Hockey -ID -coach Emily Peers traveled with the English hockey team to the Eurohockey championships in Monchengladbach where the team returned with Silver. She shares her experience with us:
After previously won Silver in 2023, which corresponds to a brand new group that has only trained once with all the players present, is incredible.
When I came to this group as a brand new coach, I was not sure what I could expect from the tournament, the players, the wider community and just wanted to ensure that everyone had the best experience they could go on and next to the field.
After this has now been completed, there was really nothing to worry about and I think a lot of it comes down to the hard work of the team I was a member of.
Jayne, Lochlann and Steve have created an incredible group that emphasizes hockey with a shirt from England.
To say that we did not have driven the result, the truth would stretch, we wanted medal medal and after a difficult day on Monday we did not think that this would be possible.
But after a solid regrouping and talking of our panda mascot, we knew as a coaching staff that we just had to bring it back to basics … scoring goals, have fun and staying positive.
Did the women’s team come to encourage us and to go in a singing with the Irish fans, the team even more? Absolutely yes and I am super grateful to all players to encourage the team.
We even had them announced to the players they had made the gold medal game just because it meant more that they came from them and not because we were all too emotional to tell the group themselves.
The tournament in general was even better than what I had hoped for and the community there was incredible. I felt like the new boy on the first day, but soon I was welcomed by all coaching teams and I was already looking forward to seeing them all again.
I know that I am biased, but our team spirit was definitely the best and seeing the players who grow through the tournament was the most proud of all.
#England #silver #lining #Hockey #team #Germany