The Fanatic Magazine - A student-run sports magazine for the UVA fanatic

You Can Call Her Inge

Written by Eric Kolenich

Monday, 20 November 2006

Image courtesy of virginiasports.com

Say this one five times fast - Inge Kaars-Sijpesteijn. She’s a sophomore midfielder on the Virginia field hockey team and the key to the offensive firepower Virginia brings to the field. On top of that, she has one of the most interesting backgrounds of all Virginia athletes. In hopes of keeping this article under 10 pages, we’ll stick with calling her “Inge” (pronounced ING-guh).
    Inge’s contribution to the Cavaliers this season was nothing short of outstanding. Her presence was felt all over the field. Inge was second on the team with 14 goals (freshman Traci Ragukas had 15) and first in saves with 79 (Rugukas came in second with 43).
    “She’s a competitor,” Virginia coach Michele Madison said. “Nothing’s ever good enough for her game.”
    Well, Inge’s hard work has paid off.
    The Cavaliers made it to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2001 this past season, claiming victory against Iowa in the first round before losing to Wake Forest.
    Her personal accolades have already begun to stack up. For her efforts this season, she was named to the All-ACC tournament team and the All-South Regional team.
    “The players rank themselves after every game and she gives herself the lowest score on the team,” Madison said. “She’s always trying to get better and always working to improve.”
    Despite the success Inge has had this season, her story doesn’t end there.
    Like a handful of Virginia athletes, Inge comes to the University from Europe. Though her name might suggest that she comes from Crozet or Bluefield, in fact, she comes all the way from the Netherlands.
    After carefully studying a globe, the most obvious question, “Where is the Netherlands?” can be answered. The next question that comes to mind takes a little more investigation. “They have field hockey in the Netherlands?”
    Absolutely.
    Dutchfieldhockey.com happens to be the biggest craze on Google.
    “It’s pretty big,” Inge said. “It’s one of the biggest sports in Netherlands.”
    Outside the United States, men’s field hockey is actually quite prevalent and is an Olympic event. In the years before women’s field hockey became an Olympic event, Netherlands dominated the field.
    Inge played in a club system in the Netherlands before being recruited to play in the United States. But her story still doesn’t end there. Virginia never actually pursued Inge in the Europe.
    She was in contact with Kent State, Boston College, and Michigan State. But Michigan State was the school that pushed hardest to recruit Inge. After discussing the situation with other Dutch players competing in the US, and hearing how well it worked out for them, she committed to Michigan State where she met Michele Madison.
    But a year after she arrived at Michigan State, Madison was offered the job to coach at Virginia.
    “Madison went here in January, and she is the best coach I’ve ever had,” Inge said. “I wanted to stay for another year at Michigan State, but she left. So I went on a visit and went with her.

“Madison went here in January, and she is the best coach I’ve ever had,” Inge said. “I wanted to stay for another year at Michigan State, but she left. So I went on a visit and went with her. Quotation

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    Madison’s impact on the squad has already been felt in just one season with the Cavaliers’ dramatic improvement in 2006. But what is it that makes Michele Madison so great that Inge would follow her across the country?
    “Mentally, she’s so positive,” Inge said. “I was kind of down in Holland when I was playing. When I came to Michigan State, I had so much fun again. She made me believe in myself and made me mentally stronger.”
    After switching countries, switching schools was no arduous task. Even though Inge had to adapt to the new offense Madison brought to Virginia’s players and coaches, and even though she had to step in to a new team, she still fit right in.
    “I came to summer school and the girls were really nice to me and I was just one of them already,” Inge said. “It was pretty easy.”
    With the way Inge has played this season, there’s no reason why her teammates shouldn’t respect her. In almost no time, Inge stepped in to a leadership role on the field.
    “She earns a lot of respect from her teammates because she is mentally tough and mentally determined,” Madison said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a practice, a drill, or a game. She always wants to do well—she always wants to win.”
    Inge says her relation with Madison has only gotten closer since their arrival at Virginia. She credits Madison with providing the confidence in her that allowed her to perform at her full potential.
    “If you believe you can do more, you really can do more,” Inge said.

“If you believe you can do more, you really can do more,” Inge said. Quotation

   Virginia fans are equally happy that Inge is here at the University. With Madison behind her, Inge and the Cavaliers took a No. 10 ranking and a 13-7 record in to the NCAA tournament.
    With only one year in Madison’s tenure and Inge’s two years of eligibility remaining, the Cavaliers have plenty of time to build on their powerful program. To add to the excitement, Inge’s complement on the field, midfielder Traci Ragukas, has three more years of eligibility.
    No matter how tough Inge is on the field, Madison says she’s the complete opposite off the field.
    “Off the field she’s much more laid back, Madison said. “When she came to me as a player she never smiled. She looked mad at the world. On the field, she’s just a whole different person.” Madison characterized her on-the-field demeanor most vividly when she said Inge “is just a pure competitor that goes for the jugular and doesn’t ever stop.”
    In the meantime, as the semester wraps up and Charlottesville finds itself immersed in winter, Inge will get a better chance to experience University life in Virginia and a little more time to find out what it means to be an American student.