Thanks to everyone who took the time to nominate a deserving Coach. Nominations are now closed. For questions about the selection process or to reserve tickets to the Awards Ceremony, please contact brooke@coachesontario.ca
The Ontario Coaching Excellence Awards program celebrates the dedication and commitment of exemplary individuals who inspire, innovate and share knowledge of sport with others. The Awards recognize the importance of leadership, performance and the value of human insight which are all integral to great coaching.
A coach is nominated in one of the following six categories:
Grass Roots (1 Male, 1 Female). Click here to nominate
Coaches recognized in this category are inspirational role models in the community. The coaching focus would be on introducing children and youth to a sport, developing fundamental movement skills while creating a positive environment for healthy development and instilling a life-long love to be physically active and stay involved in sport. A coach in this category would measure their daily success in the number of smiles achieved.
Good-to-Great (1 Male, 1 Female). Click here to nominate
The coaching focus is on performance excellence and competing to win. The coach would be recognized as the primary coach who identifies talented individuals; who creates a training environment that further develops athletic skills and abilities to a higher level of success in competition over a period of time.
Trailblazer Coach. Click here to nominate
The Trailblazer coach is an innovative out-of-the-box thinker who inspires others to follow and has made a difference in their sport or for their athletes. Whether coaching a community rep team or top performing provincial athletes, the coach who pushes the envelope, invents new approaches to old challenges and breaks through barriers should be nominated for this award.
Everyone Matters Coach. Click here to nominate
Aboriginal Impact Coach. Click here to nominate
Andy Higgins Lifetime Achievement Award. Click here to nominate
An outstanding coach who has made a significant contribution to coaching in Ontario over a long sustained period of time—20+ years. Andy Higgins, an Olympic decathlon coach, an educator and all around good human being, has devoted his lifetime to instilling positive values, citizen development and making a difference in people’s lives through sport. A coach who dreams big, looks for the possibilities, and focuses on a lasting legacy would be an ideal award recipient in this category.
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School Sport Coach – Selected by OFSAA …………………… …………… 
The selection of recipients (1 Male and 1 Female teacher-coach) is based on their unique contribution to sport through continuous development of new coaches. The nominated coach must have influenced the development of new coaches and have shown evidence of program building as well as encouraging athletes to give back to sport. .
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In case you missed it…
The third annual National Coaches Week officially kicked off here in Ontario this past Saturday as ten outstanding coaches from across Ontario were recognized and celebrated at the 2017 Ontario Coaching Excellence Awards.
Athletes, fans and family members eagerly lined up to see their favourite coach walk the red carpet at the sold out screening of the 2017 Ontario Coaching Excellence Awards. As they watched their coaching story unfold on the big screen, one by one the coaches gave a heart-felt acceptance speech, thanking their families for the support to pursue their passion.
For eleven years, the Ontario Coaching Excellence Awards Program has been celebrating the dedication and commitment of exemplary individuals who inspire, innovate and share knowledge of sport with others. The Awards recognize the importance of leadership, performance and the value of human insight which are all integral to great coaching.
The following are the winners of 2017 Ontario Coaching Excellence Awards: (click to see their videos)
- Victoria Lee – Grass Roots Coach (Female), Synchronized Swimming, Toronto
- Darryl Bricknell – Grass Roots Coach (Male), Hockey, Toronto
- Laurie Baulcomb – School Sport Coach (Female), Preston High School, Cambridge
- Denis Gauthier – School Sport Coach (Male), Lasalle Secondary School, Sudbury
- Jill Perry – Good-to-Great Coach (Female), Boxing, Ottawa
- Bradley Brennan – Good-to-Great Coach (Male), Rowing, Kingston
- Colleen Didur – Everyone Matters Coach, Canoe/Kayak, Toronto
- Pat Pembleton – Aboriginal Impact Coach, Lacrosse, Fort Erie
- Justin Shattraw & Mykal Travis – Trailblazer Coach, Football, Petawawa
The event also marks the start of National Coaches Week (September 23-30), a week-long celebration of the tremendous positive impact coaches have on this nations’ athletes and communities. The week is an opportunity to recognize coaches for the integral role they play by simply saying #ThanksCoach. In Ontario the week is highlighted by community coach training events happening in cities all across Ontario, and the lighting of iconic landmarks in blue, yellow, and red such as the CN Tower, Mississauga Clock Tower, Welland Bridge, and many more, in support of Ontario’s and Canada’s coaches for National Coaches Week.
The CAO congratulates all of the award winners and coaches across Ontario for their commitment and dedication to ensuring Canadians live an active and healthy lifestyle. For more information on the Ontario Coaching Excellence Awards and how to nominate a coach in the future, visit www.coachesontario.ca/awards. Full photos from the event can be found HERE.
If you couldn’t make it, here’s some of what you missed!
3rd annual National Coaches Week kicks off in Ontario at the 2017 Ontario Coaching Excellence Awards
Hosted by CBC Sports, Signa Butler and CAO Board Chair, Barrie Shepley (bottom right)
From top right to bottom right – Colleen Didur, Everyone Matters Coach Award Winner – Victoria Lee, Female Grassroots Coach Award Winner – Jill Perry, Female Good-to-Great Coach Award Winner
From top left to bottom right – Mykal Travis & Justin Shattraw, Trailblazer Coach Award Winners – Darryl Bricknell, Male Grassroots Coach Award Winner – Pat Pembleton, Aboriginal Impact Coach Award Winner – Bradley Brennan, Male Good-to-Great Coach Award Winner
From top left to top right – Denis Gauthier, Male School Sport Coach Award Winner – Laurie Baulcomb, Female School Sport Coach Award Winner with Doug Gellatly, OFSAA Executive Director
