Indiana University Athletics
Rother Staying Busy With Germany’s U-21 Team
4/6/2016 1:51:00 PM | Field Hockey
By Sam Beishuizen | Twitter
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Noëlle Rother is still getting used to the 10-hour plane rides that keep popping up on her schedule lately.
Last month, she spent a week and a half in Turkey to train with the U-21 German National Field Hockey Team. Saturday, she'll leave for a week-long trip to England for a pair of matches to help the national team tune up for November's World Cup.
In between, Indiana's sophomore goalkeeper is trying to balance her classes at IU and spring training with the Hoosiers without losing perspective of her playing opportunities overseas. All told, Rother said a couple of stressful weeks is a worthwhile price to represent Germany on a national stage.
"Obviously it's not easy to try to combine everything with training, travel, school and everything else, but we figured it out so far," Rother said. "Playing for your country, it's really rewarding."
Rother is no stranger to playing for Germany's Junior National Team. She helped her country to a second place finish in the 2014 U-21 European Championships and is on track to compete for Germany in U-21 Women's Junior World Cup in Chile running from late November to early December.
The only real issue is everything that leads up to it.
Rother and her National Team coaches knew what they'd be getting into when she opted to come to the United States to compete collegiately. If she wanted to continue training with the national team, she'd have to stay flexible out of season and perhaps even at the end of next season depending on how far along IU makes it in the postseason.
"Well worry about that much when we get there," Indiana head coach Amanda Janney said. "This happens every year whether it's an Olympic year or not. College players have to make a decision sometimes. They're dedicated to our team, but the national team is such an opportunity for them."
Although the possibility of both Indiana and Germany needing Rother at the same time is a problem, Janney said it's a good problem to have.
"It's an honor for us to have a player on the U-21 National Team that has the potential to go to the U-21 World Cup," she said. "We've got a good one."
For now, Rother's National Team schedule only conflicts with parts of Indiana's spring training.
In Turkey last month, Rother spent all of her time training with the national team as one of the two main keepers they're likely to use in the World Cup. Next week's trip will include some training but is mostly focused around a pair of games.
Rother will be under the watchful eyes of a coaching staff still trying to decide who they'll play the most at the Junior World Cup. After failing to get out of the Group Stage in 2013's World Cup on their home soil, Germany is looking for better results this time around.
"We're definitely expected to do better, so there's a little pressure," Rother said. "Up there, our goal is definitely to be a medalist."
That much is still in the distant future. For now, Rother said she's focused on the training and the games ahead.
Playing with the national team is invaluable, she said, because the level of competition is so much stronger than what she'd typically see in the United States. The international game tends to be more technical and quicker than what she's gotten used to seeing in Bloomington, too, but she said both styles complement the other.
"You learn a lot in both and it really does help," she said. "With Germany, you're playing the players you always fear, the forwards you hate to play against because they can score on you. It's such a high level. I love it."
This year's Junior World Cup is likely the last major event Rother will be able to play in before exhausting her junior eligibility, but she may soon have a future with the German Women's National Team.
The two lead goalies Germany is using in Olympic competition currently are nearing the ends of their respective playing careers, which could open up the door for Rother to one day play in the Olympics.
Playing in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo is a real possibility that Rother doesn't treat lightly. The Junior Team typically feeds into the Women's team, which makes performing well in trips like she's been going on even more important.
Given the opportunity, an extra plane trip to Tokyo doesn't sound all that burdensome.
"The current juniors are the prospects for Tokyo, for sure," Rother said. "We all have those visions. I know I'll have my chance to make the most of it."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Noëlle Rother is still getting used to the 10-hour plane rides that keep popping up on her schedule lately.
Last month, she spent a week and a half in Turkey to train with the U-21 German National Field Hockey Team. Saturday, she'll leave for a week-long trip to England for a pair of matches to help the national team tune up for November's World Cup.
In between, Indiana's sophomore goalkeeper is trying to balance her classes at IU and spring training with the Hoosiers without losing perspective of her playing opportunities overseas. All told, Rother said a couple of stressful weeks is a worthwhile price to represent Germany on a national stage.
"Obviously it's not easy to try to combine everything with training, travel, school and everything else, but we figured it out so far," Rother said. "Playing for your country, it's really rewarding."
Rother is no stranger to playing for Germany's Junior National Team. She helped her country to a second place finish in the 2014 U-21 European Championships and is on track to compete for Germany in U-21 Women's Junior World Cup in Chile running from late November to early December.
The only real issue is everything that leads up to it.
Rother and her National Team coaches knew what they'd be getting into when she opted to come to the United States to compete collegiately. If she wanted to continue training with the national team, she'd have to stay flexible out of season and perhaps even at the end of next season depending on how far along IU makes it in the postseason.
"Well worry about that much when we get there," Indiana head coach Amanda Janney said. "This happens every year whether it's an Olympic year or not. College players have to make a decision sometimes. They're dedicated to our team, but the national team is such an opportunity for them."
Although the possibility of both Indiana and Germany needing Rother at the same time is a problem, Janney said it's a good problem to have.
"It's an honor for us to have a player on the U-21 National Team that has the potential to go to the U-21 World Cup," she said. "We've got a good one."
For now, Rother's National Team schedule only conflicts with parts of Indiana's spring training.
In Turkey last month, Rother spent all of her time training with the national team as one of the two main keepers they're likely to use in the World Cup. Next week's trip will include some training but is mostly focused around a pair of games.
Rother will be under the watchful eyes of a coaching staff still trying to decide who they'll play the most at the Junior World Cup. After failing to get out of the Group Stage in 2013's World Cup on their home soil, Germany is looking for better results this time around.
"We're definitely expected to do better, so there's a little pressure," Rother said. "Up there, our goal is definitely to be a medalist."
That much is still in the distant future. For now, Rother said she's focused on the training and the games ahead.
Playing with the national team is invaluable, she said, because the level of competition is so much stronger than what she'd typically see in the United States. The international game tends to be more technical and quicker than what she's gotten used to seeing in Bloomington, too, but she said both styles complement the other.
"You learn a lot in both and it really does help," she said. "With Germany, you're playing the players you always fear, the forwards you hate to play against because they can score on you. It's such a high level. I love it."
This year's Junior World Cup is likely the last major event Rother will be able to play in before exhausting her junior eligibility, but she may soon have a future with the German Women's National Team.
The two lead goalies Germany is using in Olympic competition currently are nearing the ends of their respective playing careers, which could open up the door for Rother to one day play in the Olympics.
Playing in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo is a real possibility that Rother doesn't treat lightly. The Junior Team typically feeds into the Women's team, which makes performing well in trips like she's been going on even more important.
Given the opportunity, an extra plane trip to Tokyo doesn't sound all that burdensome.
"The current juniors are the prospects for Tokyo, for sure," Rother said. "We all have those visions. I know I'll have my chance to make the most of it."
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