BE bold for change, the hashtag and slogan that was used as the focus for this year’s international women’s day resonated soundly with the US national hockey players who recently were in dispute with their governing body, US Hockey, over equal pay and conditions.

The players are currently ranked No 1 and are set to defend their championship title at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship for the third time, in Plymouth, Michigan at the end of this week.

That trip seemed in doubt until a last minute resolution was agreed late this week, which put a halt to the threat of strike action that had been mooted.

The threat of that action, I believe was the catalyst to getting round the table to resolve the issue.

This is the team who won the gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano in Japan, the first time ice hockey played by women was included in the games and this treatment of a nation’s top athletes is nothing short of disgraceful.

Spokeswomen for the team, captain Meghan Duggan said: “We train all day, every day, all year, to represent our country at the Olympics and the world championships. We train for these moments. We don’t want to miss them. And it is hard to believe that in 2017 we still have to fight for equitable treatment and support as women.”

Ice hockey is big business in the states and the NHL Twitter feed alone has 5.5 million followers.

Social media has proved an invaluable platform allowing these athletes to get their message across and it is claimed, by the media, that this campaign received more hits than the NHL itself.

The team have garnered support from many quarters and recently were advised of support from 16 senators as well as several unions from the NHL, NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball.

In fact it is reported that NHL agent Allan Walsh tweeted that the men’s players were considering boycotting their world championship in solidarity if a deal wasn’t reached.

This decision is a pivotal moment not just for US women in sport, but for all sport as the outcome of this could be far reaching and may assist in bringing positive change to all professional sports.

Believe it or not, many governing bodies still have a two-tiered system of reward based on gender and not on results; this is what still labels women in sport as second class citizens.

This also sends out a strong message to the many women and girls that we are all trying to encourage into sport, saying you are welcome and you will be treated as an equal.

It is important and it is time that we recognised that to succeed in any chosen sport at elite level demands the same level of commitment, focus and determination from an athlete, no matter their gender, and remuneration should always reflect that dedication and success.

Back at home, there is excitement in the SWiS camp as we are in the middle of organising our annual conference.

I can’t believe that it is that time of year again and this year the conference, which is on Friday May 19 in Edinburgh, covers the topic ‘The Business of Sport’.

We have a great line-up in place already and you can read about all of our presenters on the link noted below and register. Remember if you want to guarantee your place then book early to avoid disappointment – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-business-of-sport-tickets-32723475797.

Finally, let’s take a trip back to the wonderful days of 2014 and the Commonwealth Games hosted, by the city of Glasgow. The overriding feedback on these games, was the friendliness and helpfulness of the volunteers.

We now have another opportunity to showcase Glasgow and Scotland at its best when we host Glasgow 2018 European Championships and the search is on to find 3,000 volunteers. Applications will remain open up until 31 July 2017 and you can register your interest by going to http://www.glasgow2018.com/volunteering.

Lets create another feel good factor for those who are visitors to our beautiful country.