On Sunday, November 13, the Greater Toronto Hockey League, in partnership with the We Are Coaches program, offered free Coach Level 1 and Coach Level 2 clinics for women and girls for the third consecutive season. The clinics featured 20 participants, with 14 women and girls attending the Coach Level 1 session, and six attending the Coach Level 2 session.
Starting off the day, the Coach Level 1 clinic, which is an introduction to coaching, taught participants the basics, such as long-term development and teaching skills. The clinic begins in the classroom, followed by an on-ice portion where participants can utilize what they learned.
In the Coach Level 2 clinic following, coaches learned more advanced material, including how to make an emergency action plan, skill progressions, and skill analysis with an emphasis on how to detect and correct errors.
This year’s sessions saw the return to in-person clinics for the women and girls which only helped to create a welcoming and safe environment, while also helping to foster connection and building a support system among the participants.
The We Are Coaches program is of no cost, open to women and girls for coach training designed to increase the number of women trained as coaches in Canada. The goal is to develop and further provide mentors and role models for young participants.
We Are Coaches strives to:
- Help build infrastructure to support and sustain the participation of girls and women in hockey in Canada.
- Develop women role models and leaders within the hockey community.
- Remove barriers to coaching education for women.
The Hockey Canada Foundation provides funding to Hockey Canada Members to deliver free Coach 1, Coach 2 and/or Development 1 clinics for women and girls each season.
