Hockey’s Transformers: Matthias Witthaus
HOCKEY’S TRANSFORMERS: MATTHIAS WITTHAUS
The Quadruple Olympian on honesty, Gold Medals and coaching a club’s transformation.
Matthias Witthaus, with 364 caps, is the most capped German player of all time. He broke into the German squad as a 16-year-old, competed in a staggering four Olympic Games, and walked away from two of them with Golds. He also has two World Cup gold medals.
Now as the Sports Director and Coach at the Hamburg Polo Club he has taken the Men’s First Team from Division 4 to the Bundesliga. We caught up with him to talk about his remarkable hockey career, the game-changing power of honesty, and how the sport and his club have transformed over the last few decades.
You’ve had a long and celebrated hockey career. Where did it all start?
I have my dad to thank for introducing me to the game. My first hockey memory was of him taking me to the club where my brother played when I was 6 years old. Uhlenhorst Mülheim was one of the most successful clubs in Europe – winning the European Cup 9 times - so it was an inspiring environment to be in. I was part of one of the last generations to begin their careers playing on natural grass and was lucky to have one of the best youth coaches in Germany – Arndt Herzbruch, father of German international Timm Herzbruch. I owe much of my later success to him and to my family for giving me the best start as a player.
What attracted you to the game and kept you there for so long?
I was drawn to team sports and started soccer at around the same time as I started hockey. But hockey had something special about it. The people and atmosphere were more inviting and the values of the game – discipline, respect, teamwork - struck a chord with me. It quickly became my passion. I am now able to pass that love of the game and its values onto my daughters who have just begun to play. Being part of the hockey family is a special thing.
You are the youngest ever player in the German National Team. What was it like coming into that squad as a 16-year-old?
I was actually invited to join the first team when I was only 15 years old but my youth coach at the time wouldn’t let me go!
We had a big U21 tournament which we ended up winning and the following year I was invited back into the Men’s First Team for the European Cup in Italy. We won and I became the youngest player to score for my country. It was an incredible feeling.
But being so young had its challenges. Balancing playing and school was interesting. After winning the 2002 Hockey World Cup in Malaysia we had a huge party and then I had exams the following day! I also had a lot to prove when I arrived into that squad. I had to earn the respect of the older players and it was a steep learning curve. They didn’t go easy on me but it definitely helped me to develop and improve as a player.
You’ve played in four Olympic Games. What did it take to go from 5th place in Sydney to Gold in Beijing?
It was a long and tough journey!
In 1999 we won the European Cup against the Netherlands with a very young squad. I was the youngest player but two other players were only 17. We arrived in Sydney as favourites but we lost our last group game to GB. We were absolutely heart-broken.
In 2004 we went into the Athens Games as European and World Cup champions and had our sights set on Gold but the best we could do was Bronze. It was a medal but it was the wrong colour.
Those failures helped to set us up for success in Beijing. 2008 was the last chance for lots of the players in our squad so the pressure was on. The world was watching and there wasn’t any room for ego or selfishness. We had to work as a team. I remember the meeting where things changed, like it was yesterday. We agreed that we needed to be completely open and honest in our communication and what followed was a fundamental shift within our team culture. That meeting was so tough because it was so honest but it was also the difference between Bronze and Gold at an Olympic Games.
You retired as the most capped German player of all time after London 2012. How did you make the transition to coaching?
I always knew I would retire after the 2012 Olympics. I already had my Olympic Gold medal from 2008 and winning in London was the icing on the cake. I kept playing in the Bundesliga for the next two years but I had a degree in sport science and I wanted to try something else. This led to a stint in an advertising agency which was very interesting and a good experience because ultimately, it taught me what I didn’t want to do.
Hamburg Polo Club then contacted me about a coaching role. They had an ambitious vision to move from the 4th to the 1st Division and it was an exciting challenge. It involved a 700km move but it was an easy leap for me to go back to my passion; this time in a player-coach capacity.
How would you describe your coaching philosophy?
The single most important rule of team success is communication. So that’s what sits at the heart of my coaching style. I try to foster an environment where we live by our values, we are honest and I set the example for my team. I’m not from the harsh old school brand of coaching, but I am not a modern ‘laptop trainer’ either. I sit somewhere in the middle. I believe in hard work. Players need discipline, commitment and boundaries but also the freedom to make their own decisions.
How did you take Hamburg Polo Club from a Division 4 side to the Bundesliga?
The first change we needed to make was mental. Transforming an historic but struggling club that was primarily a social institution, to a club with a winning mentality involved a big culture change and it takes time.
Raising the standard of the Men’s First Team also involved bringing in some new players, including my brother who was already playing in the Bundesliga. I was player-coach and we also brought in a goal keeper from our Olympic squad. They saw and believed in what we were trying to achieve and the older guys have helped to bring the younger players through.
This also came with pressure as we became the team to beat! Maintaining that form consistently took work. We attracted some promising younger players into the club and we took a long-term view that wasn’t just about surviving for a season. Building the team has been special.
“The playing surface is very important… having a new pitch has made a huge difference to the club. It is a big part of our transformation.”
How has hockey evolved during your playing career and since?
The big difference is speed. This is due to the high fitness levels of the players and the arrival of artificial turf which transformed the style of play. 20 years ago, we just weren’t as fit. There was a lot of hitting and now the game is built around deflections. It is fast and short. And the skills are more 3D. As a coach you have to keep up and move with the times. Your own development doesn’t stop. I try to watch a lot of international hockey to learn new techniques and keep challenging my players to raise their game like the best teams.
You are the first club to have the Poligras turf that will be used at the Paris Olympics installed. How important is that to your club?
The playing surface is very important. For the last eight years, our players have been playing on a pitch that was very bouncy and the way of playing was so different because the pitch wasn’t up to standard. It stopped us training for penalty corners like I wanted to. So having a new pitch has made a huge difference to the club. It is a big part of our transformation.
The new Poligras surface is very, very good. We’re in the thick of the indoor season so we haven’t had a chance to play on it extensively yet but we have a lot of international players in our squad and it gives them a perfect chance to train on the Olympic turf. Its green credentials and reduced water technology is important for hockey and for the world. We’re proud to be part of the change.
Is there still room in the modern, professional game for the student-player that has historically served Germany so well?
I am seeing a lot of young talent come through in Germany and I actively seek those players out in my own club to help them grow and develop. We still have many student-players who have the right mentality – respect, dedication and a desire to be better. I am keen to nurture that, just as others did for me.