Belgium have been making headway at the 2021 FIVB Boys' U19 World Championship which winds down Thursday in Tehran - their latest win, 3-0 over Colombia, assuring them of a spot between 9 and 12 in the final ranking.
Boys U19 2021
Belgium coach Mieke Moyaert: Gender is not an issue
The only female coach at the Boys' U19 Worlds finds coaching a boys team absolutely normal
Published 06:20, 01 Sept 2021
Belgium coach Mieke Moyaert: no one would ever question any man for coaching a women's team
Although that does not improve on their previous best of 6th place back in 2007, it is already better than their last finish of 17th in 2015.
At the helm of Belgium and leading their efforts in the Iranian capital is Mieke Moyaert, the only female coach amongst the 18 participating teams in this year's edition of the Boys' U19 World Championship.
But despite the rarity of a female coach in charge of a male team, Moyaert doesn't feel this is anything extraordinary.
"Coaching men for me is normal and my players are used it," she said prior to her team's win over Colombia. "With some few exceptions, I have always been coaching boys' teams."
"For me gender is not an issue and I think no one would ever question any man for coaching a women's team. It is strange that these questions keep coming back, because when I started I knew the questions were there."
"As a trainer and coach, I am busy with helping both men and women to become better volleyball players. For me, there is no difference between them."
She has been deeply involved in the sport since childhood, when she followed her volleyball player father to matches and practices, starting to play herself at eight.
Her younger sister by a year is also a volleyball player and Mieke Moyaert used to coach her younger (by eight years) brother.
Mieke Moyaert is the only female coach at the 2021 FIVB Boys' U19 World Championship in Tehran.
But after university, where she studied Physical Education with an emphasis on Sports Coaching, she needed to make a decision.
"I stopped playing volleyball early when I was 24," Moyaert says.
Now married, with two children, she finds support from her family in her endeavours.
"They always support me and they always follow the matches, share posts and they love volleyball," she added. "My husband is a runner. I am his big fan and supporter."
Although quite happy with her role in developing and coaching young volleyball players, Moyaert has ambitions for the future.
"I like my job in the Top Sports School in Belgium," she said. "I like to make players better individually and help the team improve. But I would like to be the assistant coach of the senior team of Belgium to learn from other coaches as well. It is always interesting for me to learn from other coaches and benefit from their experience."
