Canada Games Apprenticeship Program – Women in Coaching
The Canada Games Council, the Coaching Association of Canada, and viaSport strongly believe that coaching apprenticeship programs are an essential part of the development of a coach.
The Canada Games have featured apprenticeship coach programs in every Games since the 2005 Canada Summer Games in Regina, Saskatchewan. Two coaches per Games from each Province and Territory are provided the opportunity to develop their coaching skills through the Canada Games.
The Women in Coaching (WiC) program aims to:
- Build coaching capacity for women in sport
- Provide women apprentice coaches with domestic multi-sport exposure
- Provide women apprentice coaches with enhanced professional development and learning opportunities to prepare them for higher level coaching and ensure an increase in their level of certification to a minimum of Competition-Development. (Apprentice coaches complete certification within 2 years following the Games)
- Expose women apprentice coaches to elite women coaches’ experiences
- Ensure women apprentice coaches are prepared to play a meaningful role during the Canada Games experience
Mentor Coaches and Apprentice Coaches
Mentor coaches are assigned to each apprentice coach, and professional development sessions are scheduled before the Games. The apprentice coaches play a meaningful role within the team, receives accreditation, and participates the Canada Games.
The program leadership, administration, and financing involve partnerships between the Canada Games Council, Coaches Association of Canada, viaSport, National Sport Organization, and Provincial Sport Organizations, with each party having specific roles and responsibilities.
Apprentice coaches are selected by an application* and review process. Applications are collected through the Coaches Association and viaSport reviews and selects the apprentice coach.
Applications for this program usually open about 16 months prior to the start of the games, and coaches are selected about 12 months prior to start of the games.
*Note – Provincial Sport Organizations need to endorse and be prepared to support the selected apprentice coach. If you are a coach who is thinking about applying to this program please connect with your Provincial Sport Organization to ensure their readiness to support you.
