FARMVILLE, Va. – Longwood University freshman field hockey forward Kim Ruiter|Huizen, The Netherlands (Luzac College) is this week’s Longwood Female Athlete of the Week. She scored the squad’s lone goal in the Lancers’ NorPac Tournament quarterfinal match against California on November 1. Ruiter finished her rookie season with seven goals and three assists for 17 total points.
Question and Answer Session with Kim Ruiter and Abby Pendleton
AP: What sparked your interest in playing field hockey?
KR: My mom played field hockey so I did too. I was six when I started. I was always really enthusiastic about it. The first day I played, I was in love with it.
AP: What has been one of your proudest moments playing field hockey?
KR: Last year, my team was third in the Netherlands and we had a really young team. I was the oldest player and the rest were about sixteen years old. We didn’t expect to get as far as we did, but because of the hard work and positivity we accomplished a big thing.
AP: Do you have any role models?
KR: Willemijn Bos, she plays on the Dutch Olympic Team and was my coach two years ago. She has always supported me and is a really great hockey player. This year at the Olympics, she was injured the first day and had to go home and couldn’t play anymore. She should be recovered soon and ready to play hockey again.
AP: What are your post-graduate plans?
KR: I am going to play field hockey in the Netherlands and my dream is to play for the Dutch National Team. First, though, I want to go back to my old club and want to be on the first team in the Netherlands. With my degree I want to start my own business.
AP: Why Longwood?
KR: Last year there was a Belgian girl on the team and I spoke with her a lot. She gave me a really good feeling about going to Longwood. Also, the coaches and players are all so nice and the school itself is so nice.
AP: Had you been to the United States before coming to Longwood?
KR: Yes, I’ve been to New York to go shopping. The first time I came to America was with my grandfather. We went to Nashville and did the Elvis Tour. It was a really great experience, especially with my grandfather. America left a really nice impression on me.
AP: Is it different playing field hockey here than back home?
KR: I really struggled the first couple weeks because it’s a completely different game. In the Netherlands, we have a different strategy and are very technical. We use a lot of skill and fancy hockey. Here it is very straightforward and we run a lot. We always play forward, never keeping the ball back. It’s always scoring and going. I loved the game before I came here, but since I’ve played at Longwood I fell in love with the game even more.
AP: Is it difficult going to school so far away from home?
KR: I really miss my family, friends and my team. But, here I have a really great team that is supporting me and my coach is great. Life is so busy here that you don’t think about it as much because life goes so fast. You always have something to do here to keep you busy.
AP: Do you have any advice for an aspiring field hockey player?
KR: If you really want something, make it happen. Just do it. We all want things and I think if you really want it, you can accomplish it.
