Women's hockey talking points: 'Female coaches can break into men’s game,' says Buckingham's Zak Jones

Buckingham coach Zak Jones says the growth of female hockey coaches at the top of the domestic scene is healthy for the sport and it won’t be long before more women are making inroads into the men’s game.

As the outdoor season reaches the winter break, three of the top four clubs in the Investec Premier Division are coached by women, with half of the 10 sides in the top flight coached by men. However, the last club to become league champions with a woman at the helm came in 2009 when Tina Cullen took Bowdon to the title.

Hampstead & Westminster’s joint coaches Kate Richardson-Walsh and Sarah Kelleher are currently the nearest challengers to Brett Garrard’s all-conquering Surbiton, with the perennial champions six points clear at the top.

Jen Wilson, who took over from Gordon Shepherd as Scotland women’s coach last year, has also taken the Blue Sticks back to Europe’s top tier this summer, with the squad nominated for several team of the year awards in recent weeks.

“We are pretty good with being inclusive and better than other sports,” said Jones. “We are starting to see and it won't be long before they [women coaches] can transfer their skills across into the men's game.

“Technically the game is similar and tactically there are aspects which are different but if you have the knowledge you can transfer it easily. Quality players like Kate and Jen understand the game and it will be no surprise to me that they can transfer the skills across the genders."

After a memorable year overseeing Wales men, Jones was nominated in the High Performance Coach of the Year category at last week’s UK Coaching Awards, which was won by swimming's Mel Marshall, who has taken Adam Peaty to unprecedented heights.

Jones has been coach of Buckingham for 15 years but now senses a changing of the guard. He added: “It's really healthy for the sport and talking to female players who have been keen coaches on the lower pathway, they have often been frustrated at lack of opportunities in the past but that is definitely changing for the better.”

When Kelleher and Richardson-Walsh took H&W up from the Investec Women’s Conference East last season, less than half of the 10 clubs had female head coaches.

“It’s the same in all sectors; in business and all different sports,” Richardson-Walsh has said. “There are aspects which need to be looked at. Part of it is role modelling. If you don’t see it as a viable option, if you don’t see other people doing it, you don’t ever consider it as an option.”

Meanwhile Wilson, who has previously coached Ashford Kent men’s side and is currently player-coach at Sevenoaks ladies, is enthused for the future. The South African said: “Beforehand, it wasn't even considered but now it's not a question of gender but of ability wise and can they cope with it. That's superb to see.”

Jones bucks the trend

He has taken Buckingham from the lows of Middx, Berks, Bucks & Oxon Division 3 to the highs of the league play-offs.

On Saturday, Natasha Jones, joint top scorer last season, notched a clinical penalty corner double to earn Buckingham a 3-2 home win against Bowdon. A win over Holcombe this weekend will take Jones' side into the top four before their winter break.

Yet, as Buckingham continues to punch above its weight, the club is in tune with the off-pitch challenges. So much so that a recent club review saw officials mull options of potential mergers. 

“There have been discussions with the challenges of being a smaller club and everything else that is on the offer,” said the Welshman. “Is that a route for survival long term and whether it's sustainable for us as a small club? The preference would be to stay as we are and grow the junior programme.”

The club, which plays at Stowe School, has been forced to pull its third XI this season and depend largely on junior players. Buckingham had been in talks to share a home and clubhouse with a local state school a few seasons ago before a 3G pitch - unsuitable for hockey - was laid.

Axed GB duo reap club benefits

Suzy Petty and Erica Sanders were both dropped from the Great Britain women's central programme last month. It is now understood that Petty, who has over 50 international caps, is speaking to legal representatives over last month’s decision by GB Hockey.

In October, Petty admitted to trying to beat an eating disorder that she had “on and off” for the last decade as she bid to reach full fitness ahead of GB testing to combat the Tokyo heat. On Saturday, she was part of Wimbledon’s squad which scored a 10th successive win in the Investec Women’s Division 1 South. A 7-0 victory over Sevenoaks saw Crista Cullen, Fiona Semple and Anna Toman all net twice each.

Sanders, a 22-year-old talent who only made her GB debut last November, scored for Surbiton in their 3-1 victory over Beeston. Surbiton are the only undefeated club in the women’s top flight, while Surbiton men are also unbeaten, having already qualified for the season-ending play-off finals.

Meanwhile, East Grinstead forward Sophie Bray recorded successive hat-tricks during a convincing 4-0 win over Holcombe.

Investec Women’s Premier Division results

Buckingham 3 Bowdon 2
Beeston 1 Surbiton 3
Loughborough Students 2
Clifton Robinsons 2
University of Birmingham 1 Hampstead & Westminster 3
East Grinstead 4 Holcombe 0

What’s on this weekend

Sunday Holcombe v Buckingham, 2pm
(TBC) Bowdon v Buckingham