Halifax, October 14, 2020 — The Black Canadian Coaches Association (BCCA) is pleased to announce the launch of the Black Female Coach Mentorship Program (BFCMP). In partnership with the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC), the pilot mentorship program seeks to create equitable opportunities for Black female coaches in Canada.
A national call for Mentee Applications is now open to women who identify as Black, Biracial, or Indigenous and are aspiring or current sport coaches. Applicants from all sport backgrounds, regardless of age, sport, or coaching experience, are invited to apply before the October 26 application deadline.
The Black Female Coach Mentorship Program focuses on three main objectives:
- Providing Black female mentorship;
- Advancing coach professionalization amongst both program mentors and mentees; and
- Providing a sustainable model of formalized mentorship that increases accessibility, support, and leadership development for Black female coaches in sport.
“The creation of the BFCMP is a historical undertaking and represents a method of eliminating systemic barriers for Black women in sport,” stated Lee Anna Osei, Founder of the BCCA and Head Coach of the St. Francis Xavier Women’s basketball team. “We appreciate the Coaching Association of Canada’s support to increase access to coach advancement opportunities, navigate systemic discrimination as it relates to both race and gender, develop self-advocacy and coping mechanisms when dealing with stereotypes and micro-aggressions, and strengthen leadership skills in our role models and coaches.”
“The CAC is proud to support this program as we continue to embed diversity and inclusion initiatives” says Lorraine Lafrenière, Chief Executive Officer of the CAC. “This program will focus on increasing accessibility to coaching careers by supporting opportunities in development and leadership in partnership with the BCCA.”
Ranging from recent graduates entering the organized coaching ranks to some of Canada’s most decorated and established coaches, the BFCMP is comprised of a diverse group of present and future trailblazers within the sport industry in Canada.
Program Mentors also represent a wide array of sport backgrounds, including basketball, swimming, ice hockey, soccer, flag football, track and field, rugby, and field hockey.
In some cases - such as swimming, ice hockey and flag football - the Black female coach mentors represent the only current active Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) head coaches within their respective levels. This sheds light on the stark reality of the need to increase Black females in professional coaching and sport leadership positions in Canada.
The 2020-2021 Black Female Coach Mentorship Program Mentors are as follows:
For more information on the Black Female Coach Mentorship Program (BFCMP), please contact:
Marian Agyei-Gyamera
Program Manager
Black Canadian Coaches Association
info@thebcca.com
For more information about Female Coach Mentorship Programs at the CAC, please contact:
Isabelle Cayer
Director, Sport Safety
Coaching Association of Canada
613-235-5000 ext.2376
icayer@coach.ca
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About Black Canadian Coaches Association
The Black Canadian Coaches Association (BCCA) is a non-profit organization that is committed to working alongside allied individuals, organizations, and our governing sports bodies in Canada to eradicate anti-black racism and racial inequities in the Canadian sport sector. Our three objectives are: celebration, advocacy through allyship and networking.
https://thebcca.com/
About the Coaching Association of Canada
The Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) 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 the knowledge and skills, promotes ethics, fosters positive attitudes, builds competence, and increases the credibility and recognition of coaches.
https://coach.ca/