Van Ass began his tenure with the Oranjevrouwen in September 2022, as successor to interim national coach Jamilon Mülders. Under Van Ass’ leadership, the Dutch team confirmed its status as the undisputed number one in the world rankings, with attacking and often eye-catching hockey.
With Van Ass at the helm, the Dutch team won the 2022-2023 FIH Pro League and also won the European title in Mönchengladbach in the summer of 2023. The 2023-2024 Pro League also fell prey to a dominant Dutch team, which crowned its supremacy with the Olympic title in Paris at the beginning of this month . Under Van Ass, the Dutch team won 45 of its 48 international matches, often with a huge difference in goals.
‘The past two years I have enjoyed being the national coach of a great and ambitious group of hockey players,’ Van Ass said in the press release of the KNHB. ‘The journey we have made was special and it is great that we were able to crown that collaboration with a beautiful gold medal in Paris. But now it is time to look ahead. I feel that I do not want to embark on a four-year adventure now, towards the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.’
Fun and joy of play
Van Ass became national coach after an extremely turbulent period within the Dutch national team, where the performance climate had taken on unhealthy forms. His main mission was to continue building on the safe sports climate that had been created by his predecessor Jamilon Mülders .
‘Paul has not only changed the playing style but also the mutual connection’, explains Clarinda Sinnige, technical director of the KNHB. ‘The fun and joy of playing on the field that the team radiated over the past two years have been visible signs of that. In his own unique way, Paul has brought the team closer together and inspired them. The players and the KNHB are extremely grateful to him for that.’
by Hockey.nl
