Belgian Field Hockey Freshman Adjusts to Life at Liberty

For many student athletes, the transition from playing high school to collegiate sports can be intimidating – an experience that was amplified for one LU athlete who made the transition in 2020, 4,000 miles away from the place she calls home.

Julie Daels, a freshman from Burges, Belgium, accepted this reality when she decided to move across the Atlantic Ocean and away from family to play field hockey for Liberty University.

Daels already possessed a breath-taking field hockey resume from her career in Belgium. She represented Belgium at the esteemed Six Nations Tournament that took place in Ireland. At the age of 14, Daels joined the K.H.C. Bruges club team and competed in the Honors Division with some of the best field hockey players in the country. 

However, playing field hockey in the United States is a very different experience from playing in Belgium. 

“In Belgium, I used to have two practices and one game a week, and here (at Liberty) we practice almost every day of the week,” Daels said. “Practices have been way more intense. It’s also been a lot more physical, like there’s been more running and lifting weights, and those are not things I used to do in Belgium.”

Liberty’s field hockey head coach, Nikki Parsley-Blocker, feels that Daels has adapted quickly to the Flames culture.

“Julie has done incredibly well, I know that for any freshman, whether they’re from the U.S. or coming from overseas, it’s a huge adjustment and a major life change,” Parsley-Blocker said. “I don’t feel like she’s a typical freshman. The skills that she has, her ability to score and implement our principles of play are truly incredible.”

Although Daels is a newcomer, her mentality and persistence as a forward have impressed Parsley-Blocker.   

“My favorite thing about Julie is she is so relentless and gritty, she will go through you, do whatever it takes to put the ball in the back of the net,” Parsley-Blocker said. “There are a lot of skilled players that can score but when you have that relentless ability to just go forward at all costs and do whatever it takes, it’s very dangerous.”

Daels also comes up with ideas and tactics that she learned while playing in Belgium and informs the coaching staff about them.

“I’ve been playing field hockey for a long time, so some things just come automatically to me like knowing when to shoot and knowing when to press,” Daels said. “Sometimes I have new ideas that I did in Belgium, so I talk to the coaches about it and then sometimes we try them out in practice.”

Although the field hockey team has not been able to play a game this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Daels still hopes to improve her skills through practices and scrimmages while enjoying her overall experience at Liberty. 

Emmanuel Adamson is a Social Media Manager. Follow him on Twitter at @Eadamson12.