Nanaimo area coaches can develop new skills and strategies through a year long program offered by PacificSportVI. (File Photo)

By Dan Marshall

Coaching Support

Leadership, mentoring on offer for Island sport coaches

Jun 9, 2021 | 7:10 PM

NANAIMO — Coaches from all sports can bolster their skills and learn new leadership techniques in a year long program starting this fall.

Applications for the PacificSport Vancouver Island Coach Academy are available online through the organization’s website.

Kevin Lindo with PSVI said the aim is to help coaches who are early in their careers or athletes who may be looking to transition into coaching.

“We want to bring together like-minded individuals who all want to improve in their sport so they can help improve others, take on holistic development and take their athletes to the next stages.”

The Coach Academy will provide courses, workshops and mentorship.

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It will start off mostly online in September with a plan to have more face to face sessions as COVID restrictions allow.

Both grassroots and high performance coaches can be accepted with Lindo noting others in leadership positions may benefit as well.

“We’re fortunate to have people apply from an Olympic and Paralympic setting. But we also have people from an occupational therapy lens who are looking to get others back to work through recreation and sport.”

There are similar programs in Canada and in other PacificSport centres but Lindo stated the PSVI Coach Academy is unique to this area and will reflect the needs and challenges specific to Vancouver Island.

“As much as it pains me to say it we don’t want a bunch of soccer coaches all standing in a room together,” Lindo said.

Lindo is the head coach of the women’s soccer team at Vancouver Island University but he believes the success of the academy will be it’s diversity.

“My PacificSport colleagues and I have been exposed to this before where you have 20 different sports together in a room and we start brainstorming. We want that dynamic of different sports coming together to pick ideas off each other and to really challenge each other.”

The Coach Academy will be broken down into four phases taking anywhere from two to four months.

A full outline of the details and costs for the program are available online at the PacificSport Vancouver Island site.

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