As fans, we often think of athletes as superheroes — capable of amazing feats and withstanding unlimited amounts of pressure and expectations. For British field hockey goalie, Maddie Hinch, these expectations caused her to step away from the game that she had reached the pinnacle of in 2016 when she backstopped Great Britain to a gold medal in Rio.
Hinch was not just on the team in 2016 but played the hero when the gold-medal game against the Netherlands went to a penalty shootout. Hinch saved all four of the Netherland’s shots and was hailed as one of the primary reasons Great Britain came home with the gold.
Hinch’s superstardom continued as she continued her run as one of the world’s best goalkeepers, winning the International Field Hockey Federation’s goalkeeper of the year award in 2016, 2017 and 2018. While Hinch was seeming invincible and playing the best field hockey of her career, those expectations began to wear on her.
"I felt like I had to be a superhuman every time I stepped on the pitch and only perfect would work. I've never been perfect. I always let in bad goals leading into the Olympics.” Hinch said in an interview with Team Great Britain’s press, “All that got forgotten because of the medal. They were the demons I was fighting, those highs and lows and it's been tough.”
Hinch would step away from the international team in 2018 as she needed time to work on getting back in the frame of mind to play. While she continued to play professionally, the Great Britain field hockey team was going through a lot of changes. When Hinch returned to international competition in 2019, she found a much different program.
When Hinch stepped into the goal during the 2016 run, she had been a debuting Olympian on an experienced team, now she will be one of just seven returning players from that team tasked with mentoring nine players making their first Olympics appearances. The team also went through a coaching change in 2018. With a young and inexperienced team, Great Britain goes into these Olympics ranked sixth in the world.
More than the team being different Maddie Hinch will be entering the Olympics as a new person, too. Hinch has a whole new perspective on career and field hockey after missing the game during her time away.
“I constantly remind myself that the reason I'm there is that I just love stopping hockey balls,” Hinch said about her reinvigorated love for the game. Field hockey had seemed like a constant pressure but is now again a passion. Hinch says this new perspective also makes her appreciate the opportunity to compete at the Olympics once again.
"Now I value the opportunity of being at the Games so much more. As a youngster, you're constantly ticking boxes and chasing something and you miss the importance of being at an Olympics,” Hinch said, “You never sit back and take it all in. Now, I've been through so much, and I'm just so looking forward to having this opportunity to do it again.”