University of Massachusets Athletics
Myrte Van Herwijnen: How Culture and Communication Allow The UMass Keeper To Thrive
October 31, 2024 | Field Hockey
How Culture and Communication Allow Myrte van Herwijnen to Thrive as UMass’ Goalkeeper
AMHERST, Mass. — Before Myrte van Herwijnen became a standout goalkeeper on the UMass Amherst field hockey team, earning accolade after accolade, her first challenge was overcoming the language barrier. Moving from Huizen, Netherlands, she had to quickly adjust to communicating in a new language while balancing academics and athletics. Additionally, she had to adapt not only to a new style of play on the pitch but also to an entirely different way of life.
Myrte explained that “being able to learn how to communicate properly with people from different cultures [that speak] different languages” was one of the most important things she had to learn during her first experience playing in the United States. Since communication is crucial for being a successful goalkeeper, mastering that skill was a necessary step before she could become one of the best in the country.
Coming from the Netherlands, Myrte is used to a very different communication style. “When I played back home, everyone was very harsh and direct,” she said. “That’s just something that stems from our culture.” That directness has worked to her advantage over her first three years at UMass though, as she excels with direct feedback.
My coach knows that if she wants me to get something done, she just needs to tell me straight.- Myrte van Herwijnen
Coach Barb Weinberg, a former USA field hockey National Team member and Olympian, has been instrumental in shaping Myrte's game. Weinberg praised Myrte’s skills, saying, “Her ground game is very good. Her tackling is very good.” However, the main focus of their work together has been “realizing that she can also make brilliant saves on her feet.”
Myrte's hard work has paid off, significantly contributing to the team's 13-4 record. With 263 career saves, 74 coming during the 2024 season, she has established herself as one of the elite goalkeepers in the nation. She has already earned numerous honors, including being named to the All-Atlantic 10 First Team in her freshman and sophomore years, and A-10 Goalkeeper of the Year as a sophomore. With 17 games under her belt this season, she’s on track to receive more awards. Myrte was already named A-10 Defensive Player of the Week for three consecutive weeks, and she leads the A-10 in shutouts. She also received national recognition, winning the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division I Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday, Oct. 8.
Despite her impressive performance, Myrte is quick to credit her teammates and coaches. When asked what allows her to play at such a high level, she said, “It is definitely a reflection of just the amazing team that I have behind me and my coaching staff.”
It is definitely a reflection of just the amazing team that I have behind me and my coaching staff.- Myrte van Herwijnen
Myrte has fully embraced the culture Coach Weinberg has instilled in the team. Communication and connection with teammates and coaches play a key role in both her individual and the team’s growth. “Each week I'll focus on new things,” Myrte said. “I feel like it's all falling together pretty well this year.”
Coach Weinberg emphasized that immersing Myrte and the other international players into a new culture has helped strengthen the team's chemistry. “You're with your teammates on the field, off the field, in the dorms, at the dining hall,” she said. “You're fully immersed in the NCAA [experience], and most of them really enjoy it.”
Developing team unity and building strong bonds between players has been central to the team’s success. “All I care about is the team,” Myrte echoed. “That’s what we have across the team this year—everyone feels like we want to do this for each other.”
Everyone feels like we want to do this for each other.- Myrte van Herwijnen
Building a cohesive team takes time, and when Coach Weinberg first took over the UMass field hockey program, cultivating team culture was one of her primary goals alongside winning Atlantic 10 championships and competing at the national level. “The team’s success has been built on a foundation of their culture, year by year, getting stronger and stronger,” she said. “That’s our big selling point. I think culture gives you the extra one percent to come out on top.”
Three years in, open communication has created what’s now a very strong bond between player and coach. Both Myrte and Coach Weinberg recalled their first meeting and how far they’ve come since then.
“I used to be a little bit of a hot-head,” Myrte joked, but Coach Weinberg “really helped me figure it out and how to control my emotions and really be a leader for all of the girls.”
Coincidentally, Coach Weinberg remembered that exact line from their first meeting. She recalled Myrte's “hot-headedness at times,” but expressed how impressed she is with Myrte's growth. “She’s done a good job taking feedback and really applying it.”
On top of her leadership skills, part of Myrte’s game that stands out to everyone is her athleticism in the net. Her ability to make saves that many other goalkeepers couldn’t is largely why she leads the A-10 in save percentage.
Coach Weinberg praised “her athleticism and her explosiveness. She's so quick to the ground. The distance she's able to cover laterally with her explosiveness is some of the best I've seen.” She also emphasized the importance of being an aggressive goalkeeper in today’s fast-paced, physical game, something that collegiate players like Myrte have had to adapt to after transitioning from high school or internationally.
“The playing style overall is a little bit different,” Myrte noted, specifically mentioning how she had never encountered six-on-six overtime periods before. But once again, she pointed to communication as the key to adapting to a new playstyle.
Outside of field hockey, Myrte's bond with her teammates is undeniable. “We are really serious on the field,” she said, attributing some of that mindset to her Dutch upbringing.
After that, she quickly changed her tone. Some of her favorite moments are their team nights. “We'll have team dinner, we'll have karaoke and bonfire nights,” she said with a smile. As a unit, the field hockey team is one. Win or loss, they share those emotions together. “All that matters is we stand here united and we don't lose connection with each other,” Myrte said.
All that matters is we stand here united and we don't lose connection with each other.- Myrte van Herwijnen
With just one game left in the regular season, Myrte, Coach Weinberg, and the rest of the team are gearing up for the A-10 Tournament, aiming to claim the championship for the first time since 2016. Confidence is high, and Myrte is excited to enter the final stretch of the season with her teammates.
“That feeling of all being together, all sharing that hype—that's one of the best moments you’ll always remember.”
