Nice and 'Coetzee'

Imagine for a second that Brazilian soccer star Ronaldo got fed up with everyone in his home country calling him "O Gordo" (that's "fat" in Portuguese), promptly retired from soccer and joined the IU men's soccer team as a coach. Wouldn't that be crazy? Wouldn't IU coach Mike Freitag be jumping for joy like a little kid on Christmas morning?\nThat's kind of how IU field hockey coach Amy Robertson is feeling these days after coaxing one of the top strikers in the world, former South African field hockey star Pietie Coetzee, to join her staff this season. And Coetzee isn't even considered big-boned.\nDuring her nine-year career on the South African National Team, Coetzee played in two Olympic Games (2000 in Sydney and 2004 in Athens), was named South Africa Hockey Association's player of the year twice (1998 and 2002) and was the top goal-scorer at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and the 2003 World Cup in Australia.\nAfter reading her resume, it becomes obvious Coetzee, 27, knows a thing or two about putting the ball in the net. In 196 international contests, she racked up 198 goals. She's like Wayne Gretzky on turf. \nNow her job is to help the Hoosiers play at the same level.\n"To have someone that's current in the game and one of the best strikers in the world is invaluable to our team," Robertson said. "I think this is something that will not only impact us immediately, but for years to come."\nThough Coetzee only arrived in Bloomington last week, junior forward Kate O'Connell said her influence is already being felt in practice. \n"The level of today's practice was so high. I think she is going to help us so much," O'Connell said. "She's an amazing field hockey player. She's the best player in the world."\nSo why would a top national player leave the country where she made her name for Bloomington?\n"I needed a new experience," Coetzee said, "a change of scenery from what I was doing at home. Amy and I have been in contact for the last 10 years or so, and I've always wanted to do it."\nRobertson first met Coetzee at a tournament in Atlanta when the striker was 17 years old. She tried for years to recruit Coetzee as a player but didn't have the pleasure of sharing the sideline with her until last weekend.\n"She's a very calm person, and she sees the game very well," Robertson said. "Having her on the sideline actually gives me a lot of confidence."\nCoetzee said she will draw from her experiences as a player when coaching the Hoosiers this season.\n"I'm much closer to being in the shoes of a player because I only gave up playing internationally last year," she said. "I think like them. I know what they're looking for."\nThe addition of Coetzee is another big boost to a field hockey program on the rise at IU. Last year, the Hoosiers made their first NCAA tournament appearance, reaching the Elite Eight. This year, they've jumped to a 5-1 start and are currently ranked No. 14.\nCoetzee said she has been impressed with the teamwork exhibited by the Hoosiers. "In South Africa, people have a lot more skill as individuals -- much like Brazil in soccer," she said. "They're not as team-oriented."\nCoetzee hopes to bring some of that individual scoring flare to the Hoosiers. \n"What this game has taught me has been immense," she said. "What I am is what hockey has given me."\nNow, it's her turn to give back.