Earlier this month, Ian Rutledge and family arrived in Vancouver, BC to begin his new role as Head Coach of the Women’s National Team. We recently caught up with Coach Rutledge to hear his thoughts on life in Canada and working with the Women’s National Team.
FHC: How did your move to Canada go?
Ian Rutledge (IR): Everything has gone smoothly! We have been overwhelmed with the gestures, kindness and welcoming nature of everyone we have met. We have all settled in well and quickly.
FHC: What was your first impression of Vancouver?
IR: The city is absolutely beautiful – the pictures we had seen did not do it justice. So far, we enjoy living in our lovely, quiet neighbourhood. This is all at the end of winter so we can’t wait to experience the city in other seasons!
FHC: Has anything in Canada surprised you?
IR: You guys drive on the wrong side of the road and the wrong side of the car! Also, no one mentioned the rain! Nevertheless, every day we are learning something new – which is brilliant, and one of the main reasons we were excited to move to Canada.
FHC: How is it going with the Women’s National Team so far?
IR: The girls are training very, very well. They are keen to learn and work hard – two exceptionally important qualities we need to possess as we work towards Olympic qualification. I have been impressed by their skill level and overall attitude. First impressions have been positive impressions.
FHC: There are a large number of women signed up for the upcoming Women’s National Team Training Camp. What are you most looking forward to?
IR: I am really excited about the upcoming camp and the opportunity to view the best talent in Canada. This represents our first step toward Rio 2016, with stops at Glasgow and Toronto along the way. We will be using the camp, along with upcoming international and domestic opportunities, to refine our squad into one that can achieve success for Canada throughout 2013 and 2014. This is truly a unique opportunity for aspiring athletes to attend the camp and perform in front of a coach who has limited knowledge of the playing population. Reputation will mean little and all players will be on a level playing field. The Junior Camp running parallel will also provide the best young players the opportunity to show case their talent in the lead up to the Junior World Cup, which is also a very important benchmark event for our program.
The Women’s National Program Training Camps will take place March 27 – 31 at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
