Sport Leadership: Introduction

The Manitoba Aboriginal Sport & Recreation Council was very fortunate to become the financial benefactor of the 2002 North American Indigenous Games Legacy. A portion of the financial legacy will be allocated to the development of new coaches and officials in Manitoba and assisting others in reaching higher levels.

Along with the NAIG legacy funds, a number of other financial and administrative sources have come forward to assist with the entire Sport Leadership Development Program.

A partnership with Coaching Manitoba is key in delivering the goals and objectives of the Sport Leadership Program. Coaching Manitoba has recognized the need to increase the number of Aboriginal coaches in Manitoba. They are the vital link needed to bring the qualified and professional clinicians who instruct and guide the participants through the courses. They provide the necessary financial resources to bring this person to the community and also through various grants they are able to assist participants in obtaining their certification.

The Provincial and Federal governments, as part of the Canadian Sport Policy along with Sport Manitoba and MASRC, will create a plan to overcome identified barriers to increase physical activity within Aboriginal communities in Manitoba. The program will target several rural/remote and urban Aboriginal communities to increase sport and recreational participation. The Canada-Manitoba Bilateral Sport Development Program will supplement the NAIG legacy funds as coaching and official’s development is the program’s initial implementation stage.

The increasing interest in the North American Indigenous Games and in Team Manitoba for this event has identified the need for qualified, professional, and properly certified coaching staff to prepare our provincial team for the games in 2006 and beyond. Officials will be required throughout the province to regulate the various competitions that will be coordinated to identify and select athletes. NAIG coaching standards call for a fully certified level 1 coach and Team Manitoba will exceed that standard and put out a call for a full certified level 2.

The Manitoba Indigenous Games Program coaching standards identify the requirement for coaching staff be a minimum fully certified level one. It is also standard for host societies to provide qualified officials to oversee competition in the various individual and team sports. Coaching and Officials Development is a budgeted item for host societies as part of their legacy goals and objectives.

The Aboriginal Sport Circle, the National Voice for Aboriginal Sport in Canada, has developed the Aboriginal Coaching Manual as part of their strategy of educating both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal coaches on the challenges faced by Aboriginal athletes. Through years of research, consultation and draft reviews the manual will provide the coaches with additional resources such as reading and workbook material specifically designed to assist identifying and addressing challenges in the areas of Lifestyle, Nutrition, and Racism. Although direct funding will not be provided from this program, Aboriginal focused education and training is a great resource.

Sport Leadership is being identified in the school system throughout the province as becoming a major part of their schools’ athletic programs. Through minor official and introductory coaching skill training for high school students, administrators are creating a program to meet their students’ needs and interests to further their skills and knowledge of sport. Further, a partnership will be created with the community sport program that will benefit the community as a whole.