In the past, Jorge Nolte (50) was at the helm of Klein Switzerland. Since November he has been the national coach of “Big” Switzerland. Although you can hardly say it that way, because the entire Swiss field hockey population has almost as many field hockey players as the club of The Hague. On Sunday, Nolte starts his first major test as a national coach: the European Championship for B -countries, in Poland.
“The difference in facilities between the big league and what I find here is year old.” It is Wednesday afternoon, four days before the start of the ‘Eurohockey Championship II’, when Nolte sounds on the phone as if he still can’t believe the world he got into. Fifteen minutes ago he was still on the training field in the Polish city of Gniezno, where Switzerland is looking for a stunt at the European Championship for Europe No. 9-16. It was the first training session of his team about Polish soil. Nolte looked around as if he had entered a parallel field hockey universe.
“They still set up the dugouts. Even the video tower is far from standard: this would be immediately rejected at every big league club. We only had thirty balls: we took them from Switzerland. The Polish balls that have been promised to us are still missing. My physiotherapist and team manager acted as Balmeisjes during training, run after every lost ball. ‘
No, Nolte did not sit exactly in the Field Hockey Hall of Fame of the Alpine Country. Switzerland, ranked no. 43 in the world, is the textbook example of a field hockey dwarf. The national women’s team played three times on the World Championship podium: in 1972 (seventh), 1974 (ninth) and 1976 (eighth). Then the team fell so deeply into the caves of international field hockey that it has been sentenced to Europe’s third level since the turn of the century. A fifth place in the 2024 qualifying tournament marked historical promotion to the European Championship of B Nations, a step below the level at which Dutch women have been dominating for years.
Jorge Nolte (top row, second from the left) with the European Championship Squad. Photo: Swiss hockey federation
It is my dream to become Spain’s national coach. But if I want to take that step, I need international experience. Jorge Nolte
What is a coach with 11 years of Major League experience at Veldhockey -Bolwerken such as Bloemendaal and Hurley suddenly doing in the Dugout of Switzerland? ‘Normally I would never do this so quickly. I am busy enough as it is. But a job as a national coach has always had a certain attraction for me. My dream has always been to become the national coach of Spain. I love the country, the food, the people. ‘
‘I think it would be great to move to Spain with my girlfriend and to take care of the Spanish ladies. I am also curious what I can get from the Belgian or German women. But if I want to take that step, I need international experience. So when Switzerland came my way, I thought: why not? This is the chance to gain that experience. ‘
It was Jaïr Levie, his former assistant at Klein Switzerland and now technical director of the Swiss Hockey Federation, who warned him of the vacancy. Then the ball was rolling. Of the 35 applicants from all over the world, he was selected for a shortlist of five. That was reduced to two. He was finally chosen. His appointment was officially announced last November.
Jorge Nolte as a coach of that other Switzerland: Little Switzerland. Photo: Koen Suyk
In seven months, Nolte saw his players only seven days
Full of wonder, but with respect, Nolte talks about the challenges that quickly came up as a national coach. The total number of field hockey players throughout Switzerland is no more than 2,000, even less than what a large club like Kampong already has in terms of members. The Federation Office, if you can completely call it, consists of little more than a small office in an apartment building. There is hardly any budget. To be able to play international matches, the players have to pay themselves: an annual contribution that, including flights and accommodation, quickly rises to a thousand euros.
In the first seven months after his appointment he was able to forget his selection. “I hardly saw my players. Between my appointment in November and the kick -off of the preparations for the European Championship three weeks ago, we only spent a total of seven days together. At the end of February we had an introductory weekend in Lucerne. On a Monday I went to group training in Switzerland. And at Pentecost they came to Leiden for four days. That was all. Only on July 4 did the actual EC preparation in Switzerland begin. But even last Tuesday, five days before the start of the tournament, we were still not complete. Because of work and studies I missed three more players. ‘
‘They are open to creative solutions’
When you hear Nolte talk about the mountains that he has to move, you immediately understand why the Swiss field hockey federation chose him. He is not the type of coach that is held hostage to limitations. When he discovered that the purchase of heart rate monitors was excluded, he let his players take the weekly ‘Yoyo’ test, a variant of the Shuttle Run, so that he could gain insight into their fitness.
He also found an answer to the problem of missing opponents for practice matches – “Not every country wants to come to Switzerland, because life here is extremely expensive. He simply organized a friendly match against Switzerland Boys U18.” I don’t think in limitations, but in possibilities. Fortunately the five employees of the competition are very flexible. They are open to creations. “”
Jorge Nolte sent Rotterdam in Safe Harbor in the play -offs in May. Photo: Willem Vernes
‘The sacrifices that these girls make are really huge. That’s why you know they are super motivated Jorge Nolte
Despite all the bumps on the road, Nolte is not worried about the dedication of his team. ‘The sacrifices that these girls make are really huge. That’s why you know they are super motivated. They don’t have a summer vacation because all their days off go to Veldhockey. They deserve nothing, it just costs them money. But they really want.
Despite a preparation of only three and a half weeks, Nolte sees many opportunities for his team, especially in a swimming pool with Wales, the Czech Republic and Lithuania. He is well at home in forging a fighting machine in such a short period. He recently put that trick in the Tulip main class. Only two weeks before the play -offs he joined the Rotterdam Women’s team After the sudden departure of Jordy van Waiting. Nevertheless, he led the team to Safe Harbor in the decisive matches against Nijmegen. He now subjects his Swiss women to the same emergency course in the Dutch Bravoure. Although it will not be easy as a promoter to stunt this European championship, he knows.
One happiness: relegation to the third level in Europe is not possible this time. The system will be drastically changed. In 2026, the EC will no longer have eight for a countries, but 12 participants. That is why this time the European Championship for B -countries is primarily a springboard for the most favorable starting position for the qualifying tournament for the European championship for a countries. A place in the semi -final can help. Nolte: ‘If we manage that, they can drive us through Poland in a golden carriage.
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