The FHC Officials Committee is calling for new members

The FHC Officials Committee is looking to add new members. The mandate of the Officials Committee is to identify, develop, and prepare officials1 for domestic and international competitions.

The Committee is looking to expand its membership in early 2023. If interested in joining the committee, please send the following information to the Committee at Officials@fieldhockey.ca by January 5th, 2023.

For more details, access the full communique here.



 

Coaching Opportunity: UBC Women’s Varsity Team (one-year contract)

There is an opportunity for a one-year maternity leave position as Head Coach of the UBC women’s varsity team. The Head Coach, Women’s Hockey is responsible for the coaching, management and coordination of the Women’s Field Hockey program. The objectives are to provide opportunities for athletically talented field hockey players and develop them to their fullest potential as student-athletes. This position is responsible for operating under USPORT operating bylaws, University policies, and philosophy and objectives of the Varsity Program and Athletic Department.

UBC is committed to supporting the best possible environments for working, learning and living where respect, civility, diversity, excellence and inclusion are valued. The Head Coach, Women’s Field Hockey reports to the Director of Athletics, Student Services. This role interacts with other departmental, faculty and on campus/off campus stakeholders.

Application Deadline: December 12

For more information and to apply, click here.



 

Whistler Field Hockey Club is looking for coaches

Whistler FHC is a newly established field hockey club that focus on developing the sport of field hockey in the Sea-to-Sky area and provide a club environment for passionate members.

They are looking for coaches for their adult indoor program. There is also opportunity to coach their kids program.

Dates: 12 Mondays starting Jan 9th until April 3rd (no session on Feb 20th-BC Family Day)
Program: Adult Indoor sessions
Location: Spring Creek Community School, Whistler
Time: 7pm-8:30pm (plus paid time for set up and planning )
Pay $25 p/hour minimum depending on qualifications

The group of players is very varied in skills and fitness, however all enthusiastic on learning and improving.Please send your application to admin@whistlerfieldhockey.com.

Officials from BC share their experiences at the 2022 Masters World Cup

 

Denishe McGeachy (middle) umpiring at the Masters World Cup

The FIH Masters World Cup returned in 2022 after a four-year hiatus. A strong Canadian contingent travelled to Cape Town, South Africa and this was more than just a team of players. Field Hockey Canada was represented by technical officials Tony Stewart, of Alberta, and Sanjya D’Silva, of Ontario, and B.C.’s Michelle McNaughton, also appointed assistant technical director of the tournament. Victoria’s Denise McGeachy was also present as an appointed umpire. B.C.’s John Sacre, Kent McKinnon and Nicky Graham were also present as coaching and staff for the Canadian men’s side.

“We were all very busy on a daily basis – especially Michelle who, as Assistant TD, was often at the pitch all day long”, recalls McGeachy, who umpired at the World Cup and was even selected to umpire the Over 60s Women’s Final. McGeachy and McNaughton are dedicated members of the Field Hockey BC Board of Directors – as President and Coaching Director.

According to McGeachy, the coexistence between players, supporters, and officials from across the globe created a scenario of shared experiences and learning opportunities.

“Our community in Canada is so small, it was refreshing to umpire different players/teams and other umpires,” added McGeachy. “Every game was a blank slate and free from preconceptions – by both the teams and umpires.”

There was also a distinct and “refreshing” level of respect between the teams and umpires that McGeachy recognized. “This does not mean that there were not disagreements,” she added “After the final whistle, players, coaches, and managers always shook hands and acknowledged the umpires and each other, regardless of the outcome. We in Canada need to do a better job in this area.”

“The Masters World Cup was unlike any umpiring experience I have had in Canada. The quality of play was outstanding and the opportunity to umpire with, and learn from, the other umpires and umpire managers was a very enriching and positive experience.”

Running the show

McNaughton, FHBC’s Coaching Director, took on the position of Assistant Tournament Director in Cape Town and was tasked with overseeing five pitches over three venues, so “there was always something to do or to solve” as she puts it.

“My ability to speak French came in very helpful numerous times,” said the Chilliwack club member. “I was assigned to the Over 45s – men and women’s – as their contact person and coordinator.”

This meant dealing with the teams’ logistics, uniform colours and a variety of technical inquiries.

“Every day I was assigned to a different pitch so, everyday was something different,” she explained. “Not only that ,we were mentoring a lot, and getting new officials in on games, shadowing and teaching. Also, jumping in wherever there may have been gaps on the table. A lot of early mornings, late nights, and awesome teamwork.”

FHBC: What parts of this experience were valuable to bring back to help our sport in BC?
MM: “You have to understand, as an assistant technical director, it is not just the athlete experience that you oversee, it is everything – the spectators, media, the field, technical questions; it is observing how everyone does it just a little bit different. For me, it is the patience and confidence, also just to trust your officials team. The seven of us worked so well together, and the strength lied in recognizing the virtues and abilities of our on field team. The same applies to BC.”

FHBC: What did you notice about South Africa and the hosting community that inspired you?
MM: “I’d like to see us support our officials more, and have more opportunities by having more events. Additionally, utilizing Altius more, having that common database for all domestic competitions, as South Africa does, is really nice because you can pick up trends and concerns early, especially around cards and behaviors. You can also track athletes, which is a great recruitment and tracking tool.”

FHBC: What other lessons did you take away?
MM: “I am not sure I can even quantify it all: confidence, understanding. With so much going on, and overseeing the “most competitive” age division while tending to a venue or another division’s concerns, it gets to be overwhelming fast. Keeping my own personal journal and taking the time to make notes and observations was important; cultivating relationships to build mutual trust and respect.

“Also, giving credit and respect where it is due. A lot of times, people take expertise for granted; feedback both constructive and positive, as well as appreciation, go a long way. Being told I run a clean, strong field on more than one occasion was nice.”

FHBC: What’s next for you after this?
MM: “Making sure the people who mentored me and helped build my capacity know how thankful I am for their time, friendship and expertise. I will continue working with our wonderful staff, volunteers, and people to get more officials trained to start building the capacity to have officials at every major fixture.
However, for me personally, I would hope it would be more domestic and international appointments, both as a TO or as a ATD or TD. FHC National Championships? Pan American Games? FIH Pro League?

—————

McNaughton and McGeachy have now returned to BC and brought with them significant experiences and lessons to help improve the sport in British Columbia and Canada. They are ready to share what they have learned; these kinds of opportunities will only help us grow as a community and open doors for future current and future field hockey officials.

 

Webinar registrations: Developing Physical Literacy coming out of Covid 19

FHBC is pleased to share the following Sport for Life webinar details as we believe this will be benficial to all clubs and community-level coaches . “Developing Physical Literacy coming out of Covid 19” will focus on what has happened since the beginning of COVID-19 and its effects on the quality and quantity of our movement.

Date: Nov 24th, 2022
Time: 12:00 pm PST
Registration: click here

International Hockey Federation updates rules for Indoor and Outdoor

INDOOR RULES

The FIH Rules Committee would like to inform of the following updates:

  • FIH Rules of Indoor Hockey guidance note (see page 17) on the:
    • Use of Protective Equipment rule – removal of Penalty Corner protective equipment
    • National Associations and Continental Federations are advised to follow this guidance in their Indoor competitions leading to the FIH Indoor World Cup in 2023
    • No rule changes have been made, therefore implementation dates remain unchanged.

OUTDOOR RULES

The FIH Rules Committee would like to inform of the following updates:

If you have any inquiries, please contact eventsandofficials@fieldhockeybritishcolumbia.com

Register for the 2023 U16 & U18 Girls Indoor Field Hockey Tournaments in Cowichan

Cowichan Field Hockey Club is inviting those interested in participating in the 2023 U16 & U18 Girls Indoor Field Hockey Tournaments to register for the event that will be held next January on Vancouver Island at the Cowichan Community Centre, Duncan, BC.

You can access the registration forms here:
U16 Registration Form
U18 Registration Form

The deadlines for registering are December 31 (U16) and January 15 (U18). There is an early bird fee for both tournaments, and individuals are also welcome to join as there are always teams looking for players.

If you have any questions about this event, please contact cowichanindoorfh@gmail.com.

Nominations are now open for the 2022 class of the Field Hockey Canada Hall of Fame

Field Hockey Canada is inviting nominations for the upcoming 2022 class of Hall of Fame Inductees. Nominations are open until November 25, 2022 and will be accepted in the categories of Athlete, Coach, Official, Builder and Team.

Please, see below the nomination criteria and visit the resources’ links below for more information.

The Field Hockey Canada Hall of Fame was created in 2014 to recognize those who have made a significant contribution to the sport of field hockey in Canada, and the Field Hockey Canada Hall of Fame Committee was established by the FHC Board of Directors to lead the activities of the FHC Hall of Fame.


NOMINATION CRITERIA

All Nominees:

  1. Must be a Canadian citizen or have lived in Canada for over 25 years.
  2. Must demonstrate exemplary values and personal characteristics.
  3. Must have made a defining contribution to the sport of field hockey and/or indoor hockey in Canada

Additionally, Nominees will be assessed according to the specific criteria established for each category as follows:

Athlete

  1. Retired from playing at the international level for at least five years
  2. Attained a significant record of achievement on the field of play while playing for Canada
  3. Brought honour and recognition to Canada both on and off the field of play
  4. Played for Canada in the Olympic Games, the World Cup, Pan Am Games, Commonwealth Games or other high level international competition.

Coach

  1. Through dedicated efforts and expertise over a period of at least five years raised the Canadian team performance significantly in international competition.
  2. Recognized as a leader in the sport of field hockey both internationally and domestically.
  3. Provided leadership to the development of high-performance coaches in Canada over a period of at least four years.
  4. Coached Canadian teams in the Olympic Games, World Cups, Pan Am Games, Commonwealth Games or other high-level competitions.

Official

  1. Recognized for expertise as an outstanding umpire or technical official at the international level for a period of more than five years
  2. Been appointed as an official for at least 75 international matches including the Olympic Games, World Cups, Pan Am Games, Commonwealth Games or other high level competitions
  3. Provided strong leadership to the development of top level international officials in Canada over a period of at least four years.

Builder

  1. Contributed significantly and extraordinarily to the growth and development of Canadian field hockey over at least a 10 year period
  2. A Builder may be active or inactive to be considered and will be evaluated on contributions and impact.

Team

  1. To be nominated in the Team Category, a team shall have achieved an outstanding placing in a Continental or World level competition relative to previous Canadian performances, thereby making a defining contribution to the development of competitive hockey in Canada

HOW TO MAKE A NOMINATION

There are 4 steps to making a nomination:

  1. Complete the nomination form [click here]
  2. submit the CV of the nominee
  3. submit the letter of support form
  4. any additional information you feel will support the application

For more information, please visit our website: https://fieldhockey.ca/field-hockey-canada-hall-of-fame-2022-nominations-open/ 


RESOURCES

Terms of ReferenceNomination CriteriaHall of Fame InducteesNomination Form

viaSport Grant Programs

Funded by the Province of B.C., Government of Canada, individual foundations and corporations, viaSport awards approximately $2 million dollars in sport-related grant programs each year. The program’s aim is to reduce barriers and ensure quality sport experiences by:

  • Increasing participation and leadership opportunities for under-represented groups
  • Developing grassroots sports in outlying and under-served areas in B.C.
  • Supporting the continued education of training of certified coaches
  • Encouraging regional, provincial, national and international sport event hosting across the province
  • Assisting with travel costs for youth

To apply and for more information, access the viaSport Grants page.

Indoor Field Hockey Sessions offered by the Comox Valley FHA

The Comox Valley Field Hockey Association is inviting players to join their indoor field hockey sessions starting this week, on Tuesday, at Lewis Centre (489 Old Island Hwy, Courtenay, BC V9N 3P5) from 8:00 to 9:00pm. All sessions will take place on Tuesdays on the following dates: Oct 18th, Oct 25th, Nov 1st ,  Nov 15th , Nov 22nd, Nov 29th.

You can access the registration form and waiver here.

Read the invitation communique from the Comox Valley Field Hockey Association below:

—–

Last year we had a great turnout for indoor and it was a lot of fun. I hope to have 8 – 10 players each session for good play action with 4 -5 per side. To accomplish this, I will send those that contact me regarding their interest, a text early the night before (Monday) requesting whether they will be attending the session Tuesday Night. If fewer than 8 respond, we will consider cancelling, although we have played indoor with 6 – 7 players in the past. Last year, we did not have to cancel one session and had at least 8 player show up each session.  

The cost for indoor sessions will be $5 drop in or $20 for all 6 sessions paid in advance. Our club does have indoor sticks that players can borrow so all you need to bring is a mouth guard and shin pads to play, and preferably white bottomed running shoes that won’t mark gym floors. 

Please email or text me personally, Julie Micksch at jmicksch@gmail.com or text at 250-792-0297 if you are interested in coming out for all or any of our indoor sessions so that I can create a more personal email and text contact list. And please feel free to email or text me directly if you have any further questions regarding indoor field hockey starting next Tuesday, October 18th. I’ve added some additional info below regarding session fee payment, field hockey insurance, waivers and registration. 

Looking forward to hearing from you and seeing you in the gym for some awesome exercise and fun.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

A change has been made with regards to e-transfer payment for the Club.  In order to pay for sessions, you can e-transfer your fee to the Club email address now and the e-transfer is auto-deposited so no need for a security question and answer.  Please do not use the previous phone number provided as this will not work any longer.

Here is the email address you need to use to e-transfer your payment to the Comox Valley Field Hockey Club: cvlfha@gmail.com. Attached is the NEW Waiver Form with this email so please download and fill out and bring to the next session so that we can update our records. Also, just a reminder, all members must have a mouth guard and shin guards if you wish to play during each session.  Safety first!