April 19/06 9:55 am - Ontario Coaches Week Workshops

Posted by Editoress on 04/19/06
 

Workshops during Ontario Coaches Week
Courtesy CCES

From April 22-29, Ontario Coaches Week will offer 40 free workshops to hundreds of coaches across the province. With funding from the provincial and federal governments. This multi-year initiative is being led by the Coaches Association of Ontario (CAO).

Topics include: Inspiring a passion for sport in young athletes, how kids learn, long-term athlete-development models, what it means to be a coach and understanding the role of parents in sport development.

Each participant will take with them a comprehensive coaching FUNdamentals tool kit including a copy of "Best Coaches Best Practices: Your Path to Personal Excellence" by Andy Higgins and a one-year membership to the Coaches Association of Ontario. As part of Ontario Coaches Week these sessions are being fully funded and hence there is no charge to attend.

Leo Rautins, head coach of Canada's Senior Men's Basketball Team, will serve as honorary chair for a province-wide initiative aimed at recruiting more than 1,000 new community coaches. An inductee into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame, Rautins is a leader in grassroots sport development and delivers youth basketball camps across Canada.

"The fact is, coaches are the foundation of our grassroots programs," said Rautins. "Without them, kids miss out on so many things that sport has to offer - from better health to new friends and important life skills."

The theme for this year's inaugural event is "Ready, Set, Coach!" a message that the CAO hopes will inspire record numbers of volunteers to join the ranks of the province's community coaches at a time when they are urgently needed.

One of the primary goals of Ontario Coaches Week will be to provide workshops and practical resources that meet the specific needs of new coaches, women, aboriginals, teachers, and coaches working with disabled athletes.

A complete listing of workshop dates and locations is available at: www.coachesontario.ca.