OTTAWA, December 16, 2020 – The Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) is pleased to announce the eight female coaches selected to the 2020-2021 University Female Coach Mentorship Program (UFCMP).

In 2015, CAC’s UFCMP was piloted with three universities in Canada aimed at improving the pool of female coaches in the university system in Canada, as a response to the University of Toronto’s 2013 Gender Equity Report. Since the pilot, the program has expanded to partner with additional universities across Canada.

This most recent group of coaches represents the sixth cohort since the program’s inception in 2015.

“We are thrilled to welcome the newest mentor and mentee coaches to the program,” said Isabelle Cayer, Director, Sport Safety of the CAC. “We take pride in collaborating with universities across Canada to provide female coaches with the practical experiences and the qualifications for lead coaching roles, in a supportive environment.”

The UFCMP allows the CAC to support the increased recruitment and retention of female coaches through financial and human resource support, mentorship, and practical experiences.

Naomi Mullings, Assistant Coach of the women’s basketball team at the University of Manitoba will be working closely with mentor Michele Sung in the coming months. Mullings looks forward to learning from Sung who is entering her sixth year as the head coach of the Bison women’s basketball team.

“Michele [Sung] is truly phenomenal. It’s been amazing to work alongside her and she taught me that you can accomplish great things as a female coach, no matter the obstacles,” said Mullings. “To be able to be mentored by someone with that level of determination and perseverance is really great for me.”

Sung understands the importance of mentorship and she is excited for the opportunity to expand her leadership role as a mentor for Mullings. One of Sung’s earliest coaching opportunities was with the U17 female Manitoba provincial team, where she was an apprentice coach under former Bison women’s basketball head coach and University of Manitoba Athletic Director Coleen Dufresne, as well as Don Thomson.

Sung credits a strong mentorship team that allowed her to develop the skills that were necessary to make the next step in her coaching career.

“Mentorship allows you to add depth to your coaching and to be able to look at the game and the role of coaching from multiple perspectives,” said Sung. “The program will help us achieve professional development goals and it will help add structure and accountability to Naomi’s role.”

The 2020-2021 University Female Coach Mentorship Program participants are as follows:

About the Coaching Association of Canada

The Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) unites stakeholders and partners in its commitment to raising the skills and stature of coaches, and ultimately expanding their reach and influence. Through its programs, the CAC empowers coaches with the knowledge and skills, promotes ethics, fosters positive attitudes, builds competence, and increases the credibility and recognition of coaches.