The progress we’ve seen around both the NFL and NBA regarding women being given opportunity as coaches has apparently bled over to the hockey rink.
According to AZ Central, the Arizona Coyotes have hired Dawn Braid as a skating coach in a move that makes her the first full-time assistant coach in the history of the National Hockey League.
“I’m very excited about this opportunity with the Coyotes,” Braid said following the announcement. “I’m looking forward to working with Dave Tippett and his coaching staff and all the great players in the organization.”
This falls in line with the progression towards women being seen as influential individuals within the professional sports world.
It was just two years ago that the San Antonio Spurs hired Becky Hammon as the NBA’s first full-time assistant coach. Her ascension up the ranks ultimately included a head coaching gig for the Spurs summer league team last year. She’s now a hot commodity as it relates to a potential head coaching job in the NBA.
Meanwhile in the NFL, the Arizona Cardinals hired Jen Welter as an intern with the team last summer. She worked with the team’s inside linebackers.
This is tremendous news for those who believe that women can play an integral role in professional sports, something that Braid herself indicated after being hired by the Coyotes.
“It’s something that I’ve wanted to see happen. The fact that they respect what I do enough to name me as a full-time coach, or to name me as the first female coach in the NHL, I take a ton of pride in that. I’ve worked very hard for this opportunity. It’s been going on for years and I just look forward to going even further with it.”
Congratulations to Braid for shattering the NHL’s glass ceiling. She may be the league’s first female assistant, but here’s to hoping she isn’t the last.