The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association is proud to announce its participants for the 2016-17 Female Apprentice Coach Program from the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC):
Ambrose Lions
Apprentice: Jordan Dyck
Mentor: Colin Kubinec
The Ambrose Lions Women’s Volleyball team will get a boost this season as former captain and most valuable player Jordan Dyck returns to the club as an apprentice.
Head coach Colin Kubinec, also Ambrose’s Athletic Director, is thrilled to have Dyck join his coaching staff.
“It’s my absolute delight and pleasure to be able to work with and mentor Jordan,” said Kubinec. “She is a phenomenal leader, a phenomenal volleyball athlete and a very perceptive, caring and wise leader amongst her peers.”
Dyck played three seasons for Kubinec and was captain and MVP for two of those years. Kubinec already has a great working relationship with Dyck and believes she will continue to grow under his leadership, as she shifts from student-athlete to coach.
“Jordan is a learner and achiever,” said Kubinec, a graduate of Briercrest College & Seminary. “We believe she will have a significant positive impact amongst our student-athletes.”
On top of having captained most squads she’s played for, Dyck has an abundance of leadership experience away from the court. She has been a leader and program coordinator at camps, church band leader, conference planner and has also worked with the athletic leadership team at Ambrose.
Coaching will be a welcomed challenge for Dyck.
“Volleyball has always been something that I have been passionate about, but more than that I love having the opportunity to build relationships with younger ladies, whom I will have the pleasure of mentoring and befriending,” she said.
She anticipates being able to contribute with the skills and knowledge she has accumulated over the course of her 10-year volleyball career. Dyck will be able to provide support to the Lions players and focus on mental skills, which she has learned in obtaining her Behavioral Science degree.
“Jordan is exactly the type of person and leader that the CCAA and Canadian Sport is looking for to build the lives of young people and grow sport in Canada,” said Kubinec, who will welcome Dyck as an active and participating coach.
Dyck will fulfill significant responsibilities with the Lions, as laid out in a detailed work plan submitted to the CCAA.
“She will have positive influence in whatever domain she finds herself in,” said Kubinec. “And to have her interested in investing in coaching is very exciting for us here at Ambrose.”
Augustana Vikings
Apprentice: Sydney Purdy
Mentor: Kelly Lyons
Augustana Vikings alumnus Sydney Purdy will join mentor Kelly Lyons as this year’s only FACP all-female partnership.
Purdy, who recently graduated from the University of Alberta – Augustana, will return to the Vikings as an apprentice after a five-year career with the team.
Last season, Lyons was the only CCAA/CIS Women’s Basketball head coach in Alberta. In fact, the Vikings have an all-female coaching staff.
“When I first heard about this program in my first year of coaching I could not wait until I had two years of coaching experience at the post-secondary level in the CCAA to apply to be a mentor,” said Lyons. “I am always looking for ways to increase the opportunities that women have to coach and give back to the sport after playing.”
Lyons, who has a Masters in Psychology, looks forward to being able to provide a young female with mentorship and opportunities to learn what coaching is about.
“One of the more important things that I studied was that role models are so important to their self-esteem and belief that they can also succeed,” said Lyons.
The Vikings head coach is proof that you can be successful if you put the work and effort in.
“I want to mentor young women in coaching to help them achieve their goals,” she said. “It is so important for them to see another female doing what they want to do.”
According to Greg Ryan, Director of Athletics and Campus Recreation at Augustana, Purdy is a promising coaching talent.
“She has demonstrated a commitment to excellence in basketball and academics in her time as a student, making her an excellent role model for our Women’s Basketball team,” he said. “Sydney has established a well-deserved reputation as a hard-working, dedicated student-athlete that has maximized her gifts to lead and contribute to the recent success of our team.”
During her time at Augustana, Purdy has coached at the annual basketball summer camps for girls ages 10-18. She’s also worked with Augustana’s Basketball Academy, focusing on Jr. High female athletes and improving their knowledge and skills.
“My leadership experience is broad, encompassing various captain and leadership roles on teams throughout my life of being involved in competitive sport,” said Purdy. “I have a love for sport, basketball in particular, and a drive to help others improve.”
Purdy has been accepted into an after-degree Bachelor of Education program and she believes having Lyons as a mentor will not only broaden her basketball knowledge, but help her grown as an educator as well.
“Being in the transitional phase from athlete to retired athlete is not going to be easy but the group of people I have the opportunity to work with will certainly provide a supportive environment,” said Purdy. “I was looked up to as a captain and player on this team and think that my influence can positively impact the players as I transfer into a new role.”
GPRC Wolves
Apprentice: Jamie Wigmore
Mentor: Bill Corcoran
Three-time All-Canadian Jamie Wigmore isn’t ready to leave the CCAA Cross-Country Running community just yet.
Wigmore, a silver medalist at the 2015 CCAA Cross-Country Running National Championships, will return to GPRC as an apprentice under head coach Bill Corcoran.
“I am passionate about running and equally passionate about sharing my love of running with others,” said Wigmore, who treasured her time competing in the CCAA.
“I think the CCAA has something special that other leagues may not and I have found support, encouragement and life-long friends in my competitors,” said Wigmore. “Being engaged in the CCAA running program, I have found the raw passion for running and the camaraderie to be its defining features and I want to continue to share this.”
Wigmore believes the coaching staff in Grande Prairie, AB, has transformed running in the community and she is excited to get the opportunity to show her appreciation and continue their legacy.
Throughout her career with the Wolves, one of Wigmore’s greatest strengths was her ability to lead, according to Francois Fournier, Athletic Director at GPRC. This will obviously be a tremendous asset as she moves into the coaching profession.
Fournier is excited to see Wigmore, the 2015 ACAC individual champion, transition from student-athlete to coach.
“Throughout her running career with GPRC, Jamie has continued to grow and improve both on and off the trail/track,” he said.
And Wigmore has many other capabilities and characteristics that will serve her well in this role as a CCAA apprentice.
“She has a sharp intellect, a strong work ethic, is respectable and treats people with respect, is professional and maintains high integrity,” said Fournier. “She is a very personalbe individual and works very well with people.”
Two year ago, Wigmore volunteered as a coach at the Alberta Summer Games and she learned that she wanted to pursue coaching.
Wigmore will be mentored by Corcoran, who has more than 25 years of coaching and organizing experience. He’s also currently serving as the CCAA Cross-Country Running Convenor.
“Bill has a very impressive resume achieving many accomplishments for his athletes and himself as a coach,” said Fournier. “His running alumni continue to communicate with him and many are now coaching running programs in their communities.”
Corcoran has more than 40 years of experience as a competitive runner and can offer plenty of knowledge to an aspiring coach.
He looks forward to working with his former student-athlete.
“Despite starting competitive running relatively late at age 19, she has developed into one of the top cross country and middle distance runners in the province,” said Corcoran. “Jamie has a passion for the sport and the interpersonal skills to become an excellent coach.”
SAIT Trojans
Apprentice: Ellen Grundy
Mentor: Art O’Dwyer
Art O’Dwyer, the ACAC’s reigning Women’s Volleyball Coach of the Year, is adding another weapon to his coaching staff, with Ellen Grundy returning to the Trojans as an apprentice.
SAIT’s former co-captain is enthusiastic and eager for the 2016-17 season to begin as she expects to contribute in many different ways.
“Having been a previous captain to many of the girls who are still actively playing on the team, I know I am already looked to for some degree of trust, guidance, accountability, and friendship,” said Grundy.
Working with O’Dwyer is an opportunity Grundy will not take for granted.
“The prospect to learn from an NCCP Level 3 coach is a priceless experience that will build confidence in my career, allow me to become a mentor for athletes, and provide me the chance to stay involved in a sport I love,” she said.
O’Dwyer is a true professional in his approach to everything he does, according to Lindsay Bax, Athletics Manager at SAIT.
“I am confident Art will bring that same professionalism to this mentorship program and I believe Ellen will learn a great deal from her time with Art and his program,” she said.
O’Dwyer recognizes the need for more well-prepared female coaches to help grow the sport of volleyball as well as the Institution’s athletic programs. He looks forward to helping develop a young leader and believes the FACP will also offer him a wonderful opportunity to grow.
“I have mentored many assistant coaches over the years in an informal way,” said O’Dwyer. “This program will formalize the mentoring process which will enhance both Ellen’s and my growth as coaches.”
Prior to her playing days at SAIT, Grundy volunteered for two seasons as an assistant coach with a senior women’s high school volleyball team. And with the Trojans, she has hosted several coaching clinics in which skills were taught to young athletes while promoting a love for volleyball and education.
“Leadership has come naturally to me but has definitely become exemplified and matured through my experiences with volleyball,” said Grundy. “Being looked up to by my teammates and young athletes has given me an understanding for sport and life well beyond the surface level and has been nothing short of incredible.”
Further developing her coaching and leadership qualities will also benefit Grundy as she prepares for her future career in management. She will learn skills that will allow her to lead a team to both personal and group goals.
“I believe through the Female Apprentice Coach Program, I will be able to learn how to be a great manager, because I believe that coaching and managing correlate perfectly,” said Grundy.
