clarinda mcfadden - Hockey Coach │ Influential Women

About clarinda

Clarinda McFadden is entering her fifth year as a sports coach, having played ice hockey throughout college before pursuing a degree in teaching high school English. After graduating, she sought to remain involved in the hockey world while working with high school and college age groups, leading her to coach girls hockey teams. She spent four years coaching at the high school level and is now expanding into college coaching, while also subbing in classrooms. McFadden draws on her teaching background to create practice plans, communicate with athletes and parents, and provide on ice instruction similar to classroom lessons. As a younger coach, she emphasizes maintaining professional boundaries while fostering empathy and kindness, ensuring athletes enjoy the experience and develop both as players and individuals. She credits a mentor co coach with elevating her from assistant to head coach and treating her as an equal. McFadden also supports Baba's Helping Hands, a nonprofit that raises funds to provide food, water, and clothing to communities in Senegal.

Ten minutes with clarinda

01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

I think for me definitely being like a younger woman coach I think sometimes people look at you differently and think that maybe you don't know as much about the game or you're not capable as of as much. The advice was this is your team until it's not your team so I always look at things like I should run things the way that I want to run them and stay true to yourself and like what you want to accomplish.

02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

I would say as a woman sometimes you might listen to those outside voices and think that maybe someone else could do it better or someone else knows better but you are in the position that you are in for a reason and just always stay true to yourself and know that you are capable of doing everything that you want to do.