Alyson Regina Annan (born 12 June 1973) is an Australian field hockey coach and retired field hockey player, who earned a total number of 228 international caps for the Women's National Team, in which she scored 166 goals.
From 2015, Annan was the head coach of the Netherlands women's national field hockey team; she led the team to a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil and a gold medal at 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo as well as gold medals at the 2017 and the 2021 Women's EuroHockey Nations Championship in The Netherlands. In 2022, she was fired for creating a culture of fear.
During 2013 Annan gained the prestigious award of becoming a member of Sport Australia Hall of Fame. She is currently head coach of the China Women's National team.
Biography
Annan was born on 12 June 1973 in Wentworthville, New South Wales. She was voted the Best Female Hockey Player in the World in 1999. In the following year, she led the Australian team to gold at the 2000 Summer Olympics. She subsequently retired from international competition and moved to the Netherlands. In the Netherlands she played for HC Klein Zwitserland from The Hague. She retired in 2003, becoming the coach of Dutch league team HC Klein Zwitserland. In 2004, she was an assistant of Dutch Head Coach Marc Lammers at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, when the Netherlands won silver.
Annan was married to Argentinian hockey player, Maximiliano Caldas. After their divorce her partner became Carole Thate, a former Dutch hockey captain and fellow Olympic medallist. Annan and Thate had their first child, Sam Henk Brian Thate, in May 2007. Their second son, Cooper Thate, was born in October 2008.
Annan was to be the coach of the first women's team of the Amsterdamsche Hockey & Bandy Club during the 2012–2013 season.
In 2013 Annan was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
In October 2015 she was named as head coach of the Netherlands women's team, succeeding Sjoerd Marijne. Annan's former husband Max Caldas previously coached the Netherlands women's team to a gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games. During the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro Annan coached her team to a silver medal losing to the Great Britain Team after shoot-outs in the final.
In 2022, Annan was fired as coach of the Netherlands women's team after an investigation into accusations of verbal intimidation and creating a culture of fear and silence.
Major international tournaments
2000 Olympic Games Gold Medal
1996 Olympic Games Gold Medal
1992 Olympic Games 5th
1998 Hockey World Cup Gold Medal
1994 Hockey World Cup Gold Medal
2001 Champions Trophy 3rd
2000 Champions Trophy 3rd
1999 Champions Trophy Gold Medal
1997 Champions Trophy Gold Medal
1995 Champions Trophy Gold Medal
1993 Champions Trophy Gold Medal
1998 Commonwealth Games Gold Medal
1993 Junior Hockey World Cup Silver Medal
Awards
1994 Team of the Year Australian Sports Awards
1995 Team of the Year Australian Sports Awards
1996 Team of the Year Australian Sports Awards
1996 Player of the Year Australian Women's Hockey Association
1996 Player of the Series Australian Hockey League
1996 New South Wales Sportswoman of the Year
1996 New South Wales Athlete of the Year
1996 Order of Australia Medal
1997 Team of the Year Australian Sports Awards
1997 Player of the Year Australian Women's Hockey Association
1997 Player of the Tournament Champions Trophy
1998 Team of the Year Australian Sports Awards
1998 International Player of the Year International Hockey Federation
1998 Player of the Tournament Hockey World Cup
1998 Finalist World Sportswoman of the Year Women's Sport Foundation (USA) 2000 International Player of the Year International Hockey Federation 2002 Player of the Year Dutch League 2003 Player of the Year Dutch League '''2013 Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductee