Willem Kollen #33
From rookie to U20 European Championships captain...
What motivates me to push for the Men's World Championships - Willem Kollen #33
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I was folding laundry at home in Utrecht watching my teammates take on a top-five ranked Australian team in the 2023 Lacrosse World Championship. I put a pile of t-shirts in my closet, and turned around to find our defense clearing the ball to our attacking half. My eyes then widened as my teammate Graham Rikhof shrewdly caught his defender completely off guard by faking a substitution. In the ensuing chaos, our offense quickly put away the first goal of the game: Netherlands 1, Australia 0. Despite ultimately falling short in the contest, I always look back on that moment as an encapsulation of our proud and tenacious program.
At that time I was a rookie with much to learn, both in lacrosse and in life. When I made the In-Country and U20 teams as a fresh-faced first year university student, I found myself immediately embraced by a wonderful family of teammates and coaches who all taught me a great deal. I especially looked up to those who had been with the program for years– some even longer than a decade– that built its identity from the ground up. The camaraderie and trust they shared both on and off the field was something I truly admired, and something I’m grateful has extended to include me. I decided early on that I wanted to contribute to this culture and family, and set the goal for myself to play for the selection team in the World Championship of 2027; watching that play against Australia truly solidified this ambition for me. I visualized myself up there on ESPN, representing my country and teammates with the same tenacity and pride I had just witnessed.
As months turned into years, I grew both as a player and a person, ultimately being chosen as team captain for the 2024 U20 European championships. It was an incredible experience, and I was honored to represent my country, my team, and my family at a high level– the pride of singing the Wilhelmus while wearing the Oranje is a feeling incapable of being relayed through words. After the tournament, I repeated to myself the goal I had set earlier: I would once again experience this feeling as a member of the senior team in 2027.
In the three years since I’ve joined this team, my goal has not changed. I’m honored to have the opportunity to become part of the next team that goes to Japan in 2027. I’m honored to contribute to the culture and pride of this organization. I’m honored to share the field with teammates with whom I’ve bled, sweated, laughed, and cried. I’m honored to play for coaches who tirelessly prepare us. This organization is a family in every sense of the word, and I’m honored to be a part of it. I’m honored to wear the Oranje.
