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 Basketball, three female apprentice coaches will be featured this season.
At Cégep de Trois-Rivières, Emma Stoycheff-Goulet will be mentored by Louis Philippe Dugas with the Diablos in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ).
Although the pandemic cut her collegiate basketball career short, Stoycheff-Goulet looks back on her three years at Trois-Rivières as the best and most rewarding.
“In addition to developing as a player, I’ve also grown as a woman through good times and bad,” said Stoycheff-Goulet, who captained the Diablos during the 2021-22 season.
With more than 10 years of experience on the court as a player, coach and referee, she feels well placed to understand these young student-athletes, who are in the same position she was in not that long ago.
Stoycheff-Goulet hopes to be of invaluable assistance in creating an atmosphere of solid teamwork, while motivating players to help them reach their full potential.
“I’ve also had the opportunity to work closely with the current coaches, which helped me understand the crucial importance of their role in player development,” she said. “Their positive influence on and off the court has helped me discover what kind of coach I aspire to be.”
Dugas had the privilege of coaching Stoycheff-Goulet with the Diablos, and believes she empathically demonstrated many of the qualities needed to make the transition to coaching following a career as a player.
“She’s a brilliant young woman, demonstrating not only leadership and initiative but extremely advanced listening skills for her young age,” said Dugas. “For me, this will be a golden opportunity to pass on some knowledge to Emma and to guide her in this new experience – while learning on my side as well.”
Claude Houle-Lavigne, Athletic Director at Cégep de Trois-Rivières, believes the transition will be seamless for Stoycheff-Goulet.
“Emma grew as an athlete under our auspices, and we’re confident that the belonging she feels toward our program will be beneficial in her transition from player to coach,” he said.
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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
