The B.C. government is pleased to proclaim the week of Sept. 19-26 as British Columbia Coaches Week, by honouring the hard work and dedication provided by coaches in this province.

This celebration will also coincide with National Coaches Week across Canada.

Partnering with ViaSport to promote the recruitment and development of coaches in B.C., a week’s worth of special events will be held around the province including free National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) workshops to provide technical, leadership and mentoring skills. These workshops will be delivered by regional partners who will offer at least 70 free coach training sessions for up to a total of 1,000 coaches in B.C.

Coaches are an essential component of an athlete’s development and the recent success of B.C. athletes at the Canada Winter Games and both the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games are a testament to the strength of the sport system in this province.

British Columbians are encouraged to tweet or post a selfie of themselves and their coach on social media during Coaches Week by using the hashtag #ThanksCoach and tagging @CoachesViaSport on Twitter or @ViaSport on Facebook and Instagram for a chance to win a prize for their coach. Winners will be announced Monday, Sept. 28.

The following individuals have been recognized with a ViaSport Coach of the Year Award:

• Nicole Ebert (speed skating): A family physician and speed skating advocate in Vanderhoof, Ebert has been a driving force behind the Nechako Lakes Clippers. The grassroots group now boasts 70 members and its athletes have gone on to compete in the Canada Winter Games.
• Ben Uliana (squash): Playing and coaching at the Cedar Hill Squash Club in Victoria, Uliana also sits on the Junior Development Committee of Squash BC. He has developed many junior players to provincially and nationally ranked positions, including post-secondary institutions.
• Ram Nayyar (badminton): A high-performance director for Badminton Canada and a certified Level 5 coach in Vancouver, Nayyar led the Canadian women’s doubles team to a fourth-place finish at the 2012 Olympic Games.

Groups also contributing resources to National Coaches Week include TeamSnap, HIGH FIVE, British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association, the BC Lions, Vancouver Whitecaps FC and the Vancouver Canucks.

Quotes:

Peter Fassbender, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development –

“Many fine athletes have excelled in many different sports in this province. And behind every one of those was at least one person who gave guidance, insight and most importantly, their time. This week we honour all of the coaches in British Columbia who have helped shape an athlete’s dream.”

Gordon Hogg, Parliamentary Secretary for Youth Sports – 

"The active role that a coach plays in an athlete's development cannot be overstated. They are there every step of the way from the first time someone puts on a pair of skates or grabs a ball, to the first time someone wants to compete in the 55+ BC Games. Thank you to all the coaches across this province."

Sheila Bouman, CEO ViaSport –

“Whether it’s trying a sport for the first time or going for gold, coaches are the leaders who fuel the strength, motivation and confidence needed to perform. In joining the entire country by dedicating a week to recognizing these exceptional people, and partnering with new local partners and sponsors to cheer them on, we anticipate this year’s National Coaches Week to be ViaSport’s biggest celebration to date.”

Quick Facts:

• Each year the Province contributes approximately $100,000 through grants to coaches in B.C.
• ViaSport and its sport partners train approximately 10,000 coaches throughout B.C. each year through National Coaching Certification Programs.
• ViaSport is the Provincial/Territorial Coaching Representative (PTCR) for British Columbia and maintains a strong partnership with the Coaching Association of Canada.
• The NCCP was launched in 1974 by the Coaching Association of Canada to standardize coach development and training across the country.
• Coaches Week in BC has been an annual event since 2007, and this year will align with National Coaches Week across Canada.

Learn More:

ViaSport is a not-for-profit organization created in 2011 as a legacy of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Its mandate is to increase awareness, opportunity and participation in sport throughout the province: http://www.viasport.ca/coachesweek

#ThanksCoach (video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3c-Gno0E38k

Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development: https://news.gov.bc.ca/ministries/community-sport-and-cultural-development