Inside the Circle with Delfina Merino: Olympic Hockey, Global Playing Styles and Giving Back

What can playing hockey in Argentina, the Netherlands and Belgium teach you about the game? How does it feel to represent your country at three Olympic Games? And what happens when one of the world's best players turns her attention towards helping the next generation?

In this edition of Inside the Circle, Total-Hockey catches up with Argentine hockey star Delfina Merino to talk about her journey through the sport, Olympic experiences, the different styles of hockey she's encountered around the world, her relationship with Malik and the growth of her DM12 hockey camps.

With more than 300 appearances for Argentina, Olympic medals, a World Cup title and recognition as an FIH World Player of the Year, Delfina has experienced hockey at the very highest level.

But, like so many players, her story began at her local hockey club.

Watch the full Inside the Circle interview with Delfina Merino below, or keep reading for the key stories and insights from the conversation.

Growing Up With Hockey

Hockey was part of Delfina's life from an early age.

Both of her parents played at Banco Provincia in Argentina, so Delfina and her brother spent much of their childhood at the club.

They didn't only play hockey. Tennis and other sports were part of their routine too, but as school commitments increased and there was less time to do everything, they eventually had to decide which sport mattered most.

The answer was easy: hockey.

There was another important reason to stay involved too — friendship.

Many of the people Delfina grew up alongside at the club became some of her closest friends, helping transform hockey from simply a sport into something that became a major part of her life.

Representing Argentina at the Olympic Games

For a young player dreaming of representing their country, simply reaching an Olympic Games can seem almost unimaginable.

Delfina managed it three times.

She represented Argentina at London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, winning silver medals in London and Tokyo.

For Delfina, playing at the Olympics and representing Argentina was the realisation of a childhood dream.

But the three tournaments provided very different experiences.

London and Rio offered the traditional Olympic atmosphere: crowds, athletes from across the world and the unique environment created when so many sports come together in one place.

Tokyo was completely different.

What Was Tokyo 2020 Really Like?

COVID restrictions made Tokyo unlike almost any previous Olympic Games.

Delfina remembers playing inside huge stadiums with almost nobody in the stands.

At times, that made it difficult to feel as though you were actually competing at an Olympics.

The restrictions also changed life inside the Olympic Village.

One of the special parts of an Olympic Games is normally meeting athletes from different countries, exchanging stories and experiencing the wider sporting community.

In Tokyo, much of that interaction disappeared.

Despite that unusual environment, Argentina reached the Olympic final and returned home with a silver medal.

Experiencing Paris From the Other Side

Paris offered Delfina another completely new Olympic experience.

This time, she wasn't there as a player.

After years of travelling to major tournaments entirely focused on performance, she could finally experience an Olympic Games more like a spectator.

As an athlete, your world during competition can become incredibly narrow. Training, team meetings, preparation and matches take priority, which means much of the spectacle happening around you can pass by unnoticed.

In Paris, Delfina could take in more of the atmosphere, watch other sports and experience the energy created around the city.

She attended tennis as well as plenty of hockey and particularly appreciated how Paris incorporated Olympic venues into some of its most recognisable surroundings.

It gave her a completely different perspective on just how impressive an Olympic Games can be when you're able to look beyond your own competition.

How Hockey Changes Around the World

One of the most interesting parts of Delfina's career is the amount of hockey she has experienced outside Argentina.

Her club career has taken her to the Netherlands and Belgium, giving her first-hand experience of how differently the sport can be approached.

For Delfina, the Dutch league stands out for its quality.

She describes Dutch hockey as highly structured and collective. Players understand where they need to be and how the team wants to move the ball.

Within that structure, however, talented players are still given freedom to express themselves — particularly when they reach attacking areas around the 25 and the circle.

It's a combination Delfina enjoyed.

The structure gets the team into the right positions; individual skill can then make the difference.

Dutch Structure vs Argentine Passion

Hockey in Argentina feels different.

Delfina describes the Argentine game as less rigid and more focused on individual skills, creativity and emotion.

That difference becomes particularly noticeable in the biggest moments of matches.

A Dutch side losing with only a few minutes remaining may continue following its structure and trusting the system.

An Argentine team in the same position?

Expect emotion.

Players push forward, take risks and try to find a goal with skill, determination and, as Delfina puts it, plenty of heart.

Neither approach is necessarily right or wrong.

In fact, Delfina believes the ideal hockey side might combine both.

Take the organisation and structure of Dutch hockey, add Argentine individual skill, hands and passion, and you could have a pretty formidable team.

Why Playing Abroad Can Make You a Better Hockey Player

Experiencing different hockey cultures gives players something they can't always get from staying within one system.

Different countries ask different questions of you.

In the Netherlands, Delfina had to operate effectively inside a clearly defined team structure.

In Belgium, the demands could be different again, at times requiring her to carry the ball more and take greater individual responsibility.

Back in Argentina, creativity and individual technique play a bigger role.

Learning to adapt between those environments develops more than technical skill.

It improves your understanding of the game.

For ambitious players, that's one of the biggest benefits of experiencing hockey abroad: you discover that there isn't only one way to solve a problem on the pitch.

Choosing the Right Hockey Stick

Delfina has had a long relationship with Malik Hockey.

She began using Malik sticks when she was young and has remained with the brand throughout much of her career.

Part of that loyalty comes from the fact Malik supported her before she had achieved international success.

For Delfina, that matters.

She values the relationships built with brands that believed in her early, but equipment performance remains equally important.

Her advice for players is straightforward: you need to feel comfortable with your stick.

Specifications, technology and appearance all have their place, but if a stick doesn't feel right in your hands, it probably isn't the right stick for you.

At the time of the interview, Delfina was using a Malik XP model, often choosing designs featuring one of her favourite colours: pink.

Does Hockey Footwear Depend on the Pitch?

Delfina also explains that she doesn't necessarily wear exactly the same footwear for every hockey match.

Why?

Because the surface changes.

In Argentina, players can encounter different types of hockey pitches, including sand-based and water-based surfaces.

The grip and feel required on one can be different from another, so Delfina adapts her footwear accordingly.

It's a useful consideration for any player choosing hockey shoes.

Don't think only about which shoe looks best or what your favourite player wears.

Think about where you're actually going to play.

Surface, grip, comfort, support and your own movement should all influence your decision.

A Career Filled With Special Moments

When you've played hockey for most of your life, choosing a single favourite moment isn't easy.

Delfina's career contains plenty of contenders.

There have been Champions Trophy victories, Olympic silver medals, club championships and winning a world title in Rosario while still relatively early in her international career.

Then there was the individual recognition of being named an FIH World Player of the Year.

But elite sport naturally comes with difficult memories too.

Delfina also remembers the disappointment of Argentina's quarter-final exit at Rio 2016.

That's part of a long international career.

The unforgettable victories and painful defeats tend to arrive together.

Why Delfina Merino Started DM12 Hockey Camps

After stepping away from Argentina's national team setup in 2022, Delfina suddenly found herself with something elite athletes rarely have:

time.

For years her schedule had been dominated by travelling, training and competing.

With more space in her calendar, opportunities started arriving to coach camps and clinics.

Initially, the idea developed naturally.

She enjoyed being on the pitch, enjoyed helping younger players and realised there was an opportunity to pass on some of what she had learned throughout her career.

From there, DM12 hockey camps began to grow.

What started relatively spontaneously expanded into camps in Argentina, the United States, Chile and Europe.

Giving Something Back to the Next Generation

For Delfina, the camps aren't simply about teaching young players how to dribble or score goals.

They're an opportunity to give something back to the sport.

She can remember being the young player dreaming about playing for a national team and achieving something special through hockey.

Now, she gets to see those same ambitions in another generation.

The camps give her an opportunity to share not only technical hockey knowledge, but also the experience gathered from years of elite sport.

That includes lessons from both inside and outside the pitch.

For young players, having access to someone who has experienced Olympic finals, World Cups and some of the strongest leagues in world hockey offers something very different from a standard training session.

Combining Players and Goalkeepers

One of Delfina's European camp collaborations came alongside former Great Britain and England goalkeeper Maddie Hinch.

The pair already knew each other well after previously playing together in Europe — with one trying to score goals and the other trying to stop them.

Bringing their coaching together made plenty of sense.

Goalkeepers need attackers to create realistic situations.

Attackers need goalkeepers to test whether the skills they're developing actually work.

Combining the two creates a more complete training environment.

It also demonstrates another benefit of international hockey: the friendships and relationships developed through the game can continue well beyond your time playing together.

Learning From Different Coaching Cultures

Just as Delfina learned from playing in different countries, coaching internationally continues to expose her to different ideas.

Running camps alongside different coaches and within different cultures introduces new ways of communicating, organising sessions and explaining techniques.

Even differences in terminology, tone and vocabulary can offer something useful.

For coaches, that's an important lesson too.

You don't necessarily need to completely change your philosophy every time you encounter a new idea.

Instead, you can continually collect useful pieces from different people and environments and incorporate the things that work.

What Can Hockey Players Learn From Delfina Merino?

Delfina's career offers plenty of lessons for players at every level.

Perhaps the biggest is the value of experiencing different ways of playing the game.

Dutch hockey taught her about structure and collective movement.

Argentine hockey gave her creativity, individual skill and passion.

International competition taught her about performing under pressure.

And now coaching is giving her the opportunity to look at the game from yet another perspective.

There's also a useful lesson when it comes to equipment.

Choose the stick and shoes that make you feel comfortable rather than simply copying somebody else.

And finally, don't forget why most great hockey careers begin in the first place.

Before the Olympic medals, international caps and individual awards, Delfina was simply a young player at her local club, surrounded by family and friends, choosing hockey because it was the sport she loved.

Sometimes, that's still the most important part.

Watch the full Inside the Circle interview with Delfina Merino to hear more about her Olympic career, international hockey experiences, Malik equipment and the story behind her DM12 hockey camps.