Why GetCoaching?
"It's a Marathon, not a Sprint". A good friend of mine, who I play hockey with, gave me this advice a few times over the past ten years regarding the athletic development of my kids. His son's path of progression included the Greater Toronto Hockey League, Ontario Junior A Hockey League, United States Hockey League, and Western Collegiate Hockey Association's Bowling Green Falcons. Drafted 86th overall in the 3rd round of the 2014 NHL Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers, Mark Friedman just signed an entry-level contract with the Flyers, forgoing his final year of eligibility with the Falcons. So, maybe my friend knows a thing or two about kids' long term athletic development. While sometimes challenging to follow the "natural progression" route, when your kids have not grown as quickly as others (and you see a huge disparity in height and weight), I have tried to stick to the "marathon" guidance through my kids' developmental years.
Parents are increasingly focusing on hyper skill development for their children, and are turning to private coaches to give them a leg up, or simply to keep up. Private lessons feel like a prerequisite in most sports and activities these days, even at the house league level! The 'keep-up-with' mentality, which seems to be pervasive for most sports these days, makes the long-term approach even tougher to follow. But I know patience is key. I know kids will stay active, better develop, and perhaps even reach excellence in sport achievement if they do the right things at the right times. I also believe that experienced coaches and instructors are needed to show them the way, delivering programs that respect the principles and science of Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD). I have loved sports all my life, both playing and watching. I'm a good athlete (at least I think so), not great at one sport, but well-rounded in many. I never had a lesson from a coach or instructor in any sport, left with dreams of what might have been if my parents had invested some time and dollars in my development. While my kids are still developing (my son is 15 and daughter is 13), I have witnessed first-hand what an essential role qualified sports coaches and instructors can play in their development, both on and off the ice and field.
I am all about striving to reach your full potential. To help children, youths and young adults maximize what they are capable of athletically, I started GetCoaching.ca - helping them (and their parents) find the most qualified sports coaches and instructors in Canada. GetCoaching aims to ensure that coaches and instructors who work with athletes in a particular context are trained specifically in the areas where these athletes require expertise.
Vision
- To help children, youth and young adults develop to their highest athletic potential
Mission
- To support the long-term athletic development of children, youths and young adults by connecting them with experienced and trained (and certified) sports coaches and instructors best suited for their individual needs
Values
- Be passionate: do what you love, and love what you do
- Be positive: think and say "I can do this!"
- Give "Hundo P" Effort: always put forth maximum effort, that is all one can ask for
- Be resilient: when the going gets tough, deal with it, and move on
- Be Humble: let your actions speak for themselves
- YOLO: time flies so live each day to the fullest
Goal Statements/Desired Outcomes:
- To assist children, youths and young adults of all abilities in their progressive development across the athletic pathway, from childhood to adulthood
- To help guide athletes' participation and/or performance in a sport or physical activity through quality instruction and training
- To educate parents about Canadian Sport for Life's Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) progression pathway, and provide a platform to support its implementation
- To connect athletes, and parents of athletes, with coaches and instructors who are aligned with the LTAD model, and can best meet the needs of athletes at any development level
- To elevate the leadership and mentorship value of coaches, and the integral role they play in offering a quality sport experience for athletesand in shaping Canada's future sport landscape
- To highlight the significance of the Coaching Association of Canada's National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP), and its defined pathway for training and certification of sports coaches and instructors in Canada
- To work collaboratively with Canada's national sport organizations and provincial organizations to help provide a clear pathway for athletes to maximize their full potential and achieve excellence in, and through, sport