Peninsula Health Senior Exercise Physiologist Steph Binder is no stranger to the world of footy. When she’s not treating patients, she splits her week as an assistant coach for Hawthorn’s AFLW team.
In August, Steph was awarded the 2024 AFL Coaches Association Women’s Coaching Pathway Scholarship. Established in 2019, this scholarship aims to support the ambitions of women in coaching and fast-track their development to coach the highest levels of the sport.
“I had applied for the scholarship for a couple of years, it’s quite competitive, so to finally get it was really rewarding. It is a wonderful opportunity for me to continue to grow and develop as a coach,” says Steph.
“Traditionally there hasn’t been many opportunities for women in football, so this scholarship is amazing, getting to work alongside other immerging coaches and mentors is going to teach me a lot.”
Throughout the scholarship program, Steph will be upskilling with ample professional development opportunities, including the AFL Coaches Association’s Next Coach Program and mentorship from former AFL Senior Coach and Hawthorn’s Head of Coaching Performance and Development, Brett Ratten.
Steph attributes her coaching success and philosophy to her role as an exercise physiologist specailising in mental health.
“My two roles complement each other very well. I’ve been an exercise physiologist for over 10 years, and one key skill that carries over is communication. The ability to build rapport with all kinds of people goes hand in hand with coaching,” explains Steph.
“I also believe my work with mental health clients gives me the ability to pick up on subtle cues within the playing group. I can quickly recognise when something isn’t quite right and apply different techniques, along with emotional intelligence, to engage with them and provide the necessary support.”
Steph looks forward to continuing both her roles as her coaching career evolves.
“Working in healthcare, I’ve always had strong female leaders to look up to, which has helped shape my own leadership style. I want to continue fulfilling both my roles and leading, as the two provide me with great balance.”