In this interview you can read more about the experiences of Slamstox hockey star Alice Roeper as a student-athlete in America! Alice has been playing hockey her whole life and made the transition to James Madison University a few months ago. A beautiful university on the outskirts of the state of Virginia, where she combines college field hockey with a study. Knowing more? You read it below!
Let’s start at the beginning, would you like to introduce yourself?
I’m Alice Roeper, 18 years old, and I currently live in Harrisonburg, Virginia. I study Marketing here at James Madison University, and also play Division 1 Field Hockey. I’m from Delft and thanks to Slamstox I was able to start this cool adventure last year.
Can you briefly tell us about your sports history?
I really come from a hockey family and have been playing hockey all my life. From an early age I wanted to reach the highest level to become a real ‘hockey star’. I started at Hockey Club Hudito in Delft, and then made the transition to Hockey Club HGC in the C-tjes. I went to school in The Hague, to Segbroek College, and also played in the top sports selection team there. I also played in the Dutch under 15 team for a while. At HGC I have always played in the selection teams and I have been able to play a lot with Ladies 1 especially my last year.
When did you decide you wanted to play hockey and study in America?
During the Lockdown of 2020 I started looking at studies and universities in the Netherlands. Nothing really appealed to me and I had no idea what I wanted, I had actually already decided to take a gap year to travel, but found this difficult because I wanted to keep playing hockey. I then found out that it was possible to play hockey and study in America because a number of girls I knew also started doing this. I immediately thought it was a super cool idea and knew it was something for me. When Slamstox approached me, I called them and I was immediately sold. The idea of combining high level hockey with study and also traveling all over America was really a dream for me. I quickly started the process afterwards and have not regretted it for a second!
Was it a difficult decision and what was the decisive reason for you to do it?
During the process, I was terrified of leaving my whole life here in the Netherlands and missing my family and friends to move so far away. I knew I wanted it, but in the back of my mind I still had my family and the loss I was going to experience. I called many coaches and universities, but when I called JMU, I immediately felt at home. I immediately had a very good connection with the coaches, they involved my parents very much and were just genuinely lovely people. The hockey, culture and university also appealed to me, and when they made an offer I just knew this was the place for me. The warmth and enthusiasm that the coaches and teammates exuded were really the deciding factor for me.
You are now part of James Madison University as a freshman, how did you experience the first months?
Every time someone asks me this, I jokingly say it’s like the movies. But actually I really experienced it as if I lived in a movie. The number of times I’ve said “Omg it’s just like the movies” here is really bizarre. Living in America is already a thing here, with things like Target and Chick fil’a and stuff. But studying in America is so much bigger. Taking classes on a large campus, with the logo of the University everywhere, and living in Dorms is something you just don’t experience in the Netherlands. And then also sports, which is much bigger here than in the Netherlands. As a student-athlete you are really treated like a professional athlete, the sports culture is unprecedented. Going to football games, playing games all over America, all the gear you get, getting trained in all areas,
What was your reason for choosing JMU?
As I said, my connection with the coaches was really the deciding factor in choosing the university. This is also the advice I always give to other girls in the process, to just follow your gut and choose where you feel most at home. That’s why it was also important for me to talk to some girls from the team, to see how I matched them in terms of personality. The university, location, academics, etc. are also very important, of course, but if you don’t feel comfortable with the coaches and the team, it’s not going to work.
What is the biggest difference in America compared to the Netherlands in terms of school and study?
The first year of study is very general here, you follow “General Education” subjects, which can really differ greatly. It reminds me a bit of high school, because I take subjects such as math, English, economics and history. Personally, I really enjoyed the first semester, because I hadn’t made a choice of study yet. I chose different subjects to see what I liked in order to discover which study I wanted to do. I found out that I find business and communication very interesting, and I started looking at studies in that direction. That is how I came to Marketing (with a minor in Communication) and I don’t think I would have known that this was the study for me if I had studied in the Netherlands.
Another big difference with the Netherlands is the high performance culture. Everyone is aiming for straight A’s here, which basically just comes down to nines and tens. So when I got a 7 for a test in the beginning, I was very happy with it (because of the sixes culture we have in the Netherlands), but my Academic Advisor scolded me haha.
Can you tell us a bit more about your team and coach?
My team consisted of no less than 29 girls during the season, seven of which were internationals (from the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany). So it is a very large team compared to Dutch teams that usually consist of 19 players. They are all super nice and sweet girls, who have become my best friends in a short time. The mentality of the team is really very focused and motivated. Everyone works super hard every day to get better at hockey (think of strength training, condition, hockey skills, strategy, etc.)
My coach is a real American. She is a wonderfully sweet woman with a great sense of humor and a lot of hockey experience. She knows exactly how to get the best out of the team. I think what makes her different from other coaches is that she really sees us as her family, she wants the best for all of us and that is clearly reflected in her coaching style.
What was the best away game of last season and can you tell us something more about it? For example, did you make a super cool trip or something?
We traveled a lot during the season, but I think our trip to California really stands out for me. It was a super cool experience to fly to the other side of America with the whole team to play hockey there for a week. We played three games (against UC Davis, Stanford and Berkeley) and also visited some touristy things (Alcatraz, Golden Gate Bridge). On trips like that you really notice how special it is to be a student-athlete. But home games are my favourite; the spectators, music and tailgate with the parents after the game creates such a special atmosphere.
Have you already made some nice trips on your days off? If so, what was the best?
I’ve also seen a lot of America outside of hockey. I’ve been to Michigan, Washington, Philadelphia, and New York City this year. In Michigan, I experienced a typical American Thanksgiving with my roommate and her family. This was super fun and very cool to be able to experience such an important holiday up close, really a piece of American culture. I visited New York City in Spring Break with two teammates, where I felt like a movie star.
What is your favorite American restaurant?
I’m a fan of Panera because it’s one of the few healthy fast food options here. The bread also comes close to the bread we are used to in the Netherlands, something very special in America, because the bread here usually tastes like a dry slice of cake, I think.
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