On 16 January, 28 coaches graduated from cohort 4 of the Ladies in Sport Excessive-Efficiency (WISH) coaching programme, bringing the whole to 120 feminine coaches from 22 sports activities disciplines – together with hockey – who haven’t accomplished the programme. Backed by Olympic Solidarity funding, this initiative goals to handle the underrepresentation of girls in elite teaching.
Among the many graduates have been Sofie Gierts and Pleasure Jouret, each former Crimson Panthers (Belgium’s nationwide hockey staff), who benefited from one-on-one management mentoring in addition to ongoing assist from a sport-specific mentor.
“The commencement was an emotional and galvanizing milestone, marking each an finish and a brand new starting. It was a second to mirror on the unbelievable journey we’ve all been on, celebrating the expansion, achievements, and bonds cast by means of the programme,” mentioned Pleasure Jouret.
Reflecting on key takeaways, Pleasure highlighted the ability of group:
“Being surrounded by like-minded, formidable ladies from around the globe, all pushing boundaries in high-performance teaching, was really motivating. The ceremony additionally strengthened the significance of mentorship and collaboration in attaining our targets. Total, the WISH programme has been a transformative expertise. It has given me not simply technical abilities but additionally the boldness and assist community to push ahead in a male-dominated area. The ‘closure’ was much less about an ending and extra about stepping boldly into the following chapter—geared up and impressed to make a distinction.”
As a former worldwide participant and an skilled high-level coach for the Worldwide, European, and Belgian Hockey Federations, Pleasure Jouret stays dedicated to accelerating gender equality in hockey. Since graduating from WISH, she has hosted the “Breaking Boundaries”, an FIH Academy Masterclass, a part of the FIH Ladies in Hockey Empowerment Mission, the place she shared insights and techniques to assist different ladies overcome limitations in high-performance teaching. She can also be pursuing a Grasp’s thesis in Psychology on the College of Louvain-La-Neuve (Belgium), specializing in the underrepresentation of girls in high-level teaching.
“I intention to implement cutting-edge strategies and management abilities gained by means of WISH in my very own teaching observe, serving to my athletes attain their full potential—each on and off the sphere,” she concluded.
In the meantime, Sofie Gierts is at the moment the top coach of a males’s First Division staff in Belgium—a job that continues to be distinctive and, sadly, nonetheless too uncommon for girls. Commenting on the presence of girls in elite teaching positions, Sofie acknowledged:
“Feminine coaches are nonetheless an exception, and that should change. There may be scientific proof that numerous management groups perform higher. Analysis exhibits that gender range in management contributes to raised decision-making, higher security, innovation, and monetary efficiency. One of the vital essential pillars of this programme is strengthening the community to assist one another.”
Trying forward, Sofie emphasised the significance of main by instance:
“Gender equality is not only a matter of coverage however a observe that must be embedded in our each day work. Once we collaborate, we obtain higher outcomes. I wish to proceed constructing an inclusive and galvanizing sports activities surroundings that demonstrates how equality and prime efficiency go hand in hand.”
Undoubtedly, the WISH programme marks a big step towards gender equality in high-performance sport. Nevertheless, a lot work stays to shut the hole and improve the variety of ladies in management roles.
“At FIH, accelerating alternatives for girls is a key pillar of the FIH Empowerment and Engagement Technique and the lately launched FIH Ladies in Hockey Empowerment Mission. We’re dedicated to uplifting and fascinating feminine gamers, coaches, officers, and leaders within the sport. By way of this initiative, we’re additionally proud to align with the IOC’s efforts to advance gender equality in sports activities” mentioned Tayyab Ikram, FIH President.
“Hockey has demonstrated a real dedication to equality and inclusion, however this stays a steady journey. We should proceed making efforts to empower ladies in management positions. The WISH expertise has taught us that progress is simplest when achieved collectively—by means of networking, connecting with each other, and studying from the experiences of different ladies. It’s equally essential to make sure that these learnings are handed on to future generations” concluded Marijke Fleuren, FIH Chair of the Gender Equality, Range and Inclusion Committee.
#MadeForHockey
by African Hockey Federation
