The Netherlands: De Baat feels at home in Kampong: ‘Exactly The Past Time’

Since she was 11 years old, she wore the Amsterdam sweater. For the past eight years she has been in the main class in the red and black of the capital. But now Noor de Baat (24) is wearing the blue and white from Kampong. And that fits her well: with a smile and a direct goal in her pocket, she celebrated her first prize this weekend in Utrecht and won the ABN AMRO tournament.

When goalkeeper Babette Backers stopped the efforts of SCHC Striker Pien Dicke in the shoot-out series, the Klapperboom exploded. All Kampong players ran to their keeper, flew into each other’s arms and shared the first hugs and medals of the season. At their own field, Kampong had won the preparation tournament of the big league, at the expense of the regional rival in an attractive final, where the score was 3-3 after sixty minutes.

In the midst of the festivities, the benefit, which seems to have found her feet in her first weeks in Utrecht and who rewarded that Sunday afternoon with the third goal. She has to laugh when she is asked about it. “I also did not fully expect it to go so fast,” she says on the edge of the field in the sun -drenched grandstands. “Everything was new. I knew some girls, but that was it. However, it really took some getting used to.

Ready for the news after thirteen years

Over the past thirteen years, De Baat for the club from the capital. There she became national champion twice, three times European Club champion and once national indoor champion. In the meantime, she went through all youth selections and became world champion with the Dutch Junior, Junior Hall and Junior 5S. But the step in the direction of the big orange did not come, except for two Pro League matches with a Dutch B-selection determination.

And perhaps for that reason the midfielder decided to make the switch to Utrecht. Although it was not your own search – Kampong approached her last winter – the moment turned out to be just right. Time for new steps. “At first I thought: no, I’m not going to do that. But the longer I thought about it, the more logical it became, “she says. The benefit was not the only one who left Amsterdam. No fewer than nine players. But the Exodus had no influence on her choice, she says. ‘Of course you knew it was rumbling. That things were going on. But after eight years in Amsterdam I thought this could be a nice step. In Kampong I had a good feeling of the first interview. ‘

With all those prizes in his pocket, the benefit could just as well have stayed with an established top club. Because although Kampong has made the Play -Offs in the past, the team has not yet succeeded in becoming a member of the classic top three of Den Bosch, SCHC and Amsterdam. Yet De Baat did not see her moving like a step back. “That was not for me. The only stumbling block was the travel time. First I jumped on my bike to train, now I’m in the car. But I can take new steps here, so I absolutely don’t see it as a relegation. ‘

Noor de Baat. Photo: Ewout Pahud

More freedom than at Amsterdam

Those new steps are especially visible in her game. In Kampong, De Baat gets the room to play more freely and more attacking field hockey. “I feel looser here. I make more often at the front and sometimes even end up in the circle. That gives me energy. At Amsterdam I had a more fixed role, here I can vary and also develop personally. ‘

Moreover, her experience is appreciated. ‘I have experienced the play -offs, won titles and some experience in the top of the big league. At Kampong they ask me to think tactically and to give my input. That is fun to do, especially in a team that is experienced more. ‘

The move to Utrecht comes with high ambitions. Last season Kampong just missed the play-offs, mainly by playing too many draws. This year must be different. ‘Our goal is clear: make the play -offs. That means that we actually have to win every game. Also to the top clubs, “says De Baat. And that is just a bit different than she was used to. “We are a bit more the underdog, but that’s nice too.”

Photo: Ewout Pahud

The support of her parents

With a first prize in her pocket, a smile on her face and a clear ambition for the rest of the season, the move to Kampong is already a success for De Baat. The midfielder feels at home in Utrecht, plays with more freedom and is looking forward to the new challenges.

“It’s a new start. I am happy that I made this choice. This is exactly the right time. And how we play now, I fully support that, “she assures. And some things remain the same. The benefit still wears a large, white hair band and her parents are every game. “But now they shout very loudly Kampong, instead of Amsterdam,” she laughs.