Hydro One and Coaches Association of Ontario announce the 2022 Coaching Excellence Award recipients

TORONTO, Sept. 13, 2022 /CNW/ - To celebrate National Coaches Week, which runs September 17-25, the Coaches Association of Ontario (CAO) and Hydro One are excited to present 10 coaches from across the province with the Ontario Coaching Excellence Award. Each recipient will receive funding to purchase sporting goods from local Canadian retailers of their choice. Christian Hawn, a baseball coach in Mississauga, will also receive the Hydro One Safe Play Award, selected for creating a safe, inclusive, and fun environment for all athletes and participants.

"We are thrilled to recognize this year's award winners for their dedication and support of athlete development on and off the playing field. Community volunteerism will play a vital role as we continue to recover from the pandemic, and as coaches we can be leaders in creating safe, fun, and positive spaces for youth to grow as athletes and leaders," said CAO's Executive Director, Jeremy Cross. "Congratulations and #ThanksCoach to all the recipients and for the impact you are having in your community."

"Coaches are a crucial part of any community, volunteering their time to support young athletes as they learn and grow on and off the field," said Jay Armitage, Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Hydro One. "Hydro One is proud to support local coaches and their athletes as they return to in-person sports and safe play. Our partnership with the Coaches Association of Ontario will help make the return to sports safe, fun, and inclusive for all."

The 10 Coaching Excellence Award recipients were selected from numerous nominations received annually by the CAO for each of their unique commitments to inspire, innovate and share knowledge of sport with others. The awards recognize the importance of leadership, performance and the value of human insight which are all integral to great coaching.

The 2022 Ontario Coaching Excellence Award winners are:

  • Larissa Byckalo, Mountain Volleyball Club, Burlington
  • Kevin Bomberry, Hamilton Bengals Lacrosse, Hamilton
  • Christian Hawn, Mississauga South Baseball Association, Mississauga, Hydro One Safe Play Award
  • Aga Kurpaska, Mississauga Monarchs Basketball, Mississauga
  • Ahmed Shamiya, McMaster University, Hamilton
  • Linda Tracey, Loyalist College and Vocational Institute, Kingston
  • Taryn Turnbull, Kingston Impact Basketball, Inverary
  • Shane Verbiski, St. David's Catholic Secondary School, Petersburg, Andy Higgins Lifetime Achievement Award
  • John Watkins, Durham College, Oshawa Vikings Rugby Club, Oshawa, Susan Kitchen Trailblazer Award
  • Greg White, Jacob Hespeler Secondary School, Cambridge

"The CAO would like to thank the Ontario Government and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport for their continued investment in National Coaches Week, which allows us to recognize and support Ontario's most valuable volunteers: our coaches," said Cross.

This year marks the 8th annual National Coaches Week, when Canadians say #ThanksCoach for the role coaches play in building safe communities and the positive impact they have on all participants. Ontario is home to more than 150,000 active coaches across more than 70 sports, many of whom volunteer their services. For more information about National Coaches Week across Ontario, visit www.coachesontario.ca/events/coachesweek.

Through the Safe Sport 101 partnership between the CAO and Hydro One, 32 coaches from 20 communities across the province were also selected to receive the Return to Coaching Community Grant to help them return to sports safely after COVID-19. The Safe Sport 101 partnership between the CAO and Hydro One gives coaches the tools they need to make sports safe, fun, and inclusive for all. For more information about Safe Sport 101 and the full list of the Return to Coaching Community Grant recipients, visit safesport101.coachesontario.ca.

About the Coaches Association of Ontario (CAO)
The Coaches Association of Ontario is an independent, non-profit organization that supports coaches from community to high performance across all sports in Ontario. For more information, please visit www.coachesontario.ca, follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Hydro One Limited (TSX: H)
Hydro One Limited, through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, is Ontario's largest electricity transmission and distribution provider with approximately 1.4 million valued customers, approximately $30.3 billion in assets as at December 31, 2020, and annual revenues in 2020 of approximately $7.3 billion.

Our team of approximately 8,700 skilled and dedicated employees proudly build and maintain a safe and reliable electricity system which is essential to supporting strong and successful communities. In 2020, Hydro One invested approximately $1.9 billion in its transmission and distribution networks, and supported the economy through buying approximately $1.7 billion of goods and services. We are committed to the communities where we live and work through community investment, sustainability and diversity initiatives. We are designated as a Sustainable Electricity Company by the Canadian Electricity Association.

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SOURCE Coaches Association of Ontario

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