Athletes2Coaches
Athlete2Coaches 2.0 launching in fall 2023 - stay tuned!Athletes2Coaches (A2C) was first piloted as a TSC initiative in 2021. This mentorship program aimed to build coaching capacity among athletes experiencing disability by working with them 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 were able to build skills, share experiences and learn from one another.
A2C 1.0 used 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.
Continuing from the success of A2C 1.0, we introduce Athletes2Coaches 2.0. A2C 2.0 will use a more individualized approach that is targeted towards two primary groups of athletes:
- those currently in a sport pathway and seeking more coaching and leadership opportunities
- those who are towards the end of their high-performance competition pathway
Our aim is to work with athletes and their mentors/coaches to develop a coaching pathway for them. To achieve this, athletes will be matched with a coach/mentor from a partner organization where they can gain practical experience and both parties can collaborate on a coaching pathway that is mutually beneficial.
For more information and potential future A2C opportunities, please contact: Sierra Roth, Para Sport Initiatives, at tscinitiatives@ualberta.ca or Geneva Coulter, Partnerships & Para Sport Development Coordinator, at tscparasport@ualberta.ca.
