Stunning victories and raised a lot of silverware! He now heads up the coaching team of the Spanish men’s team. Listen here to discover more about his passion for instilling a love of the game in others and how his experience has enabled him to apply the lessons he has learnt during his career and his aspirations for this young ambitious Spanish team

To begin the 2024 series of EuroHockey Institute podcasts, Jack Rolfe speaks to Tom Kirby about his journey since his first taste of Hockey ID eight years ago to travelling around the continent, embracing a number of EuroHockey ID championships and all the laughs in between. They talk about what are key parts of an inclusive coaching session and how does an organisation create opportunities for Hockey ID players.

Olympic, World and European champion Thomas Briels talks to Jack Rolfe about the elements that made him the player he is, from learning to do the "ugly metres" that became intrinsic to his hockey DNA to coming around to what he saw as an unlikely captaincy role during the Belgian Red Lions' golden era. Tune in for this fascinating chat with one of the latest entrants into the EuroHockey Hall of Fame in our October EuroHockey Institute Podcast!

To start the fifth series of the EuroHockey Podcast, Mike Hughes speaks to Stephen Findlater this month about the incredible rise of Old Georgians, creating the culture and environment to get from relative obscurity to the very top of the English hockey tree and how he looks to try and bring that magic to new club Indian Gymkhana. Recorded earlier this summer, he reflects on how this journey was inspired by his time on the EuroHockey Top Coaches Programme (TCP) and the challenging environment which helped develop his approach. Applications are currently open for the TCP via your Member National Association. It is an international coaching programme which is designed to support coaches who want to work at an elite level within the game. Exploring the principles of coaching, devising and developing strategic nous, evolving a coaching philosophy and understanding the management of teams and individual athletes are all part of this comprehensive, world class programme. For more information, click here: https://eurohockey.org/programme-session/top-coaches-programme-tcp

Later this month, Marijke Fleuren's tenure as EuroHockey President comes to a close following a remarkable 12-year spell in the role. As such, who better to be our EuroHockey Institute Podcast guest as we look back on an incredible leader and game-changer for our organisation and our sport. She speaks to host Jack Rolfe who says of this edition: "I reflect on this podcast with Marjike about how she embodies so effortlessly two words I always associate with our wonderful game of hockey: people and passion. "You will listen to this episode and hear the lessons of a leader that puts people first and brings ideas from reality to the real world; lessons that could have a profound effect on bringing people together with the game of hockey in your club, association or organisation."

Marieke Dijkstra is this month’s EuroHockey Institute Podcast guest, speaking to Jack Rolfe about her diverse and fascinating career in coaching. Following an international indoor and outdoor career, captaining the Dutch side to a first World Cup title on the boards in 2007. She then repeated the trick in 2015 as coach. Around that, she has been something of a game-changer. She made her way into the Hoofdklasse as a rare female coach of men's side, breaking past initial resistance to make her mark with promotion with Voordaan. Since then, she has numerous key roles, salvaging a rough season for SV Kampong's women at short notice, working with Pinoké's rising stars to working with the Dutch senior men’s setup for the past two years. She tells Jack about those experiences and how it has shaped her thinking, particularly when taking on the top job with Den Bosch dames side in transition after a decade under Raoul Ehren, landing a Dutch championship in 2022 and then, leading them to the Euro Hockey League at Easter this year.  A fascinating chat, have a listen here!

For Pride month’s EuroHockey Institute Podcast, we have the incredible Nikki Symmons. A groundbreaker in numerous realms; a Yahoo & Involve Outstanding LGBTQ Role Model 2021 & 2022, a dual Irish international across hockey and cricket, an ambassador with Athlete Ally, an inclusion and diversity advisor and, of course, a EuroHockey Hall of Famer. Nikki speaks to Jack Rolfe about her career, the devastation of missing out on Olympic qualification, her subsequent attempts to escape those memories only to end up in Lausanne, face to face with the five rings at each turn. She gives a fascinating insight into life first playing the sport and her subsequent role as a thought-leader in hockey’s adaptation to the digital world for five years and how the sport battles to make its mark in that realm.

This month, we turn the tables with regular EuroHockey Institute Podcast host Jack Rolfe receiving the questions from the EHF's Stephen Findlater. The Englishman talks about his coaching journey and expanding his horizons through the Coaches 4 Europe program. It is an adventure which has also seen him found the Coaching Lab and the innovative Match Play Cards which are now used in over 50 countries and by many elite clubs outside of hockey such as Arsenal, Liverpool and West Ham. Now based in Perth, he also reflects on the differences in hockey cultures between Europe and Australia and what it was like to share a bench with Jamie Dwyer, Blake Govers, Eddie Ockenden and Tyler Lovell!

Series 4 Episode 6 - This month on the EuroHockey Institute Podcast, we have an extra special guest with FIH World Cup winner Christopher Rühr talking to Jack Rolfe. They discuss coaching creativity, motivation and how this marries with the high-level tactical awareness that is synonymous with German hockey. Have a listen to this fascinating chat with one of the sport's current superstars!

To celebrate International Women’s Day, we have a special EuroHockey Institute Podcast this month with Shirley McCay, Ireland’s most capped sportsperson who is now making a major impact on the next generation. Her story is symbolic of the “Green Army” and their rise from nowhere to the top table in the world, reaching the 2018 World Cup final. She speaks to Jack Rolfe about growing up far from the hockey hubs of Ireland but how her background helped shape her, how her ‘stubbornness and steeliness’ drove her to never wonder ‘what if’. Beyond her playing days, she has had a direct influence in guiding and inspiring the next generation. She has been involved for almost a decade as a talent coach with Ulster Hockey, the northern province in Ireland, overseeing programmes from primary school level up to Under-21 level. Her approach is very much a player-centred one, making sure to listen to athletes and observe the new evolutions in the sport rather than hark back to the elements which influenced her early career. Enjoy episode five of this fourth series of the EuroHockey Institute Podcast.