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Press Release

Friday, August 21, 2020

Renée Gauvin will benefit with on-hand training

Renée Gauvin, Moncton, will get the chance to get on-hand field training as she is one of 18 former student athletes to participate in the inaugural U SPORTS Female Apprenticeship Coach Program.

Gauvin is a former Université de Moncton Aigles Bleues soccer player. She will do her apprenticeship with head coach, Mehyar Zekaroui. She held an assistant coach position with the team during the 2019–2020 season.

Funded through Sport Canada, the new program aims to increase the number of females in coaching positions across Canadian universities, by matching apprentice coaches who have recently graduated with a mentor coach in one of the 11 U SPORTS-sanctioned sport offerings for women.

“We’re excited to officially launch the Female Apprentice Coach Program,” said Lisette Johnson-Stapley, Chief Sport Officer at U SPORTS. “As we all tackle the unprecedented challenges currently facing Canadian sport, this initiative will open new doors and provide the tools for success to recent alumnae, who aspire to become coaches themselves soon. We appreciate the support of our partners at Sport Canada for helping us make those dreams a reality.”

The 18 inaugural participants collectively represent eight of the 11 sports (soccer, cross-country, track and field, hockey, basketball, volleyball, swimming, and wrestling) as well as all four U SPORTS member conferences. Each apprentice coach competed in varsity sport over the past decade, with nine having previously gone on to assistant coaching roles either with their own university athletic program or at another U SPORTS member institution.

All participants in the program will be a member of the coaching staff at their respective schools. Where possible, they will take part in team practices and games or meets at both the conference and national levels. Each apprentice coach will also attend at least one National Coaching Certification Program professional development activity, while also providing support in areas such as student-athlete skill development, offering pregame, in-game and post-game feedback, and assisting with recruitment, video analysis, statistics, scouting and academic mentorship and supervision.

The first year of the program officially runs until April 30, with Sport Canada funding already committed as well for the 2021-22 edition. Some responsibilities may vary because of the COVID-19 pandemic.




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