For decades, the Canada Games have showcased the country’s best young athletes, a celebration of competition, community, and national pride. But behind every athlete is a coach who helps them dream bigger, work harder, and find their purpose in sport. For women, breaking into those coaching roles hasn’t always been easy.
That’s why the Women in Coaching Canada Games Apprenticeship Program is changing the game — one coach at a time.
This national initiative, a partnership between the Provincial/Territorial Coaching Representatives (PTCRs), the Canada Games Council (CGC), and the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC), gives women coaches from every province and territory the chance to step onto the Canada Games stage in apprenticeship roles. Two women coaches from each region are selected to join their teams, gaining hands-on experience, mentorship, and exposure at one of Canada’s premier multi-sport events.
It’s more than an opportunity. It’s a movement toward equity, representation, and lasting change in Canadian sport.
Creating Pathways for Women in Coaching
The Canada Games environment is unlike any other — fast-paced, demanding, and deeply inspiring. For an apprentice coach, being immersed in that atmosphere provides lessons that no classroom or online course can replicate.
Through the apprenticeship program, women coaches gain the practical experience and mentorship that often mark the difference between potential and opportunity. Working directly with athletes and teams, each coach is supported by an experienced mentor coach, ensuring that learning happens not only on the field of play but also through reflection, collaboration, and shared experience.
For many participants, this hands-on environment becomes the launching pad for long-term coaching success from community sport to national-level competition.
The Power of Experience and Mentorship
Apprentice coaches are fully involved in the preparation and competition process. They contribute to game planning, athlete development, and the overall team dynamic, all while learning to navigate the realities of high-performance sport. Alongside their mentor coach, they explore everything from performance analysis to mental preparation and how to manage the emotional highs and lows of elite competition.
A Call to Future Leaders
Applications are now open for women coaches who are eager to take the next step in their journey. Whether they’re working with young athletes at the grassroots level or beginning to move into competitive coaching, the program offers an unparalleled opportunity to grow, learn, and connect.
Interested coaches can review the program guidelines and access the application form –
https://www.coach.ca/programs-and-initiatives/mentorship-and-apprenticeships/women-coaching-canada-games-apprenticeship
By sharing this opportunity within your network — and encouraging emerging women coaches to apply — you help open doors for others and build a stronger, more inclusive sport community across Canada.
Looking Ahead
As the next Canada Games draw near, anticipation builds not only for the athletes who will compete, but also for the coaches who will guide them. Programs like the Women in Coaching Canada Games Apprenticeship Program remind us that leadership in sport comes in many forms — and that when women are empowered to lead, everyone benefits.
Because when a coach rises, so do her athletes. So does her community. And so does the future of sport in Canada.
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