It took four and a half months, but last week Felice Albers (25) rejoined the Orange selection. After the summer, it was still uncertain whether she could continue her career at all, but now the Amsterdam midfielder is pain-free again. ‘You can’t make me happier,’ she said.
‘I love nothing more than field hockey, so recent times have been tough,’ Albers begins her story. ‘My structure and rhythm fell away,’ she adds. ‘The past few months have been tough. There were bright spots. Her friends supported her and she had time for her own jewelry brand. She spent a lot of time with family and lectured about her Games. There she played her last game. The Olympic final. Since then, she trained her ass off, but without her teammates. Six times a week she toiled in the gym. Due to an uncertain injury. It wasn’t until she visited a specialist in London that she gained confidence. The world’s best player of 2022 would be fine.
For the first time with the new group
‘I enjoyed it again immensely,’ Albers says, a day after she returned from her week with the Dutch team. She boarded the plane again last week, but this time the destination was a lot more positive. She went on an internship in Valencia with the Orange training group. ‘You’re afraid you’ll miss a lot of things. But it felt like I hadn’t been away. I liked the vibe in the group and am happy with the new staff.’
Albers’ return to Spain. Photo: Instagram Felice Albers
Because she hadn’t really met new national coach Raoul Ehren yet. Leading up to the training camp, the first few training sessions also fell into (frozen) water due to the cold. ‘Was I finally allowed to train with the team again, it didn’t happen,’ she was disappointed at the time. But the first training came anyway. Still on Dutch soil, just before leaving for Valencia. And she liked it. ‘Raoul has a lot of field hockey content. He really wants to make us better. I like that.’ The group was also different from the selection she was on the field with in August. Ehren added a lot of youngsters to the training group. ‘I felt the fun and drive with the young girls. I think the transition was very easy for them. They fit well into the group. I enjoy seeing them at work.’
Return with two goals against Spain
The Orange also played two practice games in the Spanish city. Albers was still in the final build-up phase of her recovery, so the first game with Ireland (7-0 win) passed her by. Like a bouncy ball, she watched from the stands, knowing that a day later she would finally get to play again. The Dutch won the second game 9-1 against Spain and Albers scored two goals. A successful one-two with Pien Dicke and a – of course – devastating backhand.
‘I enjoyed it so much. And all without pain,’ she says. For a moment she laughs. ‘Is muscle pain also pain? Because when I woke up a day later, I forgot for a moment what that felt like.’
‘I really stood there like the old Felice again,’ she looks back on the match. ‘Still said to Raoul that I felt eager and relaxed. That was a while ago.’ For some soreness in her knee, Albers had had it for longer than the past few months. ‘I really had a lot of fun last week. Like before. I really feel like a blessed person.
Felice Albers. Photo: Willem Vernes
When asked what she missed most, a list comes to mind. She talks about the fun between practices at practice, the shooting on goal and the fierceness. The Orange passion. ‘Those things can’t be replicated in normal life. I enjoy everyone’s winner’s mentality.’
The right balance
The enthusiasm rings through the phone. ‘I have confidence in my body again. My anxiety is gone. ‘I’ve found balance. I’m not going to do things differently, but I know what to do in the gym. My rehab period is over, but I keep visiting the physio. Moreover, I have accepted that such things are part of top sport.’
The Orange will train in the Netherlands for the next few weeks, then leave for India in mid-February for four Pro League matches. ‘Then it feels round, or so. A kind of final step. Then I’m really back,’ she says. In March, she will finally rejoin her club Amsterdam, where she has recently been little more than a loyal supporter. ‘I’m going to do most of the meters though, I have some making up to do,’ she laughs.
by Hockey.nl
