'Trust is what separates strong teams from the rest', says SG Pipers' head coach Sofie Gierts ahead of HIL 2025-26 season

There is a calm authority in the way Sofie Gierts carries herself, composed, observant, and quietly assured. In images, she doesn’t look like a coach who overwhelms a room. Instead, she looks like one who listens first. That balance between control and openness defines her approach as she prepares for a new Hockey India League season with the SG Pipers. For Gierts, success in a short, high-pressure tournament doesn’t begin with formations or fitness charts. It begins with something far less visible.

“The biggest challenge is to build a relationship of trust within the players,” she said while replying to a question from WION during a round-table. “In the ups, it’s easy to manage. In the downs, trust is what makes the difference.” In a league where momentum can shift within minutes, she believes trust is the only constant teams can rely on. Every player in the squad, she insists, carries equal importance. “There is no difference between foreign players and Indian players. Everybody has a role to play,” Gierts explains. “Everybody must understand that role, and everybody needs openness and trust within the team.”

Also Read: Bangladesh Premier League: Dhaka Capitals' assistant coach Mahbub Ali Zaki collapses before game, dies

The Hockey India League’s reputation for speed and intensity doesn’t intimidate her. Modern hockey, she feels, has reached a universal pace. “Fast hockey is what we see in every competition now,” she notes. What stands out in India, however, is something more specific: the ability to attack at speed while carrying the ball. “The pace of running with the ball is quite impressive in India,” she says. “That’s something we can learn from.” Rather than imposing a rigid philosophy, Gierts is focused on blending styles. “What I’m looking most forward to is learning from Indian players, how they see the game, how they play it, how they interpret concepts,” she explains. “It’s quite different, and there are things we can take to other nations as well.”

That curiosity extends to the mindset of young Indian players, something that has pleasantly surprised her. “They dare to speak, they dare to give their opinion, they dare to say what they want and what they don’t like,” she says. “That’s a quality only exceptional players have.” Off the pitch, the transition into the Indian setup has been smooth. “Everything looks very professional, very good, very organised,” she says of the facilities and preparation. What she is most eager for now is the atmosphere that comes with a packed stadium.

“That’s something unique,” Gierts says. “India can probably claim the best crowd in the world, and that’s only enjoyable for us.” Her coaching journey — spanning playing days, women’s teams, and men’s club hockey, has taught her that while the game has become faster and more physical, the human side has evolved just as much. “We work more in a co-creation environment now than a top-down one,” she explains. “The job of a coach is to adapt to the team and give the athletes what they need.”

As the season approaches, Gierts remains realistic. There will be highs. There will be lows. No team escapes that cycle. What matters is preparation for the moments when things don’t go according to plan. “You can do everything on the pitch,” she says, “but it’s the level of trust that defines how you deal with difficult moments.”