The IIHF is pleased to announce the beginning of a new initiative; the International Women’s Coaching Symposium that will operate annually during one of the IIHF World Women’s Championships.
The first symposium will be held during the Women’s World Championship in Switzerland from 21st – 23rd April 2011. This program is open to anyone involved in coaching female hockey players of any age.
The symposium will highlight and deal with the important issues relating to coaching female players and will provide an insight into how to create high-performance athletes, both on and off the ice. Esteemed members of the women’s hockey community will lead the sessions and offer their insight on these matters.
The registration will include all conference sessions as well as quarter-final and semi-final tickets.
Please find below a quick overview of the topics and themes for the weekend:
Thursday
Welcome Social featuring a special guest speaker
Friday
The Medal Plan – The Stories of the Vancouver 2010 Medalists
A rare opportunity to hear the inside story from Canada, USA and Finland as they share what their plans were leading into Vancouver, including what worked and what they would have changed. As well, they will share what they are doing now as they look forward to the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
Coaching Women – the Best Side
Everyone involved in female hockey knows that there are some distinct differences between coaching boys and girls. What is often not known are the opportunities that exist for coaches in female hockey.
Developing the Skills of the Game
This session will provide a look at the key skills of the game and how to teach them with success. We will also look at the stages of development for the female hockey player which will show the skills on and off the ice that each age group should be focusing on to best develop a high performance athlete.
Saturday
Preparing for Success on the Ice – The Off Ice Program
Strength, conditioning and proper nutrition are all as important as learning how to skate and shoot. Without a properly fueled support structure, the body simply will not let an athlete perform at their top level.
Breaking Through the Cultural Roadblocks
Women’s sport in general faces challenges around the world in breaking through cultural norms that propose that women should not play sports. Hear from a few nations who are currently facing these challenges and how they are moving past them.
Recruiting the Future of Women’s Hockey
For a nation to have a strong national program in the future requires a lot of work to be done today in recruiting girls to start playing. Hear from the person responsible for Finland’s female recruitment initiatives and see how easy it is to implement.
It’s All in the Mind
If a player believes they can do something, they have a chance to do it! It’s simple psychology yet it plays an important part in any successful team and yet is too often overlooked by coaches. Simple techniques can be implemented by any coach.
Downloads:
Symposium schedule (PDF)
Registration form (Word, fillable)
Registration form (PDF)
Note: Registration deadline is March 7.
