EuroHockey Institute Podcast – Marieke Dijkstra: managing transition

Marieke Dijkstra is this month’s EuroHockey Institute Podcast guest, speaking to Jack Rolfe about her diverse and fascinating career in coaching.

Following an international indoor and outdoor career, captaining the Dutch side to a first World Cup title on the boards in 2007. She then repeated the trick in 2015 as coach.

Around that, she has been something of a game-changer. She made her way into the Hoofdklasse as a rare female coach of a men’s side, breaking past initial resistance to make her mark with promotion with Voordaan. Since then, she has had numerous key roles, salvaging a rough season for SV Kampong’s women at short notice, working with Pinoké’s rising stars to working with the Dutch senior men’s setup for the past two years.

She tells Jack about those experiences and how it has shaped her thinking, particularly when taking on the top job with Den Bosch dames side in transition after a decade under Raoul Ehren, landing a Dutch championship in 2022 and then, leading them to the Euro Hockey League at Easter this year.

A fascinating chat, have a listen here!