Ontario Coaching Excellence Awards

Nominations are now closed for 2026/2027. Nominations will be accepted on this page when the form reopens in early 2027. The nomination is simple: give us your contact information, the information of the coach you are nominating, tell us why they are the BEST COACH EVER, and give us 2-3 references to follow up with. That’s it!

Our nomination form typically remains open for several months so after your submission confirmation, you may not hear back for some time. During that time we are following up with references, gathering other nominations, vetting and shortlisting, and going to our selection committee. We will respond to everyone as soon as we can, and you can always inquire on the status of your nomination by getting in touch with us.

We consider a range of criteria for shortlisting and selections. They include, but are not limited to:

• Representation across region, sport, context (community/club/high performance/etc.)
• Diversity of racial identity, gender identity, abilities of coach and/or athletes, and more.
• Personal stories of coach impact in the nomination.
• Performance-based distinctions included in the nomination.

The best way to get your coach noticed is to tell a compelling story about what makes them exceptional, whether it’s the relationships they build, their impact on their club, school  or community, or the outstanding performance they’ve achieved with their teams or athletes.

No your coach does not need to have an NCCP number or coach a recognized sport to be considered for short list or selection. We do need to be able to check their background check, verify they are in good standing with their governing sport body and they must coach a sport as defined by the Ontario Ministry of Sport. The definition can be found HERE

Nominations with at least two reference responses will be considered for short listing. Selections also require valid background checks and endorsement from their club and their provincial sport organization. Full list of requirements and vetting process can be found HERE

Congratulations! You and a guest are invited to a VIP sport experience taking place in a private suite in downtown Toronto! We will reach out to speak with you, let you know about the details of the ceremony (typically taking place during National Coaches Week in Ontario) and we will probably ask for pictures for our announcements on social media. Usually we reach out several times over the Summer to prepare you with details about the ceremony.

If you have any questions about nominating, winning or anything else Ontario Coaching Excellence Awards-related, please contact Brooke Leonardo at br****@************io.ca