EuroHockey Executive Board Meeting, 29th – 30th November 2024, Brussels

President Marcos Hofmann opened the meeting by thanking all members for their attendance and remarking on how great it was to see the full board gathered.  

Over the past few months, he visited several National Associations (NAs) (Netherlands, Belgium, France, Bulgaria, England, and Türkiye) and provided the board with updates from those meetings. 

Approval of Minutes 

The minutes from the online meeting held on 27th September 2024 were approved without amendments. 

FIH update 

The President and board members reviewed the recent FIH Congress, discussing its overall outcomes and the value it brought to the National Associations (NAs). Board members had the opportunity to share their perspectives and deliberate on future directions for the coming years.  

The President highlighted the positive development of having two European representatives (ordinary members) on the FIH board, noting that this would strengthen its composition moving forward. 

Organisational health and Operational plans 

The board conducted an overview of EuroHockey’s activities using the Rumsfeld Matrix to evaluate its progress and identify areas to address in planning the content for the next board meeting. Tom Pedersen-Smith led this exercise and subsequently presented a comprehensive analysis of EuroHockey as an organisation. He provided updates on the organisational health programmes for National Associations (NAs) and shared the EuroHockey operational plan, which is set to be presented to the FIH in December. 

EDI charter and EuroHockey Foundation 

Cathelijne Rockall and Tom Pedersen-Smith provided the board with an update following the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) panel meeting, outlining the goals and timelines for the EDI chapter. 

President and Tom presented an update on the EuroHockey Foundation, including potential partnerships. 

Communications panel report 

Gabriele Lemmle and Siobhán Madeley presented the outcomes of the Communications Panel meeting to the board, covering EuroHockey’s communications objectives for 2025, target audiences, communication channels, key and supporting events, plans for streaming events in 2025. 

Coaching committee report 

Inez Cooper and Cameron Findler updated the board on the remodel of the coaching pillar, with an emphasis on supporting the development of national coaching systems (DNCS). 

Commercial panel report 

Inez Cooper introduced the members of the Commercial Panel to the board. Jokko de Wit provided an update on the focus and achievements of the past six months. Jokko presented two new partners, and shared updates on ongoing EHTV+ developments and the OTT business case. He also introduced a potential partner for the EHL and reported on the successful EuroHockey freestyle competition held in October 2024 during the EHL in Surbiton. 

Competitions report 

Walter Kapounek provided the board with an update on the outdoor and indoor events scheduled for 2025 and 2026, noting some withdrawals and explaining the situation with Ukraine. 

David Voskamp and Angus Kirkland presented the board with proposed tournament grades for disciplinary matters. 

Angus Kirkland provided an update on the EHC 2025 following the latest meeting with DHB, as well as an update on the EHC 2027 after the recent meeting with England Hockey. 

Peter Elders and Angus Kirkland provided the board with an update on EHL matters, including the KO16, progress with partners, and the timelines for the announcement of the draw and ticket sales. 

Officials committee report 

Magdalena Nazaret, Peter Elders, and Gráinne Corry presented the board with the outcomes of the latest Officials Committee meeting, addressing post-tournament challenges, upcoming educational projects, and official appointments. 

Finance report 

Levi Van Havere presented the board with a financial performance report up to October 2024. He provided a detailed overview of the current financial outlook and confirmed that the budget for 2025, approved at the General Assembly in November 2024, remains on track. 

The meeting concluded at 12:30 CET. 

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For more information on our programmes go to the EuroHockey Institute

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