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.
Nominations are now closed. Thanks to everyone who nominated a coach! Check back for information about winners and the ceremony, which will kick off National Coaches Week in Ontario 2019!
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Grass Roots (1 Male, 1 Female)
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.
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Good-to-Great (1 Male, 1 Female)
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.
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.Susan Kitchen .Trailblazer Coach
Named after CAO founder and Executive Director (2006-2018) Susan Kitchen, this coach is an innovative out-of- the-box thinker. A creative change agent who inspires others to follow, they have made a difference in their sport or for the athletes they coach. Taking the road less travelled is often bumpy and this coach embraced the goal, persevered and made things better for their sport for years to come. Just like Susan, the Trailblazer Coach never shies away from pushing the boundaries and makes everyone around them better. 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
Andy Higgins Lifetime Achievement Award
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. .
