IWD: Inspire Inclusion
It's International Women's Day. The theme this year is Inspire Inclusion.
Today is International Women’s Day. Around the build up to this day there’s been some reports released and announcements that I’m going to dig into at a later date.
It’s important that the reports, surveys and results released around IWD also get spoken about after the day has passed.
Posts and events around this day can feel tokenistic (see Ali Donnelly’s amazing LinkedIn post highlighting some questions).
However, there are real conversations happening, and days like today can highlight the good work that is happening. IWD should also be used to spark thought and action all year round
This year’s theme is Inspire Inclusion.
This phrase resonates with me as a coach.
Coaching the women’s team, coaching any team of any gender, the primary task as a coach is to include everyone. My task as head coach of the women’s rugby team is to ensure that every woman has the opportunity to feel included within the sport.
A big part of feeling included happens on the training pitch. The leadership group we have play a huge part in this. We make a conscious effort to speak to everyone. All players are welcomed, waved at, spoken to.
Work to be inclusive also needs to happen away from the pitch: clubhouses, coach education, NGBs… the list goes on.
I’m proud that this newsletter and site is a space for some discussions around inclusion. There’s some female-specific rugby topics coming in the next few weeks that I’m really excited to share.
Female health topics within sport are becoming normalised within discussions. This is the key to sport being inclusive for women.
As a coach, I start some of the conversations. We have period products in the toilets. We speak about menopause and pelvic floor. But soon, the players take the lead and it becomes like another aspect of the team, like our values, trying out a new game or working on a skill.
Discussions about this aren’t solely for the realms of women. If you’re a male coach, you can speak to a player to help take the lead on some discussions or initiate it yourself. It’s ok to say aloud that you’re learning.
Some of these topics are still considered taboo, it’s important to acknowledge that sometimes kickstarting a discussion can be a bit uncomfortable to begin with
Chats about periods, menopause, pelvic floor, breast health, smear tests and more become the norm.
Education is the key to empowerment. Education for players and for coaches.
No IWD day is complete without shouting out some amazing women within our communities who do some amazing work to inspire inclusion within sport all year round.
It’s impossible to include everyone but there are some who I would like to name. They have made the past few months, this past year, better by having their support.
Huddersfield RUFC Women’s Team
Sue Anstiss
Lucy Brown
Kaila Colbin
Ali Donnelly
Sandie Bunyard (my amazing mum)