When Paul van Ass (Phonetic: PAWL VAN AHS) and his son Seve sit at the dinner table together, they will no longer need to worry about a coach-player dynamic and can celebrate their gold medals after two thrilling shootouts gave the Dutch their first Olympic field hockey golden sweep.
It wasn't always easy in the van Ass household, especially when Paul was named as head coach of the men's team in 2010 in the run up to the London Olympics, while his son was trying to make a name for himself and take part in the national squad.
When making his player selection for London 2012, Paul had a tough decision to make. Seve was ultimately left off the team in favor of a more experienced player.
"I think you need a hierarchy in the scene, so I didn't choose him to be in the squad. It was a decision [that was] obviously very hard for him, but also within the family," Paul said.
Such a decision in a competitive household could cause a familial rift that could take years to repair, but the family was able to work it out, and Seve didn't let it discourage him.
"We are a funny family. We can cope with that, and we just continue," 63-year-old Paul said. "The family stays close without gold medals... but it's of course unique."
Paul van Ass coached the Dutch men's team from 2010 to 2014 and took over the women's team in 2022 when Alyson Annan, now China's head coach, left the program.
"It was a big bonus that [Seve] was picked [for Paris]. He had to work hard for it, but he proved himself to be of value for the team as now the older and more experienced player," Paul said. "From zero to hero — that is what sport is about."
Steve played all eight of the Dutch men's game in Paris as a midfielder, helping control the center of the pitch and recording three shots over the course of the tournament.
"The family dynamic is pretty easy at the moment. It was a bit harder when he was the head coach of the men and I was the player. He's doing his stuff with the women, and I'm doing my stuff with the men," 32-year-old Seve said. "He's not trying to coach me ... He's empowering me to perform and helping me if needed, but to be honest, during this Olympics, we both have our full focus on our own performance. So he has his schedule and his rhythm towards his own matches and I have the same."
The van Ass family will celebrate their achievements together with a party, they both said.
"No pictures at the party," Paul said with a sly laugh.
