The International Hockey Federation (FIH) is proud to announce that Janneke Schopman of the Netherlands and Graham Reid of Australia have been named the FIH Women’s Team and Men’s Team Coaches of the Year 2021-22, respectively.
Coaches of the year
Janneke Schopman was given the difficult job of emulating India’s achievement at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, when they came up just short of a bronze medal. The Dutch coach has been a member of the Indian setup since joining the squad in January 2020 as an analytical coach, but the promotion to head coach post would put him under intense scrutiny.
Janneke Schopman
Women’s Team Coach of the Year
| Raoul Ehren | Adrian Lock | Jamilon Mülders | Katrina Powell | Janneke Schopman | |
| Experts (40%) | 3.6 | 0 | 14.6 | 10.9 | 10.9 |
| Fans (20%) | 2 | 1 | 3.9 | 2.3 | 10.8 |
| Media (20%) | 3.9 | 0.5 | 3.4 | 2.7 | 9.5 |
| Teams (20%) | 1.7 | 1.4 | 6.3 | 3.6 | 7 |
| Total | 11.2 | 2.9 | 28.2 | 19.5 | 38.2 |
Rani Rampal, India’s star player, was injured for the most of the 2021-22 season, making Janneke’s task more difficult since India didn’t have Rampal for the FIH Hockey Pro League, FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup, or Commonwealth Games. Schopman’s success, however, was also due in large part to her leadership in building a team that was better than the sum of its members. During her time in office, several key actors have emerged as leaders in their fields.
Schopman led the Indian squad to a third-place finish in its first FIH Hockey Pro League season (2021–2022), which included victories against Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and the eventual winners Argentina (by shootout). Their ability to both hold the fort when necessary and pounce on scoring chances was the most stunning part of their play. India’s shootout victory against Argentina was particularly remarkable given that the Argentines had only lost six points all season.
The Indian squad, buoyed by their performance in the Pro League, headed to the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup in Spain and the Netherlands in 2022, where they ultimately finished in ninth place. After the World Cup ended, they wasted no time in moving on to the Commonwealth Games, where they won’t be facing any of the teams who upset them. India’s dedication paid off as they eventually converted their good play into goals and concluded their campaign with a podium finish for the first time in 16 years, beating New Zealand in the Bronze medal match by shootout.
The daring hockey they play is a direct result of Schopman’s coaching, which has helped each player become his or her personal best. The players constantly credit Janneke for helping them believe in themselves, and they play each game with the intention of making both their nation and Janneke proud. This was evident in their jubilation over winning the bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Since taking over as head coach of the Indian men’s hockey team in April 2019, Graham Reid has been instrumental in the team’s rapid improvement. The Indian hockey team has always been regarded as a thrilling team to watch, but by its own lofty standards, it has suffered a long medal drought at major competitions.
Many of India’s recent achievements may be attributed to Reid, including the country’s first Olympic medal in 41 years, a bronze in the Tokyo Games in 2021. While it did not medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games held in Gold Coast, Australia, India did win silver there in 2022.
After competing in the FIH Hockey Pro League for the first time in 2021-22, India finished in third place, behind the Netherlands and Belgium, where it belonged. During the Pro League, India was an exciting team to watch since they seemed to score at will. The 62 goals scored by Reid’s squad throughout the course of the season are the most by any side in the Pro League, not only this season but ever.
That Reid has been able to assist India cultivate such a large pool of talent and that he has shown so much faith in them is shown by the fact that 36 players were rostered for India’s FIH Hockey Pro League season 3 side. Reid was also the head coach of the Indian men’s hockey team that went undefeated and won the first-ever Hero FIH Hockey5s Lausanne 2022 tournament.
Graham Reid
Men’s Team Coach of the Year
| Jeroen Delmee | Garreth Ewing | Graham Reid | Frédéric Soyez | Michel van den Heuvel | |
| Experts (40%) | 14.5 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 0 | 3.7 |
| Fans (20%) | 3.6 | 1.4 | 5.4 | 1.3 | 8.3 |
| Media (20%) | 3.5 | 1.5 | 8.2 | 1.3 | 5.7 |
| Teams (20%) | 5.3 | 3.3 | 6.9 | 2 | 2.6 |
| Total | 26.9 | 17.1 | 31.4 | 4.6 | 20.2 |
Reid continues to play a pivotal role as India strives to usher in a new era of sustained success in hockey, the sport that has brought about its greatest Olympic success (8 gold, 1 silver, and 3 bronze medals), by getting the most out of each member of his team and helping to shape the careers of future generations.
