Shot. Were Di. And of course the great HC Tilburg. Since last month HC Polaris can be added to this list. The newest field hockey club from Tilburg operates under the flag of the Hockey Foundation and was co-founded by former international Marcel Koeton.
‘May I fantasize a very small bit out loud?’ asks Koeton at the end of the interview. ‘In 2032 there are Olympics right? It’s still very far away. But how great would it be if we had a player – or players – from Polaris sitting with the Orange. It really could if we continue to grow in the coming years. I hope the kids who play with us make their field hockey dreams come true.
The former goalkeeper himself has succeeded quite well in that regard. Slightly older readers know him as one of the best goalies of his generation. In the zero’s, Koeton was a figurehead of TMHC Tilburg, which at the time played at the top of the big league. He was a reserve goalkeeper at the 2007 European Championship, which he won, and played his only international game shortly thereafter. Nowadays, he is the goalie for Push’s veterans and – more importantly in this story – he is one of the three founders of Polaris, the youngest club in the country.
55 kids with interest
The brand new club was created in a few months. It all started with the Hockey Foundation, the organization that wants to make our sport more accessible to a large target group. They do this by working with existing clubs and establishing new associations. They called – after surveying the neighborhood – Bas van Zundert, a coach who has been around for years in the Tilburg field hockey world, to ask if he saw support for a new Foundation project in the Brabant city.
‘Well, Bas did see that,’ Koeton responded. ‘We are former teammates and have been friends for years. We thought it would be wonderful to offer field hockey to more children and we are now doing that in cooperation with the municipality, the Foundation and the sports marketing school SPECO that is here in Tilburg. With them we visit schools and after-school clubs. That generated a lot of enthusiasm, which we also see reflected in the concrete interest.’
Indeed, they are going like clockwork at Polaris. As many as 55 children – mostly girls – have already signed up as interested. ‘We expect eighty percent of them to be able to start as early as September.’ Nine kids are even already playing competition, under the banner of nearby Berkel Enschot. ‘Their help has been crucial. That team doesn’t play at the club, but on the Cruyff Court in Tilburg-Noord, an atypical field hockey neighborhood. That is now our home base. The kids train there too. Every Wednesday and Saturday, two enthusiastic trainers lug field hockey equipment there. For the short term, this is a nice solution.’
A nice initiative. But one that deserves some nuance, according to Koeton. I would like to emphasize that we do not want to steal any members from other clubs. Ab-so-lutely not. I think we can bring something different that traditional clubs can’t. There are a hundred good intentions there about making a club approachable and accessible. But in practice, people who have no affinity for field hockey barely come in. It is a world unto itself. And that’s exactly where an opportunity lies, for a club like Polaris.
Polaris is not a traditional club
Because Polaris is not a traditional club like HC Tilburg and Were Di. ‘We are more like field hockey clubs like Feyenoord or Noorderlicht. With us you see less girls with blond ponytails. Many children have parents with a migrant background. As a result, new children with the same background are quicker to join.’
With increasing enthusiasm, the challenges are also piling up. After all, next season the first Polaris intake will have to advance to the Under-9. ‘And the Cruyff Court isn’t big enough for that. We are talking with the municipality about an artificial turf field that now belongs to the amateur branch of soccer club Willem II, which we would like to rent. That’s how we’re trying to move forward. If everything goes well, we will play our first game next season as Polaris. In our own, new white and purple jersey, which was chosen by the children themselves. Thanks to them, we also came up with the club name. They are, of course, the stars of Tilburg-North. As you may know, Polaris is a well-known star in the north.’
Growing to three hundred members
On the horizon where their own star shines brightly, the board of the Tilburgers has set a dot. In five years, they want Polaris to grow to three hundred members. ‘Preferably with its own clubhouse and fields we can always access. With its own club culture and club life. But still in a place where children can easily get to. That they can reach by bike without any problems. Because that also contributes to making a field hockey club more accessible.’
‘And should there be a veterans team at Polaris in the future? Then I’ll be there.’
by Hockey.nl
