Rock Picard of the Titans de Limoilou is this year’s recipient of the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association’s Coaching Excellence Award.
The award recognizes coaching contributions to sport and to student-athlete development over a period of at least five years. Picard becomes only the second coach to win the award multiple times. He was also honoured in 2006.
“Rock is now a two-time recipient of the Coaching Excellence Award, which says a great deal about his coaching abilities, the respect he has garnered from his players and peers, his perseverance and drive to continue striving for excellence at this demanding level of competition,” said David Munro, CCAA VP Sport Development.
Limoilou went 14-2 during Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) regular-season action and in tournament play, the Titans were victorious at the Coupe de l’Est du Canada and the Senior A Moncton event.
After settling for CCAA silver medals in the previous three seasons, Picard’s squad advanced to an incredible fourth straight National Championship final this March in Victoria, BC. The Titans finally broke through, defeating Fanshawe College for their 11th CCAA national title.
It was a memorable week for Picard, who at the beginning of the Championship was named CCAA Men’s Volleyball Coach of the Year.
At Cégep Limoilou, the 13-time RSEQ Coach of the Year has nurtured and developed countless student-athletes, many of whom have moved on to play at the U SPORTS level and beyond.
Picard supervises mandatory periods of study for each of his student-athletes and he is also responsible for the ESSOR Club sport-study program, a group of teenagers that train 15-hours per week in the Quebec City region.
His priority at Limoilou is to guide young people to excellence in their sport, academics and in their personal life.
“Rock embodies the values of the CCAA for both athletics and academics and we are very pleased to have such a fine representative for the award,” said Munro.
The CCAA works in partnership with the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) and recipients of the CCAA Coaching Excellence Award receive a one-year membership to their Chartered Professional Coach designation.
“The Coaching Association of Canada is proud to honour Rock Picard as the 2018 recipient of the CCAA Coaching Excellence Award," said Lorraine Lafrenière, Chief Executive Officer of the CAC. “His contributions to both sport and to student-athlete development is exemplary and have made a positive impact within the Canadian sport community. Congratulations on being only the second coach to win this Award multiple times.”
