April 11 2012 – The results of the 2011-2012 CCAA National Championship season speak to the success of the CCAA Female Apprentice Coach Program. 

Participants of the 2011-2012 CCAA Female Apprentice Coach Program earned a total of 8 CCAA national championship medals this season.

Thanks to funding from Sport Canada, the CCAA Female Apprentice Coach program provides grants for apprentices training under mentor coaches in CCAA sports. Apprentice coaches typically aid in player scouting, team communications, training exercises, skill development and administrative duties throughout the season. The CCAA’s goal is to have one female coach on the staff of each women’s sports program.

Success stories among the 2011-2012 CCAA female apprentices include:

- Apprentice coach Marjorie Ferland and mentor coach David Desloges of the Collège Francois-Xavier-Garneau Élans women’s soccer team earned their second consecutive CCAA national championship gold medal. “The program is a great way to develop new coaches,” says Eric Lavigne, athletic director at Collège Francois-Xavier Garneau.  “It provides long-term benefits to our organization.”

- The NAIT Ooks badminton team led by apprentice coach Yang Sun and mentor Jordan Richey qualified for all five events at the 2012 CCAA Badminton National Championship and took silver in mixed doubles and gold in women’s doubles and men’s singles. Dan Kai was also named 2012 CCAA Men’s Badminton Player of the Year.

- The Douglas Royals badminton team lead by apprentice coach Stephanie Ko and mentor Al Mawani also qualified for every event at the 2012 CCAA Badminton National Championship; they earned three gold trophies in women’s singles, men’s doubles, and mixed doubles, as well as silver in men’s singles. Athlete RuiLin Huang was also awarded the CCAA Women’s Badminton Player of the Year award. "The apprentice program worked very well," says Mawani. “Stephanie is a four-time national championship and she helped our athletes qualify for nationals.”

- Apprentice coach Jamie Brown and mentor Derrick Brooks saw their MSVU Mystics take the ACAA conference championship and qualify for the 2012 CCAA Women’s Volleyball National Championship.

- Apprentice Christine Kennedy and mentor Loralyn Murdoch of the UNBC Timberwolves basketball team earned the PACWEST conference championship and a berth to the BMO 2012 CCAA Women’s Basketball National Championship. “Being an apprentice has opened by eyes to all that goes into coaching" says Kennedy. "This opportunity has given me an even greater respect for coaches and all they do. I'm grateful for all I learned from my mentor and I aspire to continue coaching basketball in my community.”

"While the correlation is unproven, former and current participants illustrate that institutions with apprentices have great success at reaching CCAA national championships,” says CCAA executive director Sandra Murray-MacDonnell. “The experience gained at national events goes a long way to hone these young coaches’ skills, expectations and goals.”

Individuals and institutions interested in participating in the 2012-2013 CCAA Female Apprentice Coach Program are asked to apply by June 15 2012.

Stephanie Wereley
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