Athletes2Coaches
This mentorship program will build coaching capacity among athletes experiencing disability. This program will work with athletes experiencing disability to foster the leadership skills and experiences they need to develop as leaders and eventually coaches. By establishing an athlete network across the province, athletes experiencing disability will be able to build skills, share experiences, and learn from one another.
Athletes2Coaches will use a virtual environment to provide athletes experiencing disability with structured learning opportunities to develop leadership and coaching skills. Increasing the number of athletes experiencing disability who become coaches will provide much needed role models for new para-athletes to ‘see themselves’ in leadership roles ensuring that there are skilled leaders available to contribute.
Athletes2Coaches will focus on increasing para sport participation in Alberta by achieving the following learning outcomes:
- Describe what mentorship is and identify related skills in the areas of leadership and
coaching - Build relationships with positive para sport role models through engagement in the
community of practice and athlete panels - Share their para sport experiences and best practices for coaching athletes experiencing
disability with others through the community of practice
If you have any questions, I would be happy to set up a time to discuss this project further. Please contact Jessica at tscparasport@ualberta.ca
What is required of program participants?
We are looking to recruit athletes experiencing disability into the Athletes2Coaches program, where they will receive leadership skill development training over the course of 6 weeks and participate in discussion and reflection through a community of practice. All formal sessions will be conducted remotely to connect athletes from across the province with a potential in-person summit to be scheduled in February 2022.
Interested athletes must fit the below criteria:
- Be located in Alberta
- Currently participate in para sport
- Identify as experiencing disability
- Be 12 years of age or older
- Must attend all sessions (dates listed below)
- Must have access to the technology to participate virtually
For more information please contact Jessica at tscparasport@ualberta.ca
Leadership Skill Development Program
Virtual leadership skill development program will run November 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, and December 6, 2021 at 5:00PM MST.
Date: November 1, 2021
Topic: Introduction to Athletes2Coaches program: review of Discord and Community of Practice, staff and participant introductions, goals and expectations.
Presenter: Jessica Ferguson- Partnerships & Para Sport Development Coordinator, The Steadward Centre
Date: November 8, 2021
Topic: NCCP Mentorship Workshop:The NCCP Mentorship module prepares individuals for their roles as mentors with clarity of purpose and confidence in their actions. The training reaffirms and strengthens their abilities and skills as a mentor, while expanding upon the mentor’s knowledge of the mentoring process. Completing the training will provide the mentor with the necessary standards and protocols to implement mentoring within their coaching community.
Presenter: Jackie Cool
Date: November 15, 2021
Topic: NCCP Mentorship Workshop:The NCCP Mentorship module prepares individuals for their roles as mentors with clarity of purpose and confidence in their actions. The training reaffirms and strengthens their abilities and skills as a mentor, while expanding upon the mentor’s knowledge of the mentoring process. Completing the training will provide the mentor with the necessary standards and protocols to implement mentoring within their coaching community.
Presenter: Jackie Cool
Date: November 22, 2021
Topic: Transformational Coaching Workshop: There is growing recognition that effective coaching is not only about developing better athletes, but also about developing better people. To achieve this important goal, education programs are needed to help foster high-quality interpersonal relationships. Developed by a team of researchers, the Transformational Coaching Workshop is an innovative, evidence-informed workshop designed to enhance your leadership skills, and ultimately improve the quality of your interpersonal relationships. This interactive workshop will enhance your understanding of yourself as a leader and help you to develop leadership skills that will inspire, empower, and bring out the best in others. Interactive and reflective activities will increase your understanding of the principles of Transformational Coaching and your ability to develop strategies for implementing Transformational Coaching behaviours. Additionally, you will be provided with an opportunity to develop practical action plans for making positive changes in your leadership behaviours.
Presenter: Janet Lawson is a PhD candidate at Queen’s University whose research examines how athletes experiences in parasport can be improved. Specifically, her work focuses on developing, implementing, and evaluating evidence-informed resources to promote positive classification experiences. Janet has primarily worked with athletes involved in athletics, wheelchair basketball, and wheelchair rugby.
Date: November 29, 2021
Topic: Coaching with a Disability: Para Sport journey as an athlete and a coach
Presenter: Peggy Assinck began playing para ice hockey at age 12. She competes for the Canadian Women’s Para Hockey team, as well as coaches with both the men’s and women’s National Great Britain Para Hockey teams. She has studied a PhD in neuroscience at the University of British Columbia. She also travelled with a team of researchers from the International Collaboration On Repair Discoveries to the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi. The team carried out research on the autonomic functions of para-athletes with spinal cord injuries.
Date: December 6, 2021
Topic: Para Coach & Mentor Panel:learn from individuals experiencing disability who are currently in coaching or mentorship roles. Ask questions about their experiences transitioning into leadership roles within para sport.
Presenter: Jessica Ferguson - moderator
For more information please contact Jessica at tscparasport@ualberta.ca