GM Canada and the CAC Support the Development of Good Coaches

Oshawa (Ontario), December 17, 2008 – According to the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC), good coaching is fundamental to community sport. In addition to building Olympic dreams, coaches play a critical role as they share the positive aspects of an active lifestyle and teach young Canadians everything from teamwork and character building to the fundamental skills of the sport.

To support the development of coaches in Canada, General Motors of Canada and the CAC are proud to award an additional 51 grants of $2,000 each for coaching skill development. List Below.

“Coaches have an enormous impact on the development of young Canadians,” said Marc Comeau, GM of Canada's vice-president of sales, service, and marketing. “With support from the CAC, these grants were designed to invest in coaches in communities across Canada. We believe that ongoing coach development at the grass roots level is essential whether they are training beginners or Olympians.”

“The CAC is pleased to be partners with GM through the Making Dreams Possible Program. To date this program has touched more than 10,000 coaches and over 125,000 athletes in 131 communities across the country. This program immediately impacts coach development and education and will ultimately benefit Canadian sport as more coaches are introduced to the National Coach Certification Program (NCCP),” commented Jean-Marie De Koninck, Chair, CAC Board of Directors.

“Coaching is fundamental to the successful development of youth in sports and we truly appreciate the support we have received this year .We are very proud to have been selected for this fine award and will use the funds received to further develop our coaches in our minor hockey association” said Bill Forman, Coach Coordinator, 100 Mile Minor Hockey Association. “Well trained coaches are of upmost importance when it comes to developing athletes and we have lots of plans for the funds we will receive this year.”

Making Dreams Possible is a program developed by GM in cooperation with the Coaching Association of Canada, the governing body of Canada's coaching education program and is designed to support coaches of Olympic and Paralympic Sports at the high performance and community levels.

Community Coaching Grants
GM's Making Dreams Possible program will provide a minimum of 100 grants of $2,000 each annually for coach development in local communities. Applications can be submitted by head coaches, technical directors or the presidents of local sports clubs. These grants will be used to fund special projects that develop the skills and abilities of community level coaches.

High Performance Grants
GM also provides 10 grants of $10,000 each annually to high performance athletes and their coaches. Applications must be submitted by the high performance athletes and their coaches for these elite grants. For more information please go to www.coach.ca/makingdreamspossibleThe next wave of local sport club and high performance applications closes at 11:59 pm on Sunday February 15th, 2009, with grants to be awarded in April.

About GM Canada
GM Canada has a longstanding history of supporting amateur sports in Canada and developing athletes of all levels across the country. GM Canada is a proud National Partner of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and Official Sponsor of the Canadian Olympic Team competing through 2012. GM has an overarching philosophy that includes its support of initiatives such as the Chevrolet Safe and Fun Hockey program, fosters respect and responsibility in young players and their parents. GM Canada is also the official sponsor for the nation's premier developmental alpine racing series – the Pontiac GMC Cup –supporting elite amateur ski racers in Canada for more than 35 years. GM plays an active role in communities across the country with programs like GM Community Wheels, which offers a solution to the transportation needs of community agencies, providing them with GM vehicles.

About the Coaching Association of Canada
The Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) is a not-for-profit amateur sport organization with the mission of enhancing the experiences of all Canadian athletes through quality coaching. CAC and its partners deliver a leading edge coaching system whose goal is to have an impact on 1,000,000 athletes through the training of 100,000 coaches each year in the National Coaching Certification Program. Visit www.coach.ca for more information about coach education and training.

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Contacts:
Patty Faith
GM Canada
905-644-2728

Michèle Dion
Communications Coordinator
Coaching Association of Canada
613-235-5000, ext. 9-2384