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Vision: Aerial view of hockey field at night under lights.
Text: Fair Access in Hobsons Bay.
Vision: View of young people training at night.
Peter Dolenc - Altona Hockey Club Board Member, Secretary
Having fair access for women and girls is really important to us.
Vision: View of young people training at night. Team members listening to coach at the training session.
Peter Dolenc
It sort of fits in with our overall purpose of being a community club that serves all of the community and everybody. We have written in our Constitution gender-balance requirements.
Vision: Team members at training session listening to coach.
Peter Dolenc
Having women in leadership positions in the club sets a really great example that it’s not a boys club.
Vision: View of team members training at night.
Tracey Drake - Former Altona Hockey Club Board Member, Chair of Hockey Victoria
At Altona I’ve been on the Board for about 18 years in a treasurer role, I’ve coached for many years here as well, and now I’m also the Chair of Hockey Victoria, which is our state hockey association.
Vision: View of team members training at night.
Tracey Drake
Hockey Victoria has, for a really long time, made an effort to focus on women and girls participation, and we’ve also included through criteria that we’ve set for clubs, to meet gender-balanced targets.
Vision: View of team members training at night.
Tracey Drake
So we’ve now got, in terms of membership, many, many women on boards across the state, so 40% of our clubs across Victoria have female presidents.
Vision: View of team members training at night.
Tracey Drake
For clubs who want more women involved in leadership I would just encourage to provide as many opportunities as they possibly can. One of the best ways to do that is to, if you haven’t got it, enter a women or girls’ team and then encourage women to coach. Quite often women will respond to a direct approach as well.
Bronte Kerley - Altona Hockey Club Board Member, Inclusion & Social
So my role on the Board here at Altona Hockey Club is as Social and Inclusion portfolios.
Vision: View of team members training at night.
Bronte Kerley
The club encouraged me to have a leadership role. It was very casual to start off with, and then to actually get the tap on the shoulder from our last President, Alex Tyrrell, he just thought after, like, the record of being involved with social and inclusion events that he thought that it would be the next step for me.
Vision: View of team members training at night.
Tracey Drake
Hockey Victoria has really just worked very hard to ensure that that equality is not just on the pitch in terms of participation, it’s a quality across the board in those leadership roles.
Vision: Aerial view of hockey field at night under lights.
Text:Find out more about Fair Access at: changeourgame.vic.gov.au. Change our Game. VicHealth. Victoria State Government.
Text: Authorised by Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place Melbourne.
Altona Hockey Club has their eyes on achieving equal representation in leadership and governance roles off the pitch.
The club has noticed the positive impact of their women leaders on the community, as part of their approach to championing fair access.
Having women in leadership positions in the club sets a really great example that it’s not a boys club.Peter Dolenc, Altona Hockey Club Secretary.
They to shape a strong culture and build an environment that welcomes women and girls by encouraging them to explore coaching and governance positions, as well as playing hockey.
At a state-level, the sport has been working to ensure women and girls have equal access to opportunities.
‘Hockey for a very long time has made an effort to focus on women and girls' participation and we’ve also included criteria that we’ve set for clubs, to meet gender-balanced targets, said Chair of Hockey Victoria and former Altona Hockey Club board member Tracey Drake
‘40% of our clubs across Victoria have female presidents.’
Tracey emphasised the need to provide women and girls with paths to progress their skillsets off the hockey pitch, to build their capabilities and pursue their dreams.
‘For clubs who want more women involved in leadership I would just encourage them to provide as many opportunities as they possibly can.’
‘One of the best ways to do that is enter a women or girls’ team and then encourage women to coach.’
Page last updated: 12 December 2024
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