From a local club team to the world stage, Ryan Mason reflects on the people, experiences and opportunities that have shaped his coaching journey so far.

When Ryan Mason agreed to coach the Howick Pakuranga Division 2 Women's team in 2018, it was simply an opportunity to help out his sister.

At the time, he was studying engineering and focused primarily on his playing career. Coaching was unfamiliar territory, and stepping into the role was daunting. What he didn't know then was that a single season would spark a passion for coaching and a desire to keep learning.

"I was pretty nervous to begin with, but I quickly discovered a real love for coaching."

While the team enjoyed success on the field, the real value of that first season was what he learned as a coach. It challenged him to think about culture, relationships and how to bring the best out of people, lessons that would become hallmarks of his coaching in the years ahead. That curiosity to learn and improve quickly grew beyond a single team.

While formal courses and development opportunities played an important role, he believes the people around him have had the greatest influence on his growth.

"There have been so many people and experiences that have influenced my coaching. It has been the people I've coached with, coached against, learned from and been challenged by who have had the biggest impact."

Mentors, fellow coaches, support staff and players have all contributed to shaping his thinking. Ryan speaks highly of the influence of players within the Takapuna Premier Women's programme and the New Zealand 35s Women's team, particularly Petrea Webster, Ella Hyatt-Brown, Aniwaka Roberts and Kushla Glauser-Child. More broadly, he believes the collective experiences, perspectives and feedback from all players across these teams have played a significant role in shaping the coach he is today.

That belief that coach development happens through relationships, experiences and shared learning has remained a constant throughout his journey.

Those experiences helped prepare him to lead the New Zealand 35s Women's programme on the world stage. Earlier this year, the team reached the Masters World Cup Final in Rotterdam, finishing with a silver medal.

While the result was a significant achievement, he is most proud of the programme that has been built over the past three years.

"The culture, respect, standards and talent within the group are now functioning at an incredibly high level."

"You need talent to win, but I believe talent combined with strong culture, preparation and alignment gives you the best chance of success."

Despite the achievements, he sees coach development as an ongoing journey rather than a destination.

Looking ahead, Ryan hopes to continue challenging himself through higher-level coaching opportunities, advanced coaching qualifications and experiences within national age-group environments.

He is also a strong believer that some of the best learning happens through conversations.

"I love grabbing a coffee with coaches and hearing how they see the game, how they approach different challenges and what they have learned through their own experiences."

For coaches looking to continue their own development, his advice is simple.

"Stick with it and do the yards. Coaching isn't easy and it is very time consuming, but it's the people, the connections, the lifelong friends and the highs that make it so fulfilling. Keep learning new things, work on your culture early, and make sure it's fun because hockey is fun."

His story is a reminder that coach development rarely follows a straight line. It is built through experiences, relationships, challenges and opportunities, often beginning with a simple decision to say yes.

From coaching a local Division 2 team in 2018 to leading New Zealand to a Masters World Cup final, Ryan's journey so far highlights the power of staying curious, embracing new experiences and continuing to learn at every stage of the coaching journey.

We thank Ryan for sharing his coaching journey and for his contribution to hockey, and wish him all the best for the exciting opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.