Alongside coaching club hockey, Leah has been involved in Coaching Masters Hockey domestically. She has led the Wellington 35 Women’s team to two national titles and coached a New Zealand National Masters Age Group Team. In addition to her coaching roles, Leah is also a member of her local Wellington Masters Council, and on the National Master’s Advisory Group, who support the growth and development of Masters Hockey.

In 2020, Leah was selected for the Hockey NZ Women in Coaching Programme, attending the Sentinel Homes Premier Hockey League to be immersed in a performance coaching environment to grow and develop her coaching. Leah has a strong interest in personal and professional development and future aspirations to coach in high performance.

Recently Hockey NZ caught up with Leah to learn from her experiences of coaching master’s hockey and to get some tips for coaches getting involved in this year’s National Masters Hockey Tournament.

Tips for Coaches involved in the National Masters Hockey Tournament

• Arrive fit – Summer masters tournaments can be tough, so it helps to work on fitness in the lead up. You are working with adults, so get them involved in how this can be fun and effective

• Get some game time – Arrange some practice games before tournament, this is ideal to work through your structures and set plays. Also, handy to build some match fitness

• Get good people around you – Having a strong leadership team and management team to brainstorm ideas and share the load. Your team will be filled with great capable people who want to help, so let them help

• Have a plan – plan, plan, plan and then have a contingency plan. A plan will give you guidance and clarity, and then the exciting part comes in your ability and the team’s ability to adapt as the variables get thrown your way

• Allow some down time – it can be a mentally and physically challenging week. Allow your players, team management, and you (coach) some time to switch off and enjoy being in the beautiful Bay of Plenty

• Soak it all in - Enjoy the time to get to know your team, chat to other coaches, watch other games, and enjoy the festivities. Masters can be an exciting experience leading to some great friendships and memories