In honour of BC Coaches Week (Sept. 14-22, 2013), coaches will have the opportunity to take advantage of free National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) courses, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development Coralee Oakes announced today.

The courses are being offered throughout the province, with a particular focus on communities that normally would not have access to them. NCCP courses help coaches gain and improve technical abilities, as well as mentoring and decision-making skills.

Oakes kicked off BC Coaches Week by recognizing the dedication of all coaches in B.C., and by highlighting Team BC's recent Achieving Community Excellence (ACE) award-winning coaches.

All four ACE winners recently have returned from a successful run at the 2013 Canada Summer Games in Sherbrooke, Que.

• Lindsay Belisle (wrestling): An Olympian and new mother, Belisle is known as an encouraging coach and teacher who commands the respect of her athletes, who fully supports each team member, and who trains as hard as the athletes she coaches.

• Chris Dahl (women's volleyball): A Team BC coach for eight years, Dahl gives back to sport at the grassroots level, coaching U8 girls field hockey and elementary school volleyball. He also is a member of the ViaSport coaches' advisory committee.

• Nikki Reiter (athletics): As coach of the UBC (Okanagan) Heat cross-country team, Reiter has a reputation as an exceptional role model. She also is an innovator, focused on building relationships between the university and the broader community. In addition, Reiter has helped her team with her unique fundraising ideas.

• Patricia Sima Ledding (athletics): Credited as a driving force behind the establishment of the Okanagan Athletics Club, Sima Ledding has a long-established coaching career of more than 20 years, during which she has coached high-performance, elite athletes and young up-and-comers. Patricia works as a full-time coach and volunteers as a high school athletics coach.

The ACE Awards honour outstanding leaders in sport (athletes and coaches), who show initiative in improving their communities through volunteering, leadership and mentorship.

Quotes:

Coralee Oakes, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development -

"I don't know if many people realize it, but we have somewhere in the neighbourhood of 40,000 coaches in B.C., and 98 per cent of them are volunteers. These are the people who get up early for practice, who train late, and who do whatever it takes to bring out the best in their athletes at every level. That's why we have provided nearly $2 million in funding for coach development over the past year."

"Congratulations to the four ACE award winners and to all of B.C.'s coaches. Your community spirit enriches and strengthens the fabric of our society."

Cathy Priestner Allinger, CEO, ViaSport -

"Coaches are the backbone of B.C.'s sport system and have the ability to make a lifelong impact on athletes at every age and skill level. BC Coaches Week is an important time to recognize the contributions our coaches make as teachers, role models, mentors and sector leaders who inspire excellence in all of us. Many thanks to B.C.'s coaches for providing our athletes with the tools and motivation to achieve their best."

Quick Facts:

• This is the seventh annual BC Coaches Week.
• The National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) is a coach training and certification program for different sports across Canada.
• BC Coaches Week is hosted by the Coaches Association of BC and by ViaSport.

Learn More:

Coaches Association of BC: http://www.coachesbc.ca/

ViaSport: http://www.viasport.ca/british-columbia-coaches-week-2013

Free NCCP courses: http://www.coachesbc.ca/coaches-week/schedule/free-nccp

Contact:

Communications
Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development
250 387-4089