Who is Field Hockey Superstar, Ellen Hoog?

Ellen Hoog is one of the best hockey players the Netherlands has ever produced. She is considered one of the best female players, as she has not only inspired her teams to win many games through her goals, she has also won medals with those teams.

At 119 pounds and just over 5ft, she is physically athletic and many would say, has also become renowned for her beauty. Hoog retired from the Netherlands national hockey team in 2016, and from the Amsterdamsche hockey and bandy clubs in 2017.

Ellen Hoog's Personal life

Although she is one of the most celebrated field hockey players, she doesn’t reveal much about her personal life, so we had to dig deep. Born in March 1986 in Overveen in the Netherlands, Ellen started playing hockey at the tender age of 7 at SCHC, joining the national team in 2004.

Hoog made her debut in Argentina during the Champions Trophy. Her higher education was at the University of Amsterdam where she studied media and information management. In 2017 she married Kelvin de Lang in Tuscany, with their daughter Bowie Me joining the family in 2019.

Who was Hoogs role model in field hockey?

Contrary to what most people would expect, her role model is a man who has also been influential in the field of sports: Lionel Messi.

Messi has also been a top scorer, although on the soccer field. Like her role model, she has also become a source of inspiration to many people across the globe.

What was Ellen Hoogs pre-game rituals?

Hoog had some practices she engaged in before the beginning of each game. She believed that these rituals helped enhance her chances of having a good game and even winning. Firstly, she started by putting on the right shin guard first then proceeding to the left.

The second ritual is something she did with her fellow teammates. They watched The Notebook movie, generally before they had a final match or a big game.

What about her hobbies?

The ex-professional player is known to her friends as Ellie or just El. She loves cooking and shopping when she wasn’t playing. During her free time, she spends time with her family, watches movies, and hangs out with her friends. She also enjoyed modeling but not as much as she loved playing hockey.

What are some of Ellen's achievements?

Ellen Hoog made some great strides in the field hockey industry and had an enviable career.

She represented the Netherlands in different tournaments ranging from the Olympics to European championships. Hoog was part of the Olympic Netherlands women hockey team in Beijing in 2008, London in 2012 as well as Rio de Janeiro in 2016. In 2008, she won a gold medal during the Olympics, something that happened again 4 years later in 2012. In 2016 they still gave an amazing performance and ended up winning the silver medal.

In 2006, she was part of the team that went to the world cup in Madrid, where they were runners-up. This was followed by another world cup attendance in 2010 and again in 2014 at The Hague. Apart from these accolades, she has also played in different European championship games such as the tournament held in Dublin in 2005 and Manchester in 2007. Along with Amstelveen in 2009, Gladbach in 2011, Boom, Belgium in 2013, and London in 2015. While in 2010 they won a trophy for being runners-up. Her team was also awarded trophies for being in third place in 2009 and 2014.

On an individual level, Hoog took the winning shot during the 2012 Summer Olympics in New Zealand and again during the 2016 Summer Olympics.

The ex-forward player played over 120 international matches and scored over 30 goals. In addition to these, she was named the International Hockey Federation Player of the Year in 2014.

Hoog has also released a number of books (in Dutch), one being In Perfect Condition, where she gives exercise and healthy eating tips. The book is a good resource for people who want to keep fit without going to the gym because it offers many workout options that can be done at home.

Did Ellen Hoog face some challenges in her profession?

The star field hockey player had a fair share of challenges, starting with the death of her father in 2005 when she was just 18. This happened just one week after she had won the European championship and left her with heavy emotional scars to overcome.

Although he had been diagnosed with cancer, he had promised her he would attend her first big tournament. He kept that promise by going to the European Championships in Dublin.

Her team is also known for their bonny looks as well as their brilliant skills especially in areas outside Holland. This was seen in the online poll that voted them the most beautiful team before the 2012 Olympics. Although this was perceived as sexist by most people, to the player it wasn’t “a big deal”. She took it positively and expressed that even though most people first noticed their looks, they still appreciate them when they start playing and displaying their skills on the field.

Confidence is another challenge Hoog faced, especially when it came to posing in bikinis. She expressed these doubts after winning the London Olympics championship in 2012 when they were asked to pose in bikinis for a Sports Illustrated shoot.

Injuries are a common part of the hockey game and Hoog wasn’t spared when it came to those. She suffered physical injuries such as a broken nose and broken ankles of which she suffered two of each. Despite this, she understood that hockey is a dangerous game at the highest level, without much protective gear, however she still loved it.