For the U16 girls and U16 boys, the tournament was their first significant experience in the national team environment. Accordingly, the pure results were only of limited importance: it was much more about gaining individual experience in international field hockey, developing an understanding of the game on the big pitch and having the courage to make mistakes in order to learn from them.

The U16 girls were able to record a win against St. Andrew’s (2:1), but were narrowly defeated in the other games (including against SV Böblingen and HC Pijnacker). They ultimately finished in 10th place. Head of Junior Competitive Sports Mathias Schaeben summed up:

“It was our first joint appearance as the U16 national team. Even though Switzerland was rarely able to win, we were able to filter out many positive things that should be carried forward. At the same time, it became clear that we still need to improve significantly in order to be successful internationally.”

The U16 Boys also showed phases of strong field hockey, as the clear victory against Westlake Boys (5:0) and the success against Zoetermeer (2:0) proved. However, they had to learn the hard way against more experienced international teams and finished the tournament in 7th place. Schaeben emphasized:

“The boys have shown their potential time and again. Now we need to continue to bring them together and strengthen them as a community. Nothing is given to you internationally – a key development step for the boys.”

For the U18 girls, the tournament was a mixed bag: after draws against HDM (0-0) and Pretoria (0-0) and wins over VMHC (2-0) and Coleraine (2-1), they were beaten by Hampstead & Westminster (0-3) and Pretoria again (0-1). Due to the European Club Cup taking place at the same time, the team had to do without some key players, which meant that the squad was significantly rejuvenated. Schaeben explained:

“Despite the results, the progress in various areas should be emphasized. The team was comparatively young with a number of U16 players. The necessary developments that need to be made before the European Championships in Glasgow are clearly defined.” Particularly pleasing: goalkeeper Flurina Lussmann received the “Best Goalie” award for her outstanding performance. In the end, the U18 girls finished in 6th place.

The U18 Boys presented themselves as a well-rehearsed and determined team. With victories over Como Secondary College (5:0), Auckland Grammar (4:1), HDM (3:1) and HC Houten (8:0) as well as against Hampstead & Westminster (3:2), they reached the final with aplomb. After a 3-3 draw against Epson, they clearly won the penalty shoot-out 3-0 – and thus deservedly secured the tournament victory. Schaeben was very satisfied:

“With the boys, you can see the continuous work of Thierry Grandchamp and his team. By winning the tournament, the team has been able to make its first mark. Many routines are already well-rehearsed, and if the development continues like this, I’m very confident that they can play a successful European Championship in Alanya.”

The Easter tournament in The Hague provided the perfect platform for our national youth teams: For the U16 teams it meant their first important steps on the international stage, for the U18 teams it was a test of endurance and a valuable assessment on the way to the European Championships. Across all age groups, the focus was on experience, development and team building.

Many thanks go to the coaching teams, the coaches and the tournament organizers who made this important experience possible. The Hague was another milestone for Swiss Hockey on the road to a successful future in international country field hockey.