'It's about the coaching for me': Female assistant coach thriving with the U of A's Golden Bears
A skilled hockey player from Fairview, Alta., with a knack for coaching was handpicked by the head coach of the University of Alberta’s Golden Bears Hockey to join the team's staff.
Throughout her career, Rachel Wiebe, 22, told CTV News she has primarily played for men's teams. But, it was always a long-term dream to play for the U of A Pandas, the school's female team
“I had always wanted to play on the Pandas since I could skate,” she explained.
“My parents put me on skates as soon as I could walk. I'd always dreamed of coming to come play here.”
Before making her way to Edmonton, Wiebe was attending school and playing women’s hockey in Grande Prairie.
Eventually she made the difficult decision to quit playing because of too many concussions and began coaching, which led to a multitude of opportunities.
When she decided to transfer to the U of A for school, Wiebe reached out to Howie Draper, the Pandas head coach, to try and achieve her childhood dream “in some capacity.”
She joked she would even “fill water bottles,” if necessary.
Well, the team did more than that. She was offered an assistant coach position for the 2019-2020 season. That’s how she met Ian Herbers, head coach for the Golden Bears.
Wiebe recalls Herbers reaching out to her over the summer.
“He said, ‘Hey, I would like you on my team as an assistant coach. Are you interested?’”
“I said, “Yeah, absolutely,’” she laughed.
While she’s now coaching for a men’s team, she said all the staff and players have been respectful, supportive and receptive of her feedback.
“You’ve got a wide range of skill-sets and experience and the players do too. They've come from all over,” she explained. “So as much as I’m able to contribute to their game and help develop them, they help contribute to my knowledge of the game as well.”
Wiebe told CTV News it can be intimidating to be the only woman in the room but pushes past the discomfort with her confidence in the sport and her abilities.
“You get over that intimidation,” she said.
“Any assistant coach joining a new program, you have to earn the players respect through your knowledge of the game, your worth ethic, your passion for it. That's male or female, it doesn't really matter the gender in my mind, it's about the coaching for me.”
Wiebe said while stigma and stereotypes around women in male dominated sports still exists, it’s becoming less and less all the time.
“Fortunately, you are starting to see more women in sport and more women in men’s leagues.”
“I think seeing a growing number of women getting into it helps younger girls think like, ‘OK there’s someone that looks like me on this men’s team, maybe that’s something that I want to do,’” adding that an opportunity like this has to be earned every single day.
- BC Lions become first CFL team to hire full-time female coach, adding Walter to staff
- 'Great young team that is hungry to win': Canucks' hire first-ever female assistant general manager
Even though Wiebe is still working on her degree, she hopes to stay with the Golden Bears and “see where it goes.”
“For me, what I try to offer the team is I focus lots on the little details with them and make sure it’s the little battles they need to win to be successful overall,” she said.
“You’re always a student of the game, you’re always learning.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Hamas says latest ceasefire talks have ended. Israel vows military operation in 'very near future'
The latest round of Gaza cease-fire talks ended in Cairo after "in-depth and serious discussions,"{ the Hamas militant group said Sunday, reiterating key demands that Israel again rejected.
B.C. man wants homes for thousands of books he soon won't be able to read
In the 10 years since John William started to lose his vision, he's been finding new ways to enjoy his vast personal library.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
opinion You don't need to be an influencer to earn income from social media
How legitimate are claims by some content creators that the average person can earn passive income from social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram? Personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says it's quite possible, if you're willing to put in the initial time and effort.
William Shatner says he would consider 'Star Trek' return: 'Here comes Captain Kirk!'
The Montreal-born actor, famed for his portrayal of Captain Kirk in "Star Trek," says he is open to reprising the iconic role in the sci-fi franchise as long as the storytelling is stellar.
Chemical spill could be cause of stinky water in Puslinch, Ont., new report says
People living in Puslinch, Ont. may have the answer to why their water smelled so bad last year.
Mystik Dan wins the 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in a three-horse photo finish
Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby in a photo finish, edging out Forever Young and Sierra Leone for the upset victory.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.