OTTAWA (October 16, 2013) – The Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) is pleased to announce that the Geoff Gowan Award, presented for lifetime contributions to coaching and coach development, will now be housed in Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in Calgary, AB. Geoff’s daughter Susan, as well as several past recipients of the award will gather tonight in Toronto for Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame 2013 Induction Celebrations presented by the Canada Games to be recognized for their contributions to sport.
Gowan, who died this spring at the age of 83 after a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s disease, is already an Honoured Member of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, inducted as a builder in 2002 in recognition of his outstanding leadership in the development of Canadian coaching, in particular the National Coaching Certification Program.
“Virtually every athlete in Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame got there because a coach had the commitment, perseverance, and expertise to guide the athlete to world level performances,” said Gabor Csepregi, Chair of the Board of Directors for the CAC. “Geoff exemplified those qualities as have the many recipients of this prestigious award since it was first presented in 1996. We can think of no better home for the Geoff Gowan Award than at Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.”
“Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame is proud to include the Geoff Gowan Award as part of its permanent display, and thrilled to encourage excellence in coaching at all levels of sport,” said Mario Siciliano, President and CEO of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.
The 2013 winners of the Geoff Gowan Award will be announced at the Petro-Canada Sport Leadership Awards gala taking place in Calgary on November 8 as part of the Petro-Canada Sport Leadership sportif conference.
Past winners of the Geoff Gowan Award:
2012
Victor Zilberman: Wrestling
David Hart: Water Polo
2011
Allison McNeill: Basketball
Dr. Eric Broom: Field Hockey
2010
Dr. Dru Marshall: Field Hockey
Lyle Sanderson: Athletics
2009
Tim Frick: Wheelchair Basketball
Keith Russell: Gymnastics
2008
Douglas Leigh: Figure Skating
2007
Andy Higgins: Decathlon
2006
Clare Drake: Hockey
2005
Charles Cardinal: Volleyball
2004
Donald Dion: Diving
2003
Marilyn Savage: Gymnastics
2002
Al Morrow: Rowing
2000
Doug Clement: Athletics
1999
Jack Donohue: Basketball
1996
Geoff Gowan: Athletics
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. Visit www.coach.ca for more information about coach education and training.
About Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame
Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame is an international award-winning venue with over 40,000 sq. feet of inspiring experiences. Located at Canada Olympic Park (COP) in Calgary, AB the Hall features 12 galleries, more than 50 hands-on interactive experiences, a collection of more than 95,000 artefacts. Our mission to share the stories of the achievements of our Honoured Members so that we can inspire all Canadians to be the best they can be in all aspects of life is the key to development of our tag line: Inspiring Canadians - in sport and life. Please visit www.sportshall.ca to learn more about our education programs, facility rentals, and corporate retreats.
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For more information, contact:
Julie Parkins-Forget
Manager, Marketing and Communications
Coaching Association of Canada
613-235-5000, ext. 2382
jforget@coach.ca