REPORT ON CANADA’S HIGH PERFORMANCE COACHES REVEALS SUCCESSES, GAPS
Coaching Association of Canada and partners committed to improving support for high performance coaches within Canadian sport system

Ottawa, June 10, 2009 – The working conditions for Canada’s high performance coaches are less than ideal given the significant time commitment, the heavy workload required, and the salaries received by coaches of the country’s top athletes. These challenges are a central portion of the findings of a study on the Status of Coaches in Canada released this morning by the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC). The report’s results were discussed at a news conference attended by Minister of State (Sport) Gary Lunn, CAC Chief Executive Officer John Bales, and Own the Podium Executive Director and two-time Olympic gold medallist Alex Baumann.

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Quotes

“This new study will help us to identify areas where we can work together with Canadian coaches to help our athletes excel from the playground to the podium. Our Government will continue to work with our partners to ensure our athletes have the resources and support they need to succeed.”
- The Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of State (Sport)

“Coaching is a profession in transition, as this study demonstrates by profiling a diverse group of high performance coaches in a wide range of working conditions. It highlights the need to support our Canadian coaches in their work, and give them the resources to be able to perform their jobs to the best of their abilities and in turn have the best possible impact on their athletes.”
- John Bales, Chief Executive Officer
Coaching Association of Canada

“This study highlights the need to support high performance coaches to focus on the job of coaching and not be distracted by administrative responsibilities or a lack of security in their positions. Own the Podium places a high priority on technical leadership and the important role of the coach. A better system for high performance coaches in Canada will ultimately lead to more podium performances for our country's top athletes.”
- Alex Baumann, Executive Director
Own the Podium

“The Status of Coaches in Canada report highlights challenges experienced by high performance coaches, and it is important that when we look to improve their working conditions that we also consider how we can improve the situation for developmental coaches. Provincial and territorial initiatives are crucial in helping to create better working conditions at the developmental level, which in turn would result in an increased stability for high performance coaches and the athletes with whom they work.”
- Ken Bagnell, President and NCI Director
Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic

“The study on the Status of Coaches in Canada will serve as a starting point in the effort to bring appropriate recognition, support and compensation to Canada’s high performance and professional coaches. It is clear from the data generated by the study that many areas related to high performance coaching require attention, but having this information in hand now gives the sport community a framework in which to work towards improvement.”
- Wayne Parro, Executive Director
Coaches of Canada

“Specific to women coaches, the study suggests that barriers may exist to women coaching at the high performance level, with the situation being even more difficult when it comes to coaching carded athletes. CAC’s Women in Coaching program addresses these barriers which result in the shortage of qualified women coaches. It is our hope that the report will generate actions to attend to this situation and provide women the opportunity to bring their demonstrated qualities and abilities to the profession.”
- Sheilagh Croxon, Women in Coaching Consultant
Coaching Association of Canada

Participants

Click for high resolution	The Honourable Gary Lunn Minister of State (Sport) Bio (.pdf) | Org. profile (.pdf)	Click for high resolution
Click for high resolution	John Bales Chief Executive Officer Coaching Association of Canada Bio (.pdf) | Org. profile (.pdf)	Click for high resolution
Click for high resolution	Alex Baumann Executive Director Own the Podium Bio (.pdf) | Org. profile (.pdf)	Click for high resolution
Click for high resolution	Pierre Lafontaine Chief Executive Officer and National Coach Swimming Canada Bio (.pdf)
Additional Speakers
	Ken Bagnell President and NCI Director Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic Org. profile (.pdf)
Click for high resolution	Wayne Parro Executive Director Coaches of Canada Bio (.pdf) | Org. profile (.pdf)	Click for high resolution
	Ian Reade Researcher Coaching Research Group, Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation University of Alberta
Click for high resolution	Jean-Marie De Koninck Chair, Board of Directors Coaching Association of Canada Bio (.pdf) | Org. profile (.pdf)	Click for high resolution
Click for high resolution	Sheilagh Croxon Women in Coaching Consultant Coaching Association of Canada Bio (.pdf) | Org. profile (.pdf)	Click for high resolution

	Summary of Report
	Complete Report

Contact
Michèle Dion
Communications Coordinator
Coaching Association of Canada
613-235-5000 ext. 9-2384
mdion@coach.ca

About CAC
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.

Links
coach.ca
CAC on Wikipedia
Sport Canada
Own the Podium

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