As of September 4, 2012, Sharon Creelman’s one year appointment as Technical Director ends. Field Hockey Canada is fortunate to have had her expertise on staff for the past year as she leaves behind a great foundation for supporting talent development and coaching across Canada.
In 2010, Field Hockey Canada received funding from Own The Podium (OTP) to hire a Technical Director, a position FHC had not had for many years. Mary Cicinelli, former President of FHC, currently Venue Director for the 2013 Pan American Cup and field hockey Chair for the 2015 Pan American Games recalls directly asking Creelman, “Can you take a one year secondment from Appleby College and take on FHC’s Technical Director role?” Creelman was intrigued and agreed to take on a new field hockey challenge.
Creelman’s experience as an educator, her understanding of field hockey at all levels, combined with a Master’s degree in coaching, meant she was an ideal addition to the team to work on the completion and delivery of FHC’s integrated LTHD model. This included the implementation of the new Coach Certification Program, setting up the competition review, and working with the FHC Officials Committee and on the National Championships. Karen O’Neill, CEO of Field Hockey Canada, is quick to reinforce Creelman’s contributions over the past year, “The knowledge she brings of the game, the community and what is required is exceptional. The challenges she faced were large as her role was to frame some critical coaching and LTHD plans and she has done a great job”.
Creelman acknowledges she finds it difficult to replace the sense of accomplishment she felt as a player. A three time Olympian (1984,1988 and 1992), two time World Cup medalist, and former Junior National Coach, her breadth of experience ranges from high performance to the developmental aspects of hockey across Canada. She is confident the opportunities being created for 14 to 16 years olds through talent identification and development and access to high performance coaches will go a long way in player talent development needed in field hockey across Canada. “The work Sharon has accomplished has been tremendous. Much remains to be done, but she has built the foundation needed for both the coaching and the LTHD pathways. Her knowledge, skills and ability will be hard to replace. She still has so much more to contribute and we are pleased to have her back on the Board,” says Ian Baggott, Chair, FHC.
Creelman resumes her role as Athletic Director at Appleby College as of September 2012. FHC is fortunate to have Creelman rejoin the FHC Board of Directors in her prior position effective September 18, 2012. We look forward to her continued leadership and contribution to field hockey in Canada over many years to come!