Women in Coaching: Karin Hugo : 2015-08-25
Karin Hugo
Karin Hugo is a Maties coach and involved with Maties Swimming and Maties Hockey. She has also been a coach for the SA Paralympic Swimming team since 2004.
What do you enjoy most about coaching?
“I have to be honest and say that my main love for coaching is driven by the feeling of success. Success can however take on many forms: When my athlete or team wins, when a person gets selected for a special team, when I see players master a skill or an individual come alive in a session or when I see great friendships formed.”
What are your coaching qualifications?
PhD in Sport Science, SSA Level 3 coach and NSCA- CSCS.
Why do you think there aren’t many women in professional coaching?
“There can be a couple of reasons for this. Traditionally, women in coaching have tended to work with younger athletes due to perceptions that they were better equipped to ‘mother’ and nurture than their male counterparts. Secondly, elite coaching jobs have been male dominated which have lead many to perceive women to be less capable. Lastly, low numbers of women in elite sport inevitably mean fewer role models for up and coming female coaches.”
Why would you encourage women to get more involved?
“Women have different life and leadership experiences, something the sporting world can capitalise on. We must remember that women make up nearly halve of our national teams.”
Some of your career highlights?
“Many of the highlights I have experienced are knowing that I have played a part, big or small, in making a dream come true such as winning a medal, reaching a personal best time or being selected for a team. Personally, the biggest highlight for me as a coach has been attending the pinnacle of all sporting events in the world – the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
AFRIKAANS
Karin Hugo is ‘n Maties-afrigter en betrokke by Maties Swem en Maties Hokkie. Sy is ook sedert 2004 die Paralimpiese swemspan se afrigter.
Wat geniet jy die meeste van afrigting?
“Ek moet erken, my hoofdryfveer vir afrigting is om sukses te beleef. Sukses kan egter baie vorme aanneem: soos wanneer my atleet of span wen; wanneer een van hulle gekies word vir ‘n spesiale span; wanneer ek spelers ‘n vaardigheid sien bemeester of ‘n speler skielik in ‘n sessie kliek; of wanneer ek sien hoe vriendskappe gesmee word.”
Watter kwalifikasies het jy vir afrigting?
‘n PhD in sportwetenskap, SSA vlak 3-afrigter en NSCA- CSCS.
Hoekom dink jy is daar nie so baie vroue wat professioneel afrig nie?
“Daar kan ‘n paar redes hiervoor wees. Tradisioneel was die neiging dat vroulike afrigters liewer met jonger atlete werk omdat die persepsie was dat vroue beter toegerus is om “ma te speel” en op te voed as hul manlike eweknieë. Tweedens, is die elite-afrigtingposte gewoonlik deur mans gedomineer, wat die indruk geskep het dat vroue minder bevoeg is. Laastens, het die klein aantal vroue in elitesport beteken daar is minder rolmodelle vir opkomende vroulike afrigters.”
Hoekom sou jy vroue aanmoedig om meer betrokke te raak?
“Vroue se lewens- en leierskapondervinding is verskillend. Dit is eienskappe waarop die sportwêreld moet kapitaliseer. Ons moet onthou vroue maak amper die helfte van ons nasionale uit.”
Wat is van die hoogtepunte in jou loopbaan?
“Baie van die hoogtepunte wat ek ervaar het, is in die wete dat ek ‘n deel, klein of groot, bygedra het om ‘n droom te bewaarheid – hetsy dit is of om ‘n medalje te wen, ‘n persoonlike-beste tyd op te stel of vir ‘n bepaalde span gekies te word. Vir my persoonlik was dit om die room van wêreldsportgeleenthede – die Olimpiese en Paralimpiese Spele – as afrigter by te woon.”