CCAA Volleyball apprentice: Jordana Milne

A total of 13 first-year aspiring female coaches will participate in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association’s (CCAA) Female Apprentice Coach Program (FACP) during the 2023-24 season.

The FACP, which is funded in part by Sport Canada, is designed to identify and support female graduating student-athletes who demonstrate the desire and skills for coaching by providing them opportunities to share in the coaching experience in the CCAA.

In CCAA Volleyball, four female apprentice coaches will be featured this season.

At Canadian Mennonite University (CMU), Jordana Milne will be mentored by Jayme Menzies with the Blazers in the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference (MCAC).

Milne expects to share lessons around holistic participation in sport – a balance and interconnectedness between all realms of sport and life.

“I believe that athletes should bring their whole selves to the game, and that the separation between your personal and athletic lives does not serve athletes in the long run,” she said. “I believe that taking care of your holistic health and wellbeing and honoring yourself as a full human being beyond your sport will help athletes perform better on the court and live more balanced lives.”

Milne is currently the Sport Convenor of the Louis Riel School Division, and aspires to continue on in the sport and recreation world into an athletic director, education or coaching role. She is currently responsible for the organization and facilitation of extracurricular sport, which includes supporting coaches and teachers through league organization, coach development, referee development and scheduling.

“My time as a university athlete along with time spent coaching at leadership camps allowed me to develop a passion for leadership development and positive team culture,” she said. “I believe I will be able to help mentor young female athletes to hone in on their leadership skills and styles that they can apply in the sports world and beyond.”

Menzies’ goal as a mentor is to create a safe and supportive pathway toward a future with more women as head coaches. She also believes that representation in positions of power is key for underrepresented demographics, such as women, to envision themselves taking up space in leadership roles.

“Finally, as an Indigenous, non-heteronormative woman, I am personally invested in dismantling harmful colonial and patriarchal norms that permeate through sport values and practices,” said Menzies. “Jordana shares in these concerns and together, I am confident we can create a holistic, individualized space where CMU’s student-athletes can learn, relate, and thrive.”

Milne will have the opportunity to learn from a mentor coach with an exceptional resume of service to the volleyball community in coaching, leadership, and governance roles, according to Cara Isaak, Director, Athletics at CMU.

“Jayme’s gifts as a mentor include empowering those around her to engage in leadership roles, understanding that mentoring is a collaborative process when both participants learn from one another, and building confidence in young coaches through intentional progressions of coach development,” said Isaak.

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The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) enriches the academic experiences of student-athletes by providing leadership, programs and services that foster development through high-level competitive opportunities in intercollegiate sport.

Media Contact:
Rodney Wilson / rodney@ccaa.ca
Manager, Communications & Events