Wednesday, August 27 – Monchengladbach: Earlier this summer, Tom Simms, Caoilín Ní Chatháin, and Anna Pim represented Ireland at the EuroHockey Youth Leadership Festival in Mönchengladbach, joining participants from across Europe for a week of learning, collaboration, and hockey. The event began with team-building activities and quickly moved into workshops, presentations, and practical sessions exploring leadership, inclusivity, officiating, coaching, marketing, and the future of sport.
As part of the programme, each youth leader presented their own project. Tom introduced “That’s Better | Hockey Lab”, a research and innovation initiative aimed at testing and developing new ideas within the sport. Caoilín presented “Bridging the Hockey Gap”, which tackles one of youth sport’s most pressing issues: the high dropout rate among teenage girls. Through her Perform Hockey Academy, she provides support at key transition stages—such as moving from primary to secondary school or from school into university. The first summer camp welcomed 80 girls aged 10–13, including 17 newcomers to the sport, combining fun, skills, and confidence-building in a supportive environment. Her project was selected as one of just six finalists to be showcased to the EuroHockey Board, highlighting its potential impact across Europe.
The week also featured inclusive hockey formats, a mini-tournament, and morning fitness sessions, as well as opportunities to hear from leading figures in the game. Participants also enjoyed top-level hockey, including the Hockey ID finals and an international between Ireland and Germany that captured the electric atmosphere of Sparkassen Park.
This year’s festival also saw Irish representation on the organisational side, with Anna Pim serving as part of the EuroHockey Youth Leadership Committee. Having once been a participant herself, Anna now helped to shape the experience for the next generation of youth leaders, reflecting both the festival’s impact and the strength of Irish involvement in European hockey.
