Swimming Canada is delighted to announce new coach development groups for 2021.

In addition to the Select Coaches Group, which has been operating since 2014, Swimming Canada will grow the Female Coaches Group launched in 2018, and add a new Advanced Coaches Group.
 
In total, 48 coaches will be offered one or more of these development opportunities in the upcoming year.
 
“In identifying coaches, we considered those with an open mind, willingness to listen to diverse opinions, consider change, learn and share with others,” said Iain McDonald, Associate High Performance Director, Olympic Program. “All will benefit from the three coach development opportunities delivered. The Select Coaches Group has tended to skew toward younger coaches. As a guideline, the group has primarily involved head coaches who have produced athletes at the On Track level. For 2021 we wanted to expand the group and involve a larger number of coaches from across the country.”
 
In 2018, Swimming Canada introduced the Female Coaches Group and offered a number of bespoke leadership workshops through 2019 and 2020. This year’s the focus will include more swimming/sport- specific topics. The Advanced Coaches Group will be made up of coaches Swimming Canada has worked with over the last number of years, many of whom have been Select Coaches Group participants in the past.
 
“These groups are very important for the present and future of coaching in the current era of sport, not only in Canada, but in world swimming. We have had these coaching development groups running since 2014 and they are a targeted approach to development,” said High Performance Director and National Coach John Atkinson. “We are looking to work with coaches who understand situations, work in a positive way with partners and then make any situation work for them and use that in developing their athletes and clubs. We also look at how coaches respond to situations, how they look to thrive and be leaders in a positive way, being solution focused.”
 
A number of virtual sessions will be offered with both Canadian and international presenters. Topics will range from specific technical swimming issues to developing communication skills for the coaching environment, based on the principles of the aviation industry’s Crew Resource Management training. There will be a number of joint sessions where all three groups are involved along with specific sessions for each group.
 
“We engaged with our provincial sections in the identification process and appointments of the coaches,” McDonald added. “Through this process we have been able to invite a diverse group of coaches from many different coaching environments from across Canada.”
 
The Female Coaches Group will include 21 coaches with each coach also being named to one of the other two groups. Thirty-eight coaches have been named to the Select Coaches Group (19 males and 19 females) and 10 coaches will make up the first ever Advanced Coaches Group.
 
This first presentation will take place on March 3 from 12:30 – 2 p.m. ET (9:30-11 a.m. PT) and include a 30-minute welcome/introduction from Atkinson followed by a question and answer session with British Olympic Coach Russ Barber.
 
 
Appointed Coaches:
 

Select Coaches Group/Le groupe d’entraineurs elite
Name/nom	Club	Prov
Alex Dawson	GPP	AB
Lesley Serediak	OSC	AB
Jaimie Gaudreau	PRSC	AB
Lucien Zucchi	RDCSC	AB
Mark Chantaj	SRAYS	AB
Vincent Chung	CHENA	BC
Leanne Sirup	DST	BC
Ben Keast	HPC-Van	BC
Jy Stewart	PSW	BC
Annie Wolfe	SFU	BC
Justin Daly	SPART	BC
Judy Baker	WDSC	BC
Tommaso Panizza	MANTA	MB
Ryan Allen	CNBO	NB
Melanie Melanson	CVAC	NB
Meredith Earle	MPM	NL
Mark McGrann	HTAC	NS
Zoe Miles	SWAT	NS
Miranda Bates	TCSC	NS
Andrew Miller	AAC	ON
Endi Babi	ESWIM	ON
Laura Nichols	GMAC	ON
Janet Hyslop	KSS	ON
Eddie Toro	NYAC	ON
Cathy Pardy	ROW	ON
Sarah MacDonald	SSAT	ON
Mike McWha	WAC	ON
Paulina Bond	WES	ON
Olivier Renaud	WS	ON
Marie Bergeron	CAMO	QC
Salim Laoubi	ELITE	QC
Savannah King	McGill	QC
Chrystèle Roy l’Écuyer	NN	QC
Jeremey Bruggeman	NN	QC
Amélie Poirier	RED	QC
Jonathon Blouin	SAMAK	QC
Steven Hitchings	GOLD	SK
Craig Nieuwstad	RODS	SK

Female Coaches Group/Le groupe des entraineures
Name/nom	Club	Prov
Lesley Serediak	OSC	AB
Jaimie Gaudreau	PRSC	AB
Leanne Sirup	DST	BC
Tina Hoeben	KISU	BC
Jy Stewart	PSW	BC
Annie Wolfe	SFU	BC
Judy Baker	WDSC	BC
Melanie Melanson	CVAC	NB
Marta Belsh	FAST	NB
Meredith Earle	MPM	NL
Zoe Miles	SWAT	NS
Miranda Bates	TCSC	NS
Laura Nichols	GMAC	ON
Janet Hyslop	KSS	ON
Cathy Pardy	ROW	ON
Sarah MacDonald	SSAT	ON
Paulina Bond	WES	ON
Marie Bergeron	CAMO	QC
Savannah King	McGill	QC
Chrystèle Roy l’Écuyer	NN	QC
Amélie Poirier	RED	QC

Advanced Coaches Group/Le groupe des entraineurs avancés
Name/nom	Club	Prov
Paul Birmingham	EKSC	AB
Tina Hoeben	KISU	BC
Rob Pettifer	RAPID	BC
Marta Belsh	FAST	NB
Rob Novak	ESWIM	ON
Jason Allen	GO	ON
Don Burton	OSA	ON
Dean Henze	SLSC	ON
Martin Gingras	PCSC	QC
Abderrahmane Tissira	RODS	SK