It has been a dream couple of years for the Czechia women's hockey program. It's the kind of future Tereza Sadilová dreamed of, but still can't believe has been accomplished so quickly. Sadilová became the general manager of Czechia's Women's National Team in 2022 – and since then, the program has experienced unprecedented success.
Sadilová hired Carla MacLeod to helm the senior women's team, a big swing for Czechia that has paid off and spread to the rest of the program. The senior team is now a stalwart of the top division at the IIHF Women's World Championships, qualifying for their first-ever Olympics in 2022 and winning bronze at the 2022 and 2023 tournaments. The U18 team upset Canada in the 2024 U18 World Championships and won silver – the best-ever finish for a Czechia women's team at any IIHF level.
The focus now is on sustaining that success.
From the moment she was hired in this role, Sadilová has put an emphasis not just on establishing a competitive program, but on building a lasting legacy that can endure regardless of changes in staff and personnel. She has celebrated every new step they've taken and cherished every medal, but she has always been looking ahead.
"When I took on this role, I was looking into building some kind of legacy. I didn't want to build something that would last two to three years. We've seen instant success, where it's great for a year or two but then it kind of goes away. I feel like women's sports are so fragile in that way, especially when it comes to small countries like Czechia. It's so fragile, so it's important to build from the roots up," said Sadilová.
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