Ottawa, ON (November 9, 2018) – Canada’s most deserving and influential coaches and sport leaders will be honoured this evening at the 2018 Petro-Canada Sport Leadership Awards Gala. The class of 2018 award recipients include Skate Canada’s Manon Perron, Freestyle Alberta’s Rob Kober, NCCP Coach Developer and Mentor Greg Henhawk, and Tennis Canada.
Hosted by the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC), in partnership with Petro-Canada at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa, the Gala recognizes those who live out the values and competencies of the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) and the positive impact they have within the Canadian sport community.
“Every year, coaches and leaders in the Canadian sport system foster growth and innovation in their communities,” says Lorraine Lafrenière, Chief Executive Officer of the CAC. “Inspiring athletes to perform at their best — both on and off the field — is because these leaders are positive role models and supporters in the many facets of values-based leadership. The Coaching Association of Canada is proud to recognize these leaders for the positive impact their influence has on Canadian athletes and participants.”
The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport, also praises the contributions coaches make in communities across the country.
“A coach’s greatest reward is to see athletes learn, improve, and excel,” says the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport. “I would like to thank the Coaching Association of Canada for recognizing the outstanding work of these incredible mentors, whose leadership and dedication contribute to every athlete’s success in sport and in life.”
THE WINNERS ARE:
Geoff Gowan Award
The Geoff Gowan Award was created by the Coaching Association of Canada in 1996 and recognizes lifetime contributions to coaching development. It is awarded to coaches who have presented a positive public image of coaching and who have enhanced the role of the coach with the Canadian public. The award resides at Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in Calgary, Alberta.
Manon Perron, ChPC– Skate Canada (Boucherville, QC)
“For almost 40 years, Manon has demonstrated an inspirational dedication to her career in professional coaching,” says Paul Carson, Chair of the CAC Board of Directors. “Manon has not only demonstrated a commitment to coach education and mentorship in Canada, but a commitment to her athletes. She helps athletes develop holistically by encouraging them to balance sport, social, and educational needs. We’re honoured to present Manon with the Geoff Gowan Award.”
“To be recognized for the time I’ve dedicated to coaching is a huge honour. It’s incredible that I’ve been able to turn my passion for coaching into a 39-year career,” says Perron. “Coaching has been the most rewarding experience, and I’ve also been given the opportunity to be a coach mentor and work with high-performance athletes through Skate Canada. When I think of where I am today, I have so many people to thank. I would particularly like to recognize Skate Canada and Patinage Québec for helping me make my dreams a reality. Lastly, I want to thank everyone who believed in me.”
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Jack Donohue “Coach of the Year” Award
The Jack Donohue “Coach of the Year” Award is presented to a Chartered Professional Coach (ChPC) for their outstanding contributions as one of Canada’s top coaches. The award recognizes a coach’s dedication to the profession of coaching, commitment to continual improvement, and the successful performances of his or her athletes during the past competitive season.
Rob Kober, ChPC – Freestyle Alberta (Penticton, BC)
“As a testament to Rob’s 25-year coaching career, we can look to the past three Olympic Games where Canada has performed outstandingly in Men’s Moguls,” says Lafrenière. “This year, we’re happy to present Rob Kober with the Jack Donohue Award, especially since Rob has chosen to play an even bigger role in the athlete development system by taking on the head coach position of the Alberta Mogul Team”.
“There are so many great Canadian coaches that deserve this award, and I feel very honoured and very fortunate to be singled out,” says Rob Kober. “Having my career recognized like this means a lot to me. I have been incredibly fortunate to have a supportive family. I would like to thank my parents, my kids, my wife and all of my coaching mentors, particularly Peter Judge, Bobby Aldighieri, and Dave Paskevich. Coaching has been an incredibly rewarding career to this point, and that has everything to do with the athletes I have had the privilege of working with. I can’t thank them enough for placing their trust in me.”
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IG Wealth Management National NCCP Coach Developer Award
This award recognizes an outstanding individual who has gone above and beyond to inspire and develop NCCP coaches in their community. In 2018, IG Wealth Management presented ten Community NCCP Coach Developer Awards, while one national winner will be recognized this evening.
Greg Henhawk – Aboriginal Sport and Wellness Centre of Ontario (Six Nations of the Grand River, ON)
“Greg has been a positive coaching figure in his community for more than 40 years and has been teaching coach education for 31 years. He’s been involved in the NCCP since 1980 as a participant, learning facilitator, master coach developer, and project advisor,” says Trevor Krahn, Director, Sponsorship & Community Engagement at IG Wealth Management. “We’re honoured to present the IG Wealth Management National NCCP Coach Developer Award to him this year.”
“I am very proud to be recognized for my somewhat ‘outside the box’ delivery style in the courses and workshops that I teach. I like to root my delivery in the holistic model of life predicated by my Mohawk culture,” says Greg Henhawk. “As with all cultures, I believe that the present and past voices of the people contain great wisdom. I am proud to share the wisdom of my Indigenous ancestors and I try to teach in a way that illustrates and honours the voice of my people. I have lots of people to thank, but I would particularly like to recognize my community in the Six Nations of the Grand River, as I truly think that the strength of a person lies in the people that surround them. Until I one day join the spirit world, I hope to keep learning from the people I have met and who I have yet to meet. As much as I am a teacher and a coach, I am forever a lifetime learner.”
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Sheila Robertson Award
The Sheila Robertson Award recognizes the outstanding contributions to coach education, recognition, and professional development by a National Sport Organization (NSO) or Multisport Service Organization (MSO). It is awarded to an NSO or MSO that consistently demonstrates the value of coaching through its organizational mandate and communications activities throughout the year to its internal and external audiences.
Tennis Canada
"Tennis Canada is very proud to receive this award and to be recognized by the Coaching Association of Canada for our work in coaching development,” says Ari Novick, Senior Director of Tennis Development at Tennis Canada. “Tennis Canada has been committed to coaching development for many years and has provided substantial resources to this area, so we greatly appreciate both the recognition and the excellent partnership that we have formed with the CAC over the years. Finally, I want to acknowledge my team at Tennis Canada – Marie-France Mercier, Jocelyn Robichaud, Joan Leung, Ryan Borczon, and Scott Milnthorp."
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Petro-Canada Coaching Excellence Awards
These prestigious awards recognize coaches whose athletes have excelled at World Championships, Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the Special Olympics World Games. Petro-Canada, a Suncor business, has honoured close to 1,200 coaches since 1986 with a Petro-Canada Coaching Excellence Award.
"Every great athlete has a great coach standing behind them, often going un-noticed on the sidelines," says Kristina Schaefer, director, Petro-Canada brand development, Suncor. "Each of these coaches deserves to be recognized for their incredible skill and dedication to their athletes’ success and for their remarkable contributions to the Canadian sport system. Thank you, coaches. Congratulations to all being honoured at this year’s Gala."
The 44 deserving coaches are:
Alberta
Bart Schouten, ChPC: Speed Skating Canada
Athlete: Ted-Jan Bloemen
John Jaques, ChPC: Cross Country Canada
Athletes: Brittany Hudak, Collin Cameron, and Mark Arendz
Jules Owchar: Curling Canada
Athletes: Brad Gushue, Mark Nichols, Brett Gallant, and Geoff Walker
Les Gramantik, ChPC: Athletics Canada
Athlete: Damian Warner
Philippe Abbott: Cycling Canada
Athlete: Mike Sametz
Robin McKeever, ChPC: Cross Country Canada
Athletes: Brian McKeever, Emily Young, Mark Arendz, and Natalie Wilkie
Ravi Walia, ChPC: Skate Canada
Athletes: Kaetlyn Osmond and Patrick Chan
Stanley Hayer: Alpine Canada Alpin
Athletes: Brady Leman, Kelsey Serwaa, and Brittany Phelan
Toben Sutherland: Freestyle Canada
Athlete: Alex Beaulieu-Marchand
British Columbia
Dave McKay, ChPC: Wrestling Canada Lutte
Athlete: Justina Di Stasio
Dave Thompson: Rowing Canada Aviron
Athletes: Lisa Roman, Kristin Bauder, Nicole Hare, Hillary Janssens, Christine Roper, Susanne
Grainger, Jennifer Martins, Rebecca Zimmerman, and Kristen Kit
Rob Kober, ChPC: Freestyle Canada
Athlete: Mikaël Kingsbury
Steve Bush: Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada
Athletes: Team Canada Water Ski
Trennon Paynter, ChPC: Freestyle Canada
Athlete: Cassie Sharpe
Manitoba
Jeff Stoughton: Curling Canada
Athletes: John Morris and Kaitlyn Lawes
Nova Scotia
David Kikuchi, ChPC: Gymnastics Canada Gymnastique
Athlete: Ellie Black
Jan Kruk, ChPC: Canoe Kayak Canada
Athletes: Katie Vincent and Laurence Vincent-Lapointe
Mark Smith, ChPC: Softball Canada
Athletes: Women’s National Team
Ontario
Andrew (Drew) Ross: Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada
Athletes: Neilly Ross and Jason McClintock
Brian Orser: Skate Canada
Athlete: Gabrielle Daleman
Derrick Campbell, ChPC: Speed Skating Canada
Athlete: Charles Hamelin, Samuel Girard, Charle Cournoyer, and Pascal Dion
Elliot Catton, ChPC: Canada Snowboard
Athlete: Sébastien Toutant, Mark McMorris, Max Parrot, and Laurie Blouin
Lee Barkell, ChPC: Skate Canada
Athlete: Gabrielle Daleman
Matt Rini: Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada
Athlete: Whitney McClintock
Marty Calder, ChPC: Wrestling Canada Lutte
Athlete: Michelle Fazzari
Michelle Darvill, ChPC: Rowing Canada Aviron
Athletes: Lisa Roman, Kristin Bauder, Nicole Hare, Hillary Janssens, Christine Roper, Susanne
Grainger, Jennifer Martins, Rebecca Zimmerman, and Kristen Kit
Wendy Morgan, ChPC: Curling Canada
Athletes: Jennifer Jones, Kaitlyn Lawes, Dawn McEwen, and Jill Officer
Quebec
Bruno Marcotte, ChPC: Skate Canada
Athletes: Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford
Eric Van den Eynde: Cycling Canada
Athlete: Shelley Gautier
Frédéric Blackburn, ChPC: Speed Skating Canada
Athletes: Valerie Maltais, Marianne St-Gelais, Kasandra Bradette, and Kim Boutin
Guillaume Plourde: Cycling Canada
Athlete: Tristen Chernove
Jean-Sébastien Labrie, ChPC: Alpine Canada Alpin
Athletes: Alana Ramsay, Alexis Guimond, Kurt Oatway, Mac Maroux, and Mollie Jepsen
Karina Kosko, ChPC: Gymnastics Canada Gymnastique
Athlete: Sophiane Méthot
Marie-France Dubreuil, ChPC: Skate Canada
Athletes: Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue
Mathieu Pelletier: Canoe Kayak Canada
Athlete: Laurence Vincent-Lapointe
Maxime Hénault: Canada Snowboard
Athletes: Max Parrot, Laurie Blouin, and Sébastien Toutant
Michel Hamelin, ChPC: Freestyle Canada
Athlete: Justine Dufour-Lapointe
Patrice Lauzon: Skate Canada
Athletes: Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue
Rino Langelier, ChPC: Racquetball Canada
Athlete: Samuel Murray
Sébastien Travers: Cycling Canada
Athletes: Ross Wilson and Alex Hyndman
Tyrel Rose, ChPC: Canadian Tenpin Federation
Athlete: Francois Lavoie
Saskatchewan
Adam Burwell: Canada Snowboard
Athlete: Mark McMorris
Loren Prentice: Racquetball Canada
Athlete: Tim Landeryou
Wayne Kiel, ChPC: Curling Canada
Athletes: Mark Ideson, Ina Forrest, Dennis Thiessen, Marie Wright, and Jamie Anseeuw
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More information on the deserving winners is posted on the Awards & Recognition page of the CAC’s website, coach.ca. Please follow #SLS18 on Twitter and Instagram for photos of the evening. The CAC wishes to thank Globe Awards & Promotions, the official provider of gala prizing and trophies handed out this evening.
About the Coaching Association of Canada
The Coaching Association of Canada unites stakeholders and partners in its commitment to raising the skills and stature of coaches, and ultimately expanding their reach and influence. Through its programs, the CAC empowers coaches with knowledge and skills, promotes ethics, fosters positive attitudes, builds competence, and increases the credibility and recognition of coaches. For more information, follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
About Suncor
Suncor Energy is Canada's leading integrated energy company. Suncor's operations include oil sands development and upgrading, offshore oil and gas production, petroleum refining, and product marketing under the Petro-Canada brand. A member of Dow Jones Sustainability indexes, FTSE4Good and CDP, Suncor is working to responsibly develop petroleum resources while also growing a renewable energy portfolio. Suncor is listed on the UN Global Compact 100 stock index and the Corporate Knights' Global 100. Suncor's common shares (symbol: SU) are listed on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges.
Petro-Canada, a Suncor business, operates almost 1,500 retail stations and 290 Petro-Pass wholesale locations nationwide. Petro-Canada's retail loyalty program, Petro-Points™, provides Canadians with the opportunity to earn and redeem rewards. Petro-Canada is proud to be a National Partner of the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic committees, supporting Canadian athletes, coaches and their families for more than 30 years. For more information, visit petro-canada.ca.
About IG Wealth Management
Founded in 1926, IG Wealth Management is a national leader in delivering personalized financial solutions to Canadians through a network of Consultants located across Canada. In addition to an exclusive family of mutual funds and other investment vehicles, IG offers a wide range of insurance, securities, mortgage and other financial services. IG Wealth Management has $89.8 billion in assets under management as of August 31, 2018 and is a member of the IGM Financial Inc. (TSX: IGM) group of companies. IGM Financial is one of Canada's premier financial services companies with over $161.1 billion in total assets under management as of August 31, 2018.
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For more information, pictures or videos of the recipients, please contact:
Michel Hachey
Manager, Communications
Coaching Association of Canada
613-235-5000, ext. 2382
613-858-0242 (Nov. 8-10, 2018)
mhachey@coach.ca