Indian women’s hockey team set to have a new mental conditioning coach, confirms coach Janneke Schopman

“I have worked with Peter Haberl for a long time in the past, he is a sports psychologist who lives in the USA but he is from Austria,” Schopman told The Indian Express in the mixed zone after India’s win against Thailand in their first match of the tournament.

Schopman, who was with the USA hockey team before her stint in India, has worked with Haberl in the past and is hoping to utilise his inputs as the team plays the Olympic qualifiers in Ranchi in January.

“He is very well known in the female team sports circuit. He has worked with US water polo, US rugby, and he has worked with me in the USA hockey set up as well,” Schopman said. “He is a big believer in mindfulness. I am super thankful for Hockey India to make it happen.

The Olympic qualifiers are in Ranchi and I needed him to be here to see what is happening during the games and what we can learn as individuals as well as a team. I need him to absorb as much information as he can in the next couple of days to make the next step. The intent is that he will be here a couple of times like mental coach (Paddy Upton) is coming in and out (for the men’s team) and it’s a similar arrangement.”

While Upton had joined Craig Fulton’s set up with the men’s team that won gold in Hangzhou and confirmed their Olympic qualification, Schopman had earlier told the Indian Express that she hoped to have similar assistance.

“I have asked for assistance too, but unfortunately, it didn’t materialise,” Schopman had said in Delhi after the team’s return from Hangzhou. “What I’ve come to realise is that I can help them to a certain extent.”

“That was maybe my enlightening moment after the semifinal. Not only for the players, but maybe also for me. Unfortunately, it wasn’t able to happen before the tournament. The federation is aware of it, they are very supportive. I would have liked to see it happen earlier. I said it would be beneficial from the start of the year. I hope they understand that as with the men, that can make a difference.”

Haberl, a licensed psychologist, who hails from Colorado Springs in USA, has worked at nine Olympic Games with medal-winning athletes and teams. A retired professional ice hockey player himself, Haberl stared the U.S. Women’s Ice Hockey Team as a Sports Psychology Consultant from 1996 to 2006. He was appointed Sport Psychologist of the U.S. Olympic Committee from 2001 to 2005 and Senior Sport Psychologist of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee from 2005 to 2023.

HI president Dilip Tirkey said, “We have secured his services to best equip the Indian Women’s Hockey Team to perform without any inhibitions and I am sure that this step will help the team immensely in the future.”

Haberl – who is expected to join the Indian team on Saturday – said, “The Indian Women’s Hockey Team has been on the rise in the last few years and being brought in to help the team take the final step to stardom is an exciting proposition. I am fully committed to helping the team be one of the best Women’s Hockey Teams around and am willing to help in any way possible to make this a reality.”

Schopman also mentioned on Friday that, in the first half against Thailand, her players felt the nerves of playing on such an important occasion at home but showed what the team is capable of doing after half time as they played with much better control. India defeated Thailand 7-1 in the opener and face Malaysia in the second match on Saturday. They have tougher tests lined up against China, Japan and Korea – all three potential contenders for the title in Ranchi.