Kelsey Koelzer: Breaking Barriers - Becoming the First Black Female Head Ice Hockey Coach

Today’s episode is all about breaking barriers—paving a path when no one has gone before you.

We address:

• What it was like growing up as the “token female” in hockey games
• Traits of the most successful coaches in sports
• How women can strive for success in an arena without a role model to follow
• Kelsey’s coaching philosophy and the legacy she wants to leave
• The progress of gender equality in collegiate and professional sports so far

Today, Karen speaks with Kelsey Koelzer, the first black and the first female coach of an NCAA hockey team. She will be starting the inaugural season in the Fall of 2021 at Arcadia University.

3 MAJOR POINTS DISCUSSED

• The number one trait of a successful sports coach is their ability to communicate. Whether they are a man or a woman, the best coaches are those who can forge the best bonds with their players, and this starts with their communication skills.
• If you don’t have a role model to follow, have an ideal level of skill to strive for. Kelsey had no female role model to look to when she began her career in ice hockey. However, what helped her stay on track and motivated to move forward was that she knew the type of athlete she wanted to be. She knew what it took to stand out in her sport, and she trained the specific skills that it would take for her to do just that.
• When looking to leave a lasting legacy, focus on the small steps. There is a lot of work left to do when it comes to gender equality in collegiate and professional sports, and it is right to acknowledge that. However, the best thing that anybody can do to make progress is to take every win that comes—big and small—and soldier on with the little things they can do to create even more change. For Kelsey, her sole focus today is to create a great program and be the best NCAA hockey coach she can be.

RESOURCES

• Kelsey Koelzer on Instagram
• Kelsey Koelzer on Twitter

Kelsey Koelzer is an American ice hockey defender, currently serving as head coach of the Arcadia University women's ice hockey program, the first black female head coach in NCAA ice hockey history, as well as the Advisor to the Commissioner on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the NWHL.

 

She was drafted 1st overall by the Metropolitan Riveters in the 2016 NWHL Draft, the first black player to be the first overall pick in a professional North American hockey league draft. She played two seasons in the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) with the Riveters before joining the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) in 2019.

 

Karen Morales is founder and brand champion at Marketing Magnet.

Marketing Magnet was founded by Karen and her lean team of Fortune 500 marketing and advertising talent. We’re a world-class marketing department that has decided to take our big brand experience and direct it at the clients we want to serve: purpose-driven enterprises. Our secret sauce is our ability to focus companies on three marketing pillars to create great impact.

If you are looking for a solution to a marketing challenge, a specific project to be completed or a team to drive marketing on your behalf, we can help.

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