Media Releases
October 25 , 2004
Delegates To Converge On Winnipeg For Sport Leadership Conference
Winnipeg – Upwards of 400 coaches, sport administrators, coach educators, and athletes from across Canada with some from as far away as Africa, Scotland and Cuba gather in Winnipeg this weekend for the Petro Canada Sport Leadership sportif 2004 being held at the Fairmont.
“It’s an honour and privilege for the sport community in Manitoba to be hosting the premier conference for sport leaders in Canada,” said Jeff Hnatiuk, President & CEO of Sport Manitoba, who along with the Coaching Association of Canada, Coaching Manitoba and Canadian Sport Centre Manitoba is co-hosting the event. “The timing is also most appropriate, this having been an Olympic year which will lead to considerable debate and discussion about the state and future of amateur sport in Canada.”
The theme of this year’s conference is “What is required for Canada to become a leading sport nation? How can you contribute?”
"The 2004 Sport Leadership Conference represents an outstanding opportunity for Manitobans to once again play a leadership role in the development of the Canadian sport system," stated Randy Anderson, General Manager of the Canadian Sport Centre Manitoba. "Manitoba's delegates to the conference will have an opportunity to influence future directions in Canadian sport in addition to gathering valuable ideas and information on how to continue to develop the sport system in Manitoba."
Liz Vieweg, General Manager of Coaching Manitoba added “ As the flagship conference for coaches, the Sport Leadership conference provides a tremendous developmental opportunity for our Manitoba coaches as it enables them to network and learn from some of the world’s leading experts in coaching.”
The conference will offer 21 plenary sessions, workshops, professional development and networking opportunities. Major topics include perspectives on a vision that can help make Canada a leading sport nation, lessons from Athens and relationships between sport, communities and effecting change. Sessions will also deal with organizational leadership, coaching the female athlete, leadership and advocacy, professional leadership and coaches, injury prevention for young athletes and helping athletes choose.
A complete schedule of events is available on the Coaching Association of Canada web site at http://www.coach.ca/sportleadershipsportif/2004/e/schedule/sessions/session_details.htm#C5
Among the featured presenters are:
- Bob Nicholson, President, Hockey Canada
- Kevan Pipe, Chief Operating Officer, Canadian Soccer Association
- Mark Lowry, Executive Director Sport, Canadian Olympic Committee
- Pat Jarvis, President, Canadian Paralympic Committee
- Ken Hitchcock, Assistant Coach, Team Canada and Head Coach of the Philadelphia Flyers
- Tanya Dubnicoff, Olympian, cycling
- Alex Gardiner, Head Coach/Chief Technical Officer, Athletics Canada
- Jean Dupré, Director General of Speed Skating Canada
- Bob McMahon, former Chief Operating Officer, Winnipeg Pan-Am Games
Some of the athletes who will be involved in plenary sessions include Winnipeg swimmer Kirby Cote, who won five gold and two silver medals at the Paralympics, Olympic cyclist Manon Jutras from Montreal and Alison Bradley from Pinkerton, Ontario who was a member of the Canadian Olympic team in women’s softball.
National sailing coach Kelly Hand, who is originally from Carman and Danièle Sauvageau, head coach of the gold medal winning Canadian women's hockey team at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games will be featured at the Coaching Association of Canada's Women in Coaching Luncheon.
The federal Minister of State for Amateur Sport, Stephen Owen, will also welcome delegates at the Sport Leadership Awards Dinner on Friday night and deliver a keynote address on Saturday morning.
-30-
For more information, contact:
Julie Tam
Director, Communications
Coaching Association of Canada
(613) 235-5000 (x9-2378)
or
Barry Moroz
Communications Coordinator
Sport Manitoba
(204) 925-5903
