takes initiative and dares to take risks. Exactly when it matters. You win with guts,” Wolters had told him beforehand. And he did.
Olivier Smeets cheers after winning bronze during the 8 Nations at the expense of Belgium. Photo: Willem Vernes
Making hours
Smeets pays a lot of attention to the part that is becoming increasingly important in field hockey. The ‘big’ Orange played a total of sixteen games last season in the Pro League, seven of which were decided by shoot-outs.
‘In the weeks before the tournament, I spent at least five to six hours on it,’ he says. ‘Watching back footage of myself, of other goalkeepers, of Pro League games. Then I ask my goalkeeper trainers: what do you think about this? That’s how you learn the most.’
He also works intensively on shoot-outs at training sessions. ‘First we do a lot of theory: if a player does this, what do you do? Then we practice endlessly. Sometimes even against the Under 18 players, just to experience as many situations as possible.’
That experience pays off was evident during this tournament. For Smeets, the bronze match of the 8 Nations tournament was already the fifth shoot-out series in his young career. ‘Mentally I am in good shape. I know of myself that I can do it. When the moment comes, I’m ready.’
Improve
And now, with a medal around his neck and a reputation as a “shoot-out king” in the making, he automatically raises the bar for himself. ‘I want to keep improving myself,’ he says. ‘I don’t look at one specific goalkeeper, but rather a lot of different ones.’ That way, he tries to take something away from each goalkeeper, further perfecting his own style.
Olivier Smeets and his Orange JU16 teammates celebrate the bronze medal during the 8 Nations in Houten. Photo: Willem Vernes
by Hockey.nl
