Unlikely as it may seem, sporting failure can lead to something good - or enjoyable, at least. Having failed to qualify for the Australian women's league play-offs with her club the Newcastle Jets, Ariane Hingst found herself with time on her hands to check out the Australian Open in Melbourne and cheer for compatriot Sabine Lisicki as she progressed to the round-of-16.
Popping over to a Grand Slam tournament is one of many options suddenly available to the player. Capped 174 times for Germany, she won two World and four European Champions' titles. Now stationed Down Under, 32-year-old Hingst talks to DFB.de women's football expert Niels Barnhofer about her Australian adventure, world class tennis, the respect she has for the women's Bundesliga, and her plans for the future.
DFB.de: Ariane, this Australian season is over – all too early…
Ariane Hingst: Yeah, sadly so. We wanted to go through to the play-offs but never made it. Embarrassingly, we even lost our final game 2-4 to Perth, the second-to-last team in the table. Our worst match, no doubt about that.
DFB.de: The W-League semi-finals took place over the weekend. Did it hurt to be reduced to just watching instead of playing?
Hingst: Well, we had known for quite some time that the play-offs would be out of reach, so my disappointment had kind of waned. Plus, I got lucky and was invited by German Federations Cup captain Barbara Rittner to join the tennis crowd here at the Australian Open, which was just great!
DFB.de: So it was tennis, not football in completely new surroundings. How did the season go?
Hingst: Let me say that it was a very interesting experience. Obviously, pretty soon you realise that the whole infrastructure is lnot as professional as it is in Germany. I mean I have only played in the German, Swedish, and Australian leagues, but I am convinced that in world-wide comparison, the Bundesliga is miles ahead.
DFB.de: In which respects?
Hingst: Let's begin with the size of the league. In Australia, the first league features a mere seven teams, and you don't even play every team twice as a regular season has ten matches only. Which begs the question, how balanced is that competition? Because as it is, the match schedule could easily favour one team and disadvantage the other.
DFB.de: And training?
Hingst: At Newcastle, we trained three times a week, I suppose other clubs train more frequently but you will agree if I say that there's much room for more.
DFB.de: How do the players themselves feel about that?
Hingst: They're all fully committed, ready to give 100 percent. But the general environment must also be right, and that's where some more steps need to be taken.
DFB.de: What's the driving forces behind women's football in Australia?
Hingst: The Australian Football Federation, definitely, but even they can't seem to be able to extend the season for another two match days, which would at least guarantee that all of the teams play each other twice.
DFB.de: Please explain!
Hingst: Take substitutes, for example. Here, teams are only allowed three field players and one goal-keeper on the bench for official matches, the reason being that the Federation covers part of the expenses for away matches and economising on travel seems to be a major concern. Which, in a way, is understandable in a country where for some away games there's no other option but flying to get there. Mind you, for reasons of equal treatment, the home team is only allowed 15 players on the team sheet, as well.
DFB.de: You said that the Newcastle Jets didn't quite live up to aspirations. Does that mean that some of the other teams did better than expected?
Hingst: Not necessarily. If you look at the teams placed 1st to 5th, the league is very balanced, with maybe Perth and Adelaide at the bottom struggling to cope. At the opposite end, Canberra remained unbeaten in their ten games; however the pack will be reshuffled for the play-offs.
DFB.de: In terms of quality, how does the W-League compare to the Bundesliga?
Hingst: That's incredibly difficult to say. I think even the Aussie top teams would find it hard to keep up in Germany, the major difference being the sheer tempo of the game in the Bundesliga.
DFB.de: How many fans usually come to watch a game?
Hingst: In Newcastle, attendance was pretty good, with an average 800 spectators per match, but there were other cities where we played to some 200, maybe 300 people only. But you've got to understand that football is not necessarily the Number One women's sport – that would have to be netball, a kind of basketball.
DFB.de: What about media interest?
Hingst: One game per match day, with kick- off at 15:00, is broadcast live on ABC, one of the public broadcasters similar to ARD and ZDF in Germany. Other than that, women's football doesn't often make the news. Our local paper called me a number of times, but generally speaking the focus is on men's football and other sports. Press conferences or post-match interviews are a very rare occurrence!
DFB.de: Can you give us your personal take on the season?
Hingst: Honestly, I had no idea what to expect! I started out by telling myself 'Right, you're in Australia now, so do as the locals do, live life the Australian way, and try to enjoy the football!' As the season went on and my game improved, I realised how much was going on around me, and that football was no longer the most important part of my life. And that was due to the fact that football simply doesn't rate as highly here as it does in Germany. I arrived here with all that 'I've got to perform and everything's got to be perfect' baggage, and then I noticed if I didn't trim this down I'd be frustrated in no time. So all in all, I didn't exactly play an outstanding season, but it was great fun nonetheless.
DFB.de: You were even the Jets' captain…
Hingst: Yes, the coach appointed me team captain, which by rights should have been Melissa Barbieri's job as she also captains the Australian national women's team, but with her working a half-week away in Melbourne, the coach wanted someone at Newcastle on a full-time basis, plus I was one of the most experienced players in the squad.
DFB.de: What did it mean to you?
Hingst: It was a great experience, but I'd say my sense of responsibility and leadership on the pitch is always there, armband or no armband. But I know now that in Australia, this is quite an honour. When the decision was announced, I got a mighty applause and people came to congratulate me, not only team-mates but also lots of fans and people close to the club. I was absolutely delighted, but also a bit flabbergasted, at all the attention!
DFB.de: What's in store for you, career-wise?
Hingst: I'm not going to come back to Germany playing Bundesliga football, but I knew that before I went to Australia. Over here, I could certainly go on for a couple of seasons, but it's hard for me to imagine going elsewhere playing in a totally new league, because frankly, I wouldn't want to go back to training day in, day out, going full steam ahead seven days a week. I just know I wouldn't do myself any favours.
DFB.de: Sounds very logical, if not to say rational…
Hingst: Yes, but I haven't made any final decision yet. The key question at the moment is, will the Jets go on at all, and even if the answer is yes, preparations for the new season will not begin before September.
DFB.de: How could you bridge the long wait?
Hingst: After the season, the great majority of Westfield-League players join smaller clubs playing in lower leagues, which helps them ticking over, but that's not for me I'm afraid. And if I do drop out for a full six months, the question is, will I be fit enough to even consider returning to professional football. In other words – at this stage, everything is completely open.
DFB.de: But won't you stay for a while yet?
Hingst: Oh, yes I will. I'm going to buy a van with a built-in bed and all mod cons and then go on a round-trip to get to know the country until about mid-March. After that, I'll need a new visa, ideally a new sports visa that is valid for six months.
DFB.de: What would that do for you?
Hingst: For one thing, it would enable me to go into coaching. I've already dome some coaching at our coach's football school for children aged seven to 12, and I've also helped out at our assistant coach's high-school coaching girls aged 12-15. This would be a perfect arrangement and leave me plenty of time to travel.
DFB.de: Any destinations in mind already?
Hingst: Scuba-diving definitely heads the list, so the Great Barrier Reef is a must. As for other destinations, I've met a whole lot of incredibly nice people here who've all invited me to their homes, so there's no shortage of addresses. I can't wait to go!
created by dfb
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Unlikely as it may seem, sporting failure can lead to something good - or enjoyable, at least. Having failed to qualify for the Australian women's league play-offs with her club the Newcastle Jets, Ariane Hingst found herself with time on her hands to check out the Australian Open in Melbourne and cheer for compatriot Sabine Lisicki as she progressed to the round-of-16.
Popping over to a Grand Slam tournament is one of many options suddenly available to the player. Capped 174 times for Germany, she won two World and four European Champions' titles. Now stationed Down Under, 32-year-old Hingst talks to DFB.de women's football expert Niels Barnhofer about her Australian adventure, world class tennis, the respect she has for the women's Bundesliga, and her plans for the future.
DFB.de: Ariane, this Australian season is over – all too early…
Ariane Hingst: Yeah, sadly so. We wanted to go through to the play-offs but never made it. Embarrassingly, we even lost our final game 2-4 to Perth, the second-to-last team in the table. Our worst match, no doubt about that.
DFB.de: The W-League semi-finals took place over the weekend. Did it hurt to be reduced to just watching instead of playing?
Hingst: Well, we had known for quite some time that the play-offs would be out of reach, so my disappointment had kind of waned. Plus, I got lucky and was invited by German Federations Cup captain Barbara Rittner to join the tennis crowd here at the Australian Open, which was just great!
DFB.de: So it was tennis, not football in completely new surroundings. How did the season go?
Hingst: Let me say that it was a very interesting experience. Obviously, pretty soon you realise that the whole infrastructure is lnot as professional as it is in Germany. I mean I have only played in the German, Swedish, and Australian leagues, but I am convinced that in world-wide comparison, the Bundesliga is miles ahead.
DFB.de: In which respects?
Hingst: Let's begin with the size of the league. In Australia, the first league features a mere seven teams, and you don't even play every team twice as a regular season has ten matches only. Which begs the question, how balanced is that competition? Because as it is, the match schedule could easily favour one team and disadvantage the other.
DFB.de: And training?
Hingst: At Newcastle, we trained three times a week, I suppose other clubs train more frequently but you will agree if I say that there's much room for more.
DFB.de: How do the players themselves feel about that?
Hingst: They're all fully committed, ready to give 100 percent. But the general environment must also be right, and that's where some more steps need to be taken.
DFB.de: What's the driving forces behind women's football in Australia?
Hingst: The Australian Football Federation, definitely, but even they can't seem to be able to extend the season for another two match days, which would at least guarantee that all of the teams play each other twice.
DFB.de: Please explain!
Hingst: Take substitutes, for example. Here, teams are only allowed three field players and one goal-keeper on the bench for official matches, the reason being that the Federation covers part of the expenses for away matches and economising on travel seems to be a major concern. Which, in a way, is understandable in a country where for some away games there's no other option but flying to get there. Mind you, for reasons of equal treatment, the home team is only allowed 15 players on the team sheet, as well.
DFB.de: You said that the Newcastle Jets didn't quite live up to aspirations. Does that mean that some of the other teams did better than expected?
Hingst: Not necessarily. If you look at the teams placed 1st to 5th, the league is very balanced, with maybe Perth and Adelaide at the bottom struggling to cope. At the opposite end, Canberra remained unbeaten in their ten games; however the pack will be reshuffled for the play-offs.
DFB.de: In terms of quality, how does the W-League compare to the Bundesliga?
Hingst: That's incredibly difficult to say. I think even the Aussie top teams would find it hard to keep up in Germany, the major difference being the sheer tempo of the game in the Bundesliga.
DFB.de: How many fans usually come to watch a game?
Hingst: In Newcastle, attendance was pretty good, with an average 800 spectators per match, but there were other cities where we played to some 200, maybe 300 people only. But you've got to understand that football is not necessarily the Number One women's sport – that would have to be netball, a kind of basketball.
DFB.de: What about media interest?
Hingst: One game per match day, with kick- off at 15:00, is broadcast live on ABC, one of the public broadcasters similar to ARD and ZDF in Germany. Other than that, women's football doesn't often make the news. Our local paper called me a number of times, but generally speaking the focus is on men's football and other sports. Press conferences or post-match interviews are a very rare occurrence!
DFB.de: Can you give us your personal take on the season?
Hingst: Honestly, I had no idea what to expect! I started out by telling myself 'Right, you're in Australia now, so do as the locals do, live life the Australian way, and try to enjoy the football!' As the season went on and my game improved, I realised how much was going on around me, and that football was no longer the most important part of my life. And that was due to the fact that football simply doesn't rate as highly here as it does in Germany. I arrived here with all that 'I've got to perform and everything's got to be perfect' baggage, and then I noticed if I didn't trim this down I'd be frustrated in no time. So all in all, I didn't exactly play an outstanding season, but it was great fun nonetheless.
DFB.de: You were even the Jets' captain…
Hingst: Yes, the coach appointed me team captain, which by rights should have been Melissa Barbieri's job as she also captains the Australian national women's team, but with her working a half-week away in Melbourne, the coach wanted someone at Newcastle on a full-time basis, plus I was one of the most experienced players in the squad.
DFB.de: What did it mean to you?
Hingst: It was a great experience, but I'd say my sense of responsibility and leadership on the pitch is always there, armband or no armband. But I know now that in Australia, this is quite an honour. When the decision was announced, I got a mighty applause and people came to congratulate me, not only team-mates but also lots of fans and people close to the club. I was absolutely delighted, but also a bit flabbergasted, at all the attention!
DFB.de: What's in store for you, career-wise?
Hingst: I'm not going to come back to Germany playing Bundesliga football, but I knew that before I went to Australia. Over here, I could certainly go on for a couple of seasons, but it's hard for me to imagine going elsewhere playing in a totally new league, because frankly, I wouldn't want to go back to training day in, day out, going full steam ahead seven days a week. I just know I wouldn't do myself any favours.
DFB.de: Sounds very logical, if not to say rational…
Hingst: Yes, but I haven't made any final decision yet. The key question at the moment is, will the Jets go on at all, and even if the answer is yes, preparations for the new season will not begin before September.
DFB.de: How could you bridge the long wait?
Hingst: After the season, the great majority of Westfield-League players join smaller clubs playing in lower leagues, which helps them ticking over, but that's not for me I'm afraid. And if I do drop out for a full six months, the question is, will I be fit enough to even consider returning to professional football. In other words – at this stage, everything is completely open.
[bild2]
DFB.de: But won't you stay for a while yet?
Hingst: Oh, yes I will. I'm going to buy a van with a built-in bed and all mod cons and then go on a round-trip to get to know the country until about mid-March. After that, I'll need a new visa, ideally a new sports visa that is valid for six months.
DFB.de: What would that do for you?
Hingst: For one thing, it would enable me to go into coaching. I've already dome some coaching at our coach's football school for children aged seven to 12, and I've also helped out at our assistant coach's high-school coaching girls aged 12-15. This would be a perfect arrangement and leave me plenty of time to travel.
DFB.de: Any destinations in mind already?
Hingst: Scuba-diving definitely heads the list, so the Great Barrier Reef is a must. As for other destinations, I've met a whole lot of incredibly nice people here who've all invited me to their homes, so there's no shortage of addresses. I can't wait to go!
