Pioneer among men – AS.com

Katie Allen debuts in a big way, at the height of the career of a hockey super class, who with Australia won all from 1994 to 2003 in the 187 games he played as an international. including those Sydney Olympics (2000), at home and in front of his family: “It is a special part of my life, a unique moment that remains forever. We have a Whatsapp group and we all keep in touch”. The course started with the 2-4 of his RC Polo against Atlético Terrassacurrent League and Cup champion, the presentation letter from first female coach in a Men’s Honor Division that the curtain rose in September.

The Adelaide-born coach has already made history in her country. In 2017 took over the Camberwell from Victoria Premier League masculine with whom raised the championship. She was not only the first woman to coach a top-level men’s team, but she got the title. “Gender doesn’t matter. The key is character. The ability to solve conflictsmanage people, Earn respect, listen to you and open up to your ideas. Obviously we must have different perspectives in gender role, but I think that I have a strong vision and a good program”, he explains from the Polo grandstand, where this weekend he will continue with the attempt to “win titles, if last year Polo was second, to improve is to be first”.

Despite this, Allen, 48understand that before marking those objectives so ambitious you have to “build team”. The Australian lives a period of introspection although it is not her first experience in Spain. “I I moved here to be able to train in europe and I collaborated with the men’s hockey team, with Max Caldas. I have always been open to opportunities. I took my time but I was attracted to this change and this opportunity”, he valued.

As a central defender and insider to the game, Allen fell in love with the sport since she was a child. Her grandmother was a hockey coach and her parents instilled in her a love of physical activity as a child. At school he played tennis, basketball, softball and cricket.. Also hockey, a sport that captivated him and in which he quickly jumped to the national team. “My country is very big and we have many academies. Each state is responsible for capturing talent to then be able to supply the national team “. Allen was one of those lucky girls.

From your experience, Allen considers that the Spanish people they have one great creativity” and a big “team spirit”. But, compared to Australia, a team that is one step above Spain (14 Olympic medals, four golds in both categories), must improve: “In Australia there are perhaps more physical consistency and intensity. I think they can compete longer at a higher level there.” She hopes to contribute her grain of sand.