The newly formed EuroHockey Youth Committee held its first meeting recently in Brussels marking an exciting new chapter with a refreshed group.
The group has recently gone through a significant transition, with many new members joining the committee as a number of long-term members graduated from the youth ranks after the EuroHockey Championships last August.
Both EuroHockey board member Gizem Karaali Karadağ and EuroHockey Institute Manager Cameron Findler were enthused by the new members, all of which contributed well to the meeting and will be valuable members of the committee moving forward.
“I was really impressed by the energy, motivation, and fresh perspectives that the new committee members brought to the meeting,” Gizem Karaali Karadağ said of the first group.
“It was inspiring to see such engaged young leaders who are passionate about contributing to the future of hockey in Europe.
For me personally, this was also a special moment, as I participated in the EuroHockey Youth Festival myself back in 2017, and now being part of the EuroHockey Board shows how valuable these youth opportunities can be for personal and professional development within our hockey community.
“I truly believe this group has the potential to create meaningful projects and strengthen youth leadership across Europe.”
With a largely new committee, they took the opportunity to give a comprehensive overview of EuroHockey’s operational structure, strategy, and core values.
Each member then shared their personal aims for their time on the committee. Following this, all members shared a presentation of the state of youth leadership within their respective countries.
On Sunday, Gino Schilders introduced an opportunity for the young leaders to apply for a European grant to support a youth exchange programme.
This would be an application written by, and executed by, the youth leaders themselves, so gives them an opportunity take on more responsibility if they are self-motivated.
Finally, initial discussions around the upcoming youth festival that will take place alongside EuroChamps27 in London.
