If you are a sports insider, you know that if you want a serious professional, you should hire a Dutch player. They are 100 per cent focused, always keen on target. Don’t forget about Gullit.
So, when a few days ago, we hosted the girls from HBS Craeyenhout, a field hockey team from The Hague, we were a bit concerned. These girls, playing in their national league, came here to work hard. And indeed, they had the no-fuss, no-frills approach. The scheduled times were sharp to the minute, training sessions were hard, even for 20-year old girls. And, of course, the game was a serious affair. They beat our national team for 7–0. But, the following day, we took them to walk for a while in the old streets of Lisbon to experience our city life. We are nice people, and the girls started to relax, and to smile a lot. Then we took them on a Sit way tour – a tour on a Segway’s vehicle with adapted seats. The day was sunny, people were waving in a friendly way. The girls were happy, some of them couldn’t even stop laughing.
Mission accomplished.