April 1, 2021
Paladins Patricia Howes shares her story in her own words
With 1 in 3 Canadian girls dropping out of sport in adolescence, compared to just 1 in 10 boys, Canadian Women & Sport launched a national awareness campaign, She's Got It All, to challenge traditional mindsets on how women and girls experience sport. Only by better understanding the needs of women and girl athletes will we be able to make changes that support them to stay in sport. In support of the campaign, Ontario University Athletics reached out to our athletes, coaches, and administrators to learn about their experiences. We appreciate their honesty and vulnerability, and we are excited to spotlight their stories, in their own words, and encourage all of us to consider how we might behave differently after listening to their stories.
Kingston, Ont. - In reflection, I think I partially built my coaching career trying to prove to the naysayers that I could do what they told me I couldn't. That might sound strange, to be motivated by your life's opponents, but being a deeply determined and willful person, with a competitive nature for survival, it is at the heart of what I do. I learned early on there are always naysayers who say it can't be done, who believe in limitations, rather than the concept of being limitless.
"In reflection, I think I partially built my coaching career trying to prove to the naysayers that I could do what they told me I couldn't."
When I started fencing, simply as a fun recreational activity to supplement my university studies, I never knew it would eventually turn into my job or career. I would have laughed hysterically if someone had told me then, that one day I would be a Maître d'armes (Fencing Master) in a combat sport. Fencing was a true men's sport in the mid 1980s, with women only being 'permitted' to fence one out of the three disciplines of foil, epee, and sabre offered to men. So I became a foil fencer because it was my only option as a woman at that time.
While I enjoyed training and competing in fencing, I wouldn't say I was driven because I saw it as a fun, social, physical activity, but nothing that made me feel passionate. I had competed in dance since I was nine years old, done a bit of gymnastics, track and field, skiing, etc., so I was inadvertently a multi-sport kid. As an only child, my single mother put me into dance, sports, and recreational activities more for social reasons; however, there was something about fencing that challenged and intrigued me. It was the nature of physical and mental problem solving that I think I enjoyed the most.
Once married and living in the Maritimes, it was actually a female fencing coach, Barbara Daniel, who suggested that I take an NCCP Coaching Course and start up a small program with my husband. I thought she was incredible, working as a Provincial Coach for Nova Scotia, and I really admired her energy and tenacity. After my first NCCP course with her, I realized that I loved teaching other people, and I really enjoyed seeing people progress and achieve their goals. It had a deeper satisfaction for me to help others train and compete than it did for me to train and compete myself.
It wasn't long before I met with opposition; however, as I pursued higher levels of coaching education and gained coaching experience provincially, nationally, and internationally. One stinging comment at a Level III course was when I was told "why are you even here, taking this coaching course, you should be home taking care of your kids". Later on, I was informed "you can never be a Fencing Master because women don't fence all the weapons, therefore you can't become a Master". Then in my current position, "are you going to be able to do your coaching job as well when your family is here?" in a response to the fact that I had started my current position for one season on my own, while we waited for the posting message for my husband and kids to join me in Kingston. I was also told that RMC would never win an OUA Championship, but five championship wins later and consistently placing in the top four, that one ceased to be repeated.
So one by one, I followed the advice to tackle the seemingly impossible, by listening to former supportive coaches; "work hard and then work harder, that is the secret", and another mentor coach told me "to never take shortcuts, and always keep sight of your goals". So even though the naysayers were always loud and in the majority, the few who did show support were profoundly impactful, and that is what we must hang on to. That positive energy is what fed and fired me to complete the NCI Diploma in High Performance Coaching, to attain my Maître d'armes qualification in Europe, guide the RMC Fencing program to consistent OUA success, build and develop the CAF CISM Fencing program to success at the Military World Games level, coach twice for FISU Games, and basically build my own coaching career, even though I was a woman.
"even though the naysayers were always loud and in the majority, the few who did show support were profoundly impactful, and that is what we must hang on to."
Strangely, even though this is 2021, Canadian Fencing has never had a woman as a Senior National Coach for a National Team or Olympic Team. This is not to say that there aren't any female coaches who are qualified; it is more a reflection of the previous value system of Canadian Fencing rather than a lack of qualified female coaches. Women fencing coaches are achieving amazing things in Canada and abroad even in spite of having no female role models at the very top. I hope to one day see a woman in the role of National Coach for Canada because our athletes deserve it, our sport deserves it, and women coaches deserve to have a role model and female presence in leadership. Even though it's commonly said "you can't be what you can't see", maybe you can be something even better than what you see. My mantra is believe in yourself, believe in what you can achieve, and believe that anything is possible if you put your mind, your heart, and your soul into it.
"Women fencing coaches are achieving amazing things in Canada and abroad even in spite of having no female role models at the very top."
Now, coming full circle, I am in a working group with Canadian Fencing and Canadian Women in Sport applying the gender equity lens to fencing. It is long overdue. We are completing a gender audit to make sure that the mistakes, gaps, and oversights of the past, do not happen in the future. We are, in effect, creating a new and better pathway and value system for all women in the sport of fencing. This is something I am very proud to be part of and this motivates me for the future for women in fencing.
"I hope to one day see a woman in the role of National Coach for Canada because our athletes deserve it, our sport deserves it, and women coaches deserve to have a role model and female presence in leadership."
Patricia Howes | RMC Paladins | Coach
Kingston, Ont. - In reflection, I think I partially built my coaching career trying to prove to the naysayers that I could do what they told me I couldn't. That might sound strange, to be motivated by your life's opponents, but being a deeply determined and willful person, with a competitive nature for survival, it is at the heart of what I do. I learned early on there are always naysayers who say it can't be done, who believe in limitations, rather than the concept of being limitless.
"In reflection, I think I partially built my coaching career trying to prove to the naysayers that I could do what they told me I couldn't."
When I started fencing, simply as a fun recreational activity to supplement my university studies, I never knew it would eventually turn into my job or career. I would have laughed hysterically if someone had told me then, that one day I would be a Maître d'armes (Fencing Master) in a combat sport. Fencing was a true men's sport in the mid 1980s, with women only being 'permitted' to fence one out of the three disciplines of foil, epee, and sabre offered to men. So I became a foil fencer because it was my only option as a woman at that time.
While I enjoyed training and competing in fencing, I wouldn't say I was driven because I saw it as a fun, social, physical activity, but nothing that made me feel passionate. I had competed in dance since I was nine years old, done a bit of gymnastics, track and field, skiing, etc., so I was inadvertently a multi-sport kid. As an only child, my single mother put me into dance, sports, and recreational activities more for social reasons; however, there was something about fencing that challenged and intrigued me. It was the nature of physical and mental problem solving that I think I enjoyed the most.
Once married and living in the Maritimes, it was actually a female fencing coach, Barbara Daniel, who suggested that I take an NCCP Coaching Course and start up a small program with my husband. I thought she was incredible, working as a Provincial Coach for Nova Scotia, and I really admired her energy and tenacity. After my first NCCP course with her, I realized that I loved teaching other people, and I really enjoyed seeing people progress and achieve their goals. It had a deeper satisfaction for me to help others train and compete than it did for me to train and compete myself.
It wasn't long before I met with opposition; however, as I pursued higher levels of coaching education and gained coaching experience provincially, nationally, and internationally. One stinging comment at a Level III course was when I was told "why are you even here, taking this coaching course, you should be home taking care of your kids". Later on, I was informed "you can never be a Fencing Master because women don't fence all the weapons, therefore you can't become a Master". Then in my current position, "are you going to be able to do your coaching job as well when your family is here?" in a response to the fact that I had started my current position for one season on my own, while we waited for the posting message for my husband and kids to join me in Kingston. I was also told that RMC would never win an OUA Championship, but five championship wins later and consistently placing in the top four, that one ceased to be repeated.
So one by one, I followed the advice to tackle the seemingly impossible, by listening to former supportive coaches; "work hard and then work harder, that is the secret", and another mentor coach told me "to never take shortcuts, and always keep sight of your goals". So even though the naysayers were always loud and in the majority, the few who did show support were profoundly impactful, and that is what we must hang on to. That positive energy is what fed and fired me to complete the NCI Diploma in High Performance Coaching, to attain my Maître d'armes qualification in Europe, guide the RMC Fencing program to consistent OUA success, build and develop the CAF CISM Fencing program to success at the Military World Games level, coach twice for FISU Games, and basically build my own coaching career, even though I was a woman.
"even though the naysayers were always loud and in the majority, the few who did show support were profoundly impactful, and that is what we must hang on to."
Strangely, even though this is 2021, Canadian Fencing has never had a woman as a Senior National Coach for a National Team or Olympic Team. This is not to say that there aren't any female coaches who are qualified; it is more a reflection of the previous value system of Canadian Fencing rather than a lack of qualified female coaches. Women fencing coaches are achieving amazing things in Canada and abroad even in spite of having no female role models at the very top. I hope to one day see a woman in the role of National Coach for Canada because our athletes deserve it, our sport deserves it, and women coaches deserve to have a role model and female presence in leadership. Even though it's commonly said "you can't be what you can't see", maybe you can be something even better than what you see. My mantra is believe in yourself, believe in what you can achieve, and believe that anything is possible if you put your mind, your heart, and your soul into it.
"Women fencing coaches are achieving amazing things in Canada and abroad even in spite of having no female role models at the very top."
Now, coming full circle, I am in a working group with Canadian Fencing and Canadian Women in Sport applying the gender equity lens to fencing. It is long overdue. We are completing a gender audit to make sure that the mistakes, gaps, and oversights of the past, do not happen in the future. We are, in effect, creating a new and better pathway and value system for all women in the sport of fencing. This is something I am very proud to be part of and this motivates me for the future for women in fencing.
"I hope to one day see a woman in the role of National Coach for Canada because our athletes deserve it, our sport deserves it, and women coaches deserve to have a role model and female presence in leadership."
