As we gear up for the eighth annual National Coaches Week (NCW), the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) and its National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) partners are encouraging Canada’s sport community to thank its coaches for their continuous dedication and contributions to sport.
Taking place September 17-25, National Coaches Week is a time to recognize and acknowledge the valuable contributions that coaches make to the quality of life in communities across Canada. It provides everyone the opportunity to recognize coaches for the integral role they play, simply by saying #ThanksCoach.
“Across Canada, from high-performance to community sport, coaches play an integral role in inspiring athletes to pursue their love of sport, while fueling their mental and physical health. We must recognize and celebrate the coaches who have selflessly given their all, sharing their passion to impact their community, and remaining true to the goal of always making sport safe and positive for all.”
The Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
“Each year, National Coaches Week provides a national platform for people to celebrate coaches who have had a significant impact on them and their sport community. Through testimonials shared using the #ThanksCoach hashtag, we learn about those deserving coaches, showcased by those who have felt their impact firsthand!” says Lorraine Lafrenière, CEO of the CAC. “Having to navigate and provide leadership through ever-changing restrictions and a new reality of living amid COVID-19, coaches across the Canadian sport landscape have remained consistently engaged in providing leadership and furthering their coaching development to ensure that safe sport and mental health remain a top priority for a positive return to sport.”
This past year, sport activities have continued to be greatly impacted by the changing restrictions on in-person gatherings and physical distancing guidelines due to COVID-19. Despite this, coaches have:
- pursued their Professional Development through our expanding list of CAC and NCCP training opportunities in the Locker, the CAC’s online coach education platform;
- supported their teams’ and participants’ mental health and well-being through CAC eLearning modules and web conferences;
- helped prevent the spread of COVID-19 by adhering to Return-to-Play guidelines.
The CAC presents National Coaches Week in collaboration with National Sport Organizations, their Provincial/Territorial Sport Organizations and Aboriginal Sport Bodies, Provincial and Territorial Coaching Representatives, and the thousands of clubs and millions of athletes across Canada. NCW is an event for everyone across the country and acknowledges coaches working at all levels of sport – from community clubs up to national and professional teams.
Coaching contributes significantly to volunteerism in Canada – one in seven Canadians will coach at some point in their lifetime. This year, the CAC has reached a new milestone with over 2 million coach records able to access coach training offered through the National Coaches Certification Program (NCCP). Nearly half of the training sessions in the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) this past year took place at the community level, where most coaches are volunteers.
In 2021, the National Coaches Week campaign acknowledged COVID-19’s impact and celebrated the coaches who supported a safe return to sport. The digital ad campaign generated more than 6 million impressions and over 23,000 engagements, and social posts by the sport community reached an estimated 13.5 million potential impacts.
An event calendar enabled organizations to post their celebrations, and the CAC offered eight eLearning modules for free during the week. These modules were completed 4,190 times, and 2,176 new Locker accounts were created.
How to Participate
Athletes, participants, volunteers, and parents can participate in National Coaches Week in many ways:
- Explore the Participation Guide: The National Coaches Week Participation Guide contains everything you need to make National Coaches Week a success for your coach, team, and organization.
- Enjoy FREE or discounted NCCP education: During National Coaches Week, coaches can diversify their coaching knowledge with free or discounted NCCP education. Connect with your local P/TCR, or National Sport Organization to learn more about their National Coaches Week events, or log in to the Locker to access specific eLearning modules for free from September 17-25, 2022.
- Join us on social media: Follow National Coaches Week on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram using #CoachesWeek and #ThanksCoach. And don’t forget to watch and share the National Coaches Week official video.
- Join a community event: Organize a community event to say #ThanksCoach, or join one taking place in your province or territory. Find an event near you!
- Join Petro-CanadaTM to say #ThanksCoach! Enter the Petro-Canada #ThanksCoach contest to win one of twenty pairs of $100 gift cards for you and your coach during National Coaches Week. Visit coach.ca/NCW for full contest details.
For up-to-date information on National Coaches Week, visit www.coach.ca/NationalCoachesWeek and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram using #CoachesWeek and #ThanksCoach.