Seven PACWEST Female Apprentices

Story courtesy of the CCAA

The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) and PACWEST are proud to announce its participants for the 16th season of the Female Apprentice Coach Program (FACP).

The FACP is designed to identify and support female graduating student-athletes who demonstrate the desire and skills for coaching by providing them opportunities to share in the coaching experience in CCAA sports.

A total of seven PACWEST female apprentices will take part in the program during the 2020-21 season:

Amelia Crawford – WSC Langara Falcons
Nicole Foglietta – WSC VIU Mariners (pictured)
Maddy Postnikoff – WBB Okanagan Coyotes
Emma Platner – WBB VIU Mariners
Rebecca Garner – WVB CBC Bearcats
Cambria Janes – WVB Douglas Royals
Andrea Cankovic – WVB VIU Mariners

“The CCAA is excited to support another group of talented young female apprentices in their journey to becoming coaches and the next generation of female coaches paving the way for other young apprentices to follow,” said Brittany Tierney, CCAA VP Sport Development.

The goal of the FACP is to increase opportunities for young women to have access to the coaching experience as well as to support identified graduating female student-athlete coaches in their pursuit of professional development opportunities.

In the program’s 15-year history, 233 female apprentices have been supported. This year’s 20 apprentices across the CCAA are the second highest total ever. The opportunity to recognize so many female apprentice coaches speaks to the growing efficacy of the CCAA program, according to Tierney.

“More young females within the CCAA community are seeing other women go through the program and thinking ‘that could be me’,” she said. “It is great to see the interest grow in supporting female coaches, and I believe will only continue to strengthen over time.”

This season, the FACP will also be supported by ‘Developing Future Leaders’, a pilot program which is led by former CCAA student-athlete Danielle Cyr, who is head coach of the Mount Saint Vincent University Mystics women’s soccer team.

Cyr recently completed her Master of Arts at Royal Roads University where she researched how a university sport program can lead female student athletes to develop transformational leadership skills. Cyr is currently enrolled in the Doctor of Social Sciences program at Royal Roads.

The ‘Developing Future Leaders’ program’s purpose is to provide transformational leadership development to help increase competence and confidence leading in sport. It will also encourage current sport leaders, including athletic directors and mentor coaches, to embrace an environment that supports transformational leadership for the apprentices and current female student-athletes.
Cyr’s goal is to help increase the number of CCAA female head coaches.

The program will feature Leadership Education Sessions via Zoom for both apprentices and mentors, interactive resources for leadership development and a discussion board for the apprentices.

In addition, the program will incorporate scholarly research, which will assist in the improvement and advancement of the FACP. It will also provide valuable data for the CCAA, Sport Canada, the Coaching Association of Canada and Canadian Women & Sport.

“I am excited about the opportunity to work together and adjust and develop the program to meet the needs of the female apprentice coaches and FACP committee,” said Cyr. “The CCAA has been a leader in female coach development and I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to and continue this important work.”

The FACP’s 16th year will certainly be unique with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This program will be beneficial for the apprentice coaches during unprecedented times.

It is important, perhaps now more than ever, to keep the spirit of sport alive in Canada, according to Tierney.

“It is an unfortunate time where young coaches might not think there’s opportunity for them to commit to coaching in sport,” she said. “Having the FACP provide that opportunity and financial support to encourage young female coaches to still commit to sport is important, and we can ensure the future generation of female coaches continues to grow.”