EuroHockey Coaching Committee’s opening meeting of 2026 focused on core priority areas: the continued evolution of EuroHockey’s flagship coaching programmes (Coaching for Europe and the Top Coaches Programme), the Development of National Coaching Systems (DNCS), and ongoing work to better support and develop female coaches across the sport.

Within the core programmes, the committee discussed a number of future developments, including increased accessibility through both direct and self-nominations from 2027, as well as adjustments to the timeline of the nomination process.

Greater visibility of participant progress and a full programme review later in the year will help ensure these initiatives continue to meet the evolving needs of coaches across Europe.

National development also remained a central focus, with continued work on strengthening the DNCS programme.

This includes refining the roles of educators and national developers as well as identifying future national associations that could benefit from targeted support based on their organisational readiness and development needs.

Supporting female coaches was highlighted as a key strategic priority. The committee confirmed the launch of a survey exploring barriers to high-performance coaching, alongside a commitment to build on existing mentoring initiatives and programmes.

Insights from across Europe will inform how best to integrate female coach development into EuroHockey’s core activities moving forward.

In addition to these priority areas, the committee also explored opportunities for innovation in coach education and shared updates from national systems, reinforcing a collaborative approach to development across the network.

The next EuroHockey Coaching Committee meeting will take place on 29–30 September 2026, where progress in these key areas will continue to be reviewed and advanced.