Gibson joins the Field Hockey Canada team as NextGen Director
Field Hockey Canada is excited to announce the hiring of Andrea Gibson as the organization’s NextGen Director. Gibson grew up playing hockey in Belfast, Northern Ireland. She moved to Canada in 2009 and has been a dedicated community and provincial coach in British Columbia ever since, including working as a full-time technical director for the last five years.
Upon moving to Canada, she didn’t initially intend to be a full-time hockey coach and administrator but her professional background in education and her athletic experience led her down a pathway perfectly suited for coaching. After a decade working in grassroots hockey, club, academy, and provincial environments, she steps into a national NextGen leadership role. For her, it’s the perfect next step for her to contribute to the development of hockey across the country.
“I wholeheartedly believe in the necessity of a strong NextGen program in order to grow the sport and achieve international success,” Gibson said. “It’s a great time to get involved in this program. We have a great structure and we have great people in place. I’m excited to be a part of Field Hockey Canada. I believe that the way to grow our player base and have success on the international stage comes from a strong and connected NextGen pathway.”
Susan Ahrens, CEO of Field Hockey Canada, said Gibson’s experience is the perfect fit to join into the role of NextGen Director. Her work in the community has already had an impact at the provincial and community level, and the timing of her shift is excellent for Field Hockey Canada.
“Andrea has a decade of technical director experience and has worked in provincial and youth pathway spaces,” Ahrens said. “She’s a system builder and collaborator who will work with our amazing local communities from coast-to-coast-to-coast to build a system which serves our athletes and makes the pathway accessible and inclusive.”
Gibson has coached primarily in BC, with experience as a Technical Director for Sea to Sky Field Hockey Club and a head coach for West Vancouver Field Hockey Club. She intends to leverage her provincial and community connections to build out a thriving NextGen system that benefits the athletes and the entire Field Hockey Canada community.
“Through the NextGen program, there is an unparalleled level of connection across all Field Hockey Canada high performance programs. We integrate indoor sessions, technical, tactical, mental performance sessions,” she said. “We will see the most success when we collaborate with provincial organizations and clubs across the country to make a strong NextGen program.”
Field Hockey Canada is thrilled to have such a qualified and dedicated hockey community member in the role of NextGen Director.
