After three years on the team, Blais had a breakthrough season in 2013, landing on the NorAm podium twice and finishing the season second overall in the NorAm standings. He also made his World Cup debut at Val St. Côme where he finished 22nd.

Blais credited his accomplishments to Franc, saying, “ Caro is a very good coach technically and she is like my psychologist. I really like what she’s doing for us because she’s takes her job seriously and with heart. She wants us to increase our skills and get better and better without big pressure. She has been working with me for three years and I changed my attitude a lot because of her and because of her patience.”

Franc has a strong acrobatic background. She is a former competitive trampolinist and performed with Cirque du Soleil at one time. Before coming to the CFSA, Franc coached at the National Circus School in Montreal for nine years.

She works mainly with the CFSA’s development-level aerialists, but also coaches acrobatics to the World Cup squad, including Olivier Rochon and Travis Gerrits.

Head Aerial Coach Daniel Murphy congratulated Franc on her award, “Caro plays an integral part in our team of coaches. She brings many different things to the table because of her background and experience. Her technical knowledge and her passion naturally transfer to the athletes.”

Murphy and his crew are launching an aerials recruitment drive in Quebec where they will invite young athletes with an interest in acrobatics to try out the water ramp set up at the Centre National d’Entrainement Yves Laroche in Lac Beauport this summer.

“We believe there are a lot of talented kids out there who would be great aerialists and we have the facilities and excellent coaches, like Caro, in Quebec to help them reach their dreams,” said Murphy, who added, “We are trying to make aerials more accessible. Recognition like the FACE awards helps drive awareness to our amazing sport. We know that if we can get more kids out to the ramps we will be able to grow our national program so that Caro can create more champions.”

Working together with the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) and their National Sport partners, the FACE program, provides developing, pre-carded, Canadian athlete and coach pairings with $8,000 in grants to help athletes achieve national carded status and coaches improve their skills over the long term.

For more information about the Aerials Recruitment program, contact Daniel Murphy in Montreal at: danielmurphy@freestyleski.com or Nicolas Fontaine in Quebec City at: nicolasfontaine@freestyleski.com. You can also join their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/academiesautacrobatique?ref=tn_tnmn

For more a complete list of 2013 FACE recipients or additional information on the FACE program, visit www.facebook.com/dreambig.

One of three inductees being inducted at a ceremony in Mississauga, Ont., Silver is flattered by the honour for her leading involvement that covers the nation and dates back to the late 1960s.

Silver, who began playing club volleyball in Ontario at age 17, has been the convenor for Canada West volleyball since 1992 and lives in Vancouver where UBC awards an annual women’s volleyball endowment in her name. The endowment is awarded to someone who stands out as a strong athlete on the court, a strong student in the classroom, and who gives back to the sport via volunteering and fair play.

In 2012, she was a finalist for the “In Her Footsteps” award that celebrates B.C. women in sport, the result of a lifetime of hard work, dedication and generosity as a player, official, coach, administrator, volunteer and ambassador for the sport.

Following her days as a player in Ontario junior / senior club scene in the late 1960, Silver went on to coach at the Ontario college level, university level at York and UBC, and the women’s Senior National Team during the 1970s and 1980s. She earned her officiating certification, officiating at a high level, and Sandy also helped advance athletics for physically disabled athletes, including serving as Director for the 1976 Olympiad for the Disabled and the World Blind Marathon in 1982.

Outspoken on gender equity, Silver was a major contributor in female sports reaching the level of funding, social advancement and acclaim that it has today, working to promote and develop women’s sport nationally and internationally.

“There have been many times over the years that my work in sport, whether it be as a volunteer or as a professional, where I have spoken up against what I perceive to be unjust. It hasn’t always been received positively,” said Silver. “On the contrary, this honour speaks volumes to me. That although my work was sometimes not been welcome, it was the right thing to do.”

Recognized for her leadership throughout Ontario, Silver is a member of the York University Hall of Fame in volleyball and badminton, while at UBC in 2000 she received the Kay Brearley Service Award as a person whose service to the women’s athletic program is judged to be exceptional.

Upon reflection of CIAU coaching days, she stated, “My athletes at both York and UBC influenced me to do the best job that I could. I had an obligation to make their experience a positive one in more ways than the competitive one.”

Noted accomplishments since her move from Ontario to British Columbia in 1979 including coaching the UBC women’s volleyball to a CIAU national bronze medal in 1983, two years as assistant coach for the Canadian national women’s volleyball team (1980-82) and involvement on numerous boards and committees at a number of levels.

“When I started playing at a high calibre, it was within the club level in Ontario. My Junior team coach, Paul Brownstein, instilled in all of us, that if we were having a positive experience, it was our obligation to give back along the way,” and added, “Only through volunteering in the sport of volleyball, whether it be officiating, coaching or administrating could I fulfill this responsibility.”

Although her coaching career came to a halt in 1984 due to a major battle with cancer, Sandy Silver has always been and continues to be a leader in sport for women, with a passion for volleyball and a love of all people who empower themselves to succeed.

http://islandsportsnews.net/component/content/article/45-volleyball/7082-volleyball-canada-hall-of-fame-induction

Goyette was 41 years old when she played her final game for Canada at the 2007 world championship. She won Olympic gold in 2002 and 2006 as well as eight world championships.

“Danielle Goyette developed every year,” former Swedish women’s coach Peter Elander said. “She was a better player as a 41-year-old than a 26-year-old.”

Her 114 goals and 105 assists in 172 career game ranks her fourth all-time in national team points.

“I didn’t have role models as a female hockey player,” Goyette said. “My role models were the guys I got inducted with. That’s pretty amazing, Peter Forsberg, Mats Sundin.

“Paul Henderson, you hear about that goal all the time and I can’t tell you where I was that day, but I can tell you I heard about that goal year after year and that’s what made it special today.”

Now 47, Goyette is currently the head coach of the University of Calgary women’s hockey team and will be an assistant coach to Dan Church on the Olympic women’s team.

“When you think about what you want to leave behind, it’s a chance for girls to be able to play hockey and it to be normal to play hockey,” she said.

“When the girls start to play hockey at five years old and on a girls’ team, I think we did a pretty good job and not just talking about me, but all my teammates who have been through it.”
More…

While the outcome for Team Canada was unfavourable, hockey as a whole can undoubtedly celebrate the growth of the sport as one that is equally ingrained in the hearts of men and women athletes and the people and organizations that support them. Female hockey players established protocols long ago that are now a standard even in the most elite men’s leagues today. Did you know that Elizabeth Graham, goalie for Queen’s University (1927) was the first hockey player to ever wear a mask?

The first witnessed account of women’s hockey took place in February 1891, by a reporter of the Ottawa Citizen. A few years later, Lady Isobel Stanley was the first photographed female hockey player in action at Rideau Hall. In the early years, women’s hockey picked up slowly among university and post-secondary clubs, however, other competitive leagues were still lacking. The Great Depression era didn’t help the case of women in sport either. After which, women’s hockey exhibited a much more dramatic growth period as more clubs outside of the university environment were being established across Canada and the United States. Where Canadian female participation in ice hockey started at a mere 9 000 in 1990, it has now grown to more than 86 000 nationwide!

As a nation, we pride ourselves as multicultural and a global leader in equal opportunity, so why not extend these opportunities into the sporting domain too? Organizations such as the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Girls and Sport Physical Activity (CAAWS) have established a plethora of programs that seek to provide unique sport involvement opportunities for girls of all ages, backgrounds, and skills. Did I mention for the first time ever, Play On! has partnered up with CAAWS to help drive this effort? Check them out at www.caaws.ca

One of our primary goals at Play On! this year is to increase the number of female participants at each of our events across Canada. My favourite thing about Play On! is that it thrives on the notion of “The more the merrier”, and seeks to be an all-inclusive street hockey festival. The great thing about Play On! is that it provides an opportunity for everyone to get back to their hockey roots with a game of street hockey. Just one problem: how do we attract girls to play in a sporting event with a participation base that is predominantly male? Personally, I think it’s just a matter of making women’s hockey more prevalent in the media, community, and providing accessible opportunities. It’s a tricky concept, because there are a lot of talented competitive and recreational female players across our landscape- some of whom are household names like Hayley Wickenheiser and some who play “just ‘cause”.

There’s a stack of suggestions out there about why girls and women tend to shy away from all-inclusive yet male dominant environments. Classic example: the weight room. Fellow weight training women you can attest to this- if you’ve just recently started integrating weights into your program, it simply feels awkward lifting, squatting, or pressing next to a row of men. Now eventually, this feeling goes away (thank goodness), but there are plenty of hypotheses attempting to explain it.

In fact, too many for this blog…

Interested to know what men can do to help and support girls in sport? Check out these tips, courtesy of CAAWS. Do you have other suggestions on how Play On! can attract females to come out and play? Send your suggestions to srahman@playon.ca and get quoted in my next blog!

http://www.playon.ca/about/blog/39

The Canadian Paralympic Committee elected a new Board of Directors including a President, a Vice President and seven Directors at the 2013 CPC Annual General Meeting in Toronto. All will serve four-year terms, from 2013 to 2017.

CPC’s new Vice-President is Debbie Low (Richmond Hill, Ont.).

Low is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario. She was the Executive Director of ParaSport Ontario from 2002 to 2005, Assistant Chef de Mission for the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games, Chef de Mission for the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games and a member of the International Paralympic Committee’s Games Committee. She has also been involved in nine sets of Canada Games, including Chef de Mission in 1999 and 1997.

Low was a Canadian Paralympic Committee Board member and served on the Games and High Performance Committee from 2007 to 2011, including serving as CPC’s Board representative on the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games Bid Committee.

Dr. Gaétan Tardif (Toronto, Ont.) is the new President of the Canadian Paralympic Committee. He takes over from David Legg, who held the President position for three years.

Fluently bilingual, Tardif has participated in seven consecutive Paralympic Games, most recently as Team Canada’s Chef de Mission at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Tardif is an academic physician and health care executive with leadership experience in several professional and not-for-profit organizations. He is Medical Program Director – Rehabilitation and Post-Acute Care at the University Health Network and a Professor in the Department of Medicine and director, Division of Physiatry (PM&R) at the University of Toronto.

Tardif also served as Director of Administration and Chair of the HR Committee on the Canadian Paralympic Committee Board of Directors from 2008 to 2013 and was a member of the Games Committee from 2006 to 2013.

“Thank you very much for your vote of confidence,” Tardif said to the voting delegates. “The hard work starts right away. I’m really looking forward to working with the sport community to help Canada become the world’s leading Paralympic nation. I truly believe I have the best volunteer job in the world!”

Also elected today were seven Directors of the Board. They are: Ellen Waxman (Toronto, Ont.), Rick Baker (Ottawa, Ont.), Gail Hamamoto (Vancouver, B.C.), Andrea Carey (Victoria, B.C.), Blair McIntosh (Toronto, Ont.) and Rem Langan (Toronto, Ont.) and Jim Westlake (Oakville, Ont.).

Waxman and Baker are new members of the Board, while Hamamoto, Carey, McIntosh, Westlake and Langan are returning to the Board.

Biographies of all incoming CPC Board members – President, Vice-President, and Directors – are available here: https://www.paralympic.ca/en/About-Us/Board-of-Directors.html

Five athletes, one coach, three in memoriam and one builder will be enriched at a special ceremony held in conjunction with the Canadian Championships and World Trials.

The Class of 2013

Athletes
Mark Boswell
Jerome Drayton
Diane Jones Konihowski
Chantal Petitclerc
Michael Smith

Coach
Earl Church

Builder
Ian Fowler

In Memoriam
Phil Edwards
Lloyd Percival
Eugene Reimer

World renowned in combined events, Diane Jones Konihowski of Canmore, Alta., represented Canada on national teams for an astounding 17 years (1967-1984).  She held the season World leading score in the pentathlon on two occasions, in 1978 for outdoor competition and in indoor competition in 1975. A five-time Olympian, three as an athlete and twice played a role with the Canadian team as Mission Staff and Chef de Mission. Diane is the 1978 Commonwealth Games gold medalist and a two-time Pan American Games gold medalist (1975 and 1979) and Hypo-Meeting Champion in 1976 and 1977 which at the time, served as the unofficial World Championship.  “I am always humbled to be recognized for my accomplishments in my sport of athletics and in the event of pentathlon,” comments Diane. “I had an amazing 17 year career as a member of the national team and received great support from my Federation. I trained and competed with some of the best athletes and coaches in the world and to be named a member of Athletics Canada’s Hall of Fame along with them is indeed an honour.”

Chantal Petitclerc from Montreal, Que., is the only Canadian athlete to win Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games gold medals.  Throughout her illustrious career she broke 22 World records (three of which still stand today), still holds four Paralympic Games records and won 21 Paralympic Games medals. Her Paralympic Games career stretched 1992-2008 capturing 10 gold medals between 2004 and 2008 alone.  Her final Paralympic Games tally stands at 14 gold, 5 silver and 2 bronze.  “I am thrilled about being named as part of Athletics Canada’s Hall of Fame”, explains an excited Chantal, “Looking back at a rich athletics history in Canada, there are so many legends and even inspirations already part of this Hall of Fame. Knowing I will have my place among them is truly a great honour.”

Mark Boswell from Brampton, Ont., is not only of Canada’s greatest high jumpers, he is one of the most decorated athletes this country has ever seen stepping on the podium at almost every major international competition. Mark is an Olympic Games finalist, a double World Championship medalist (silver at the 1999 World Championships along with a Canadian record, bronze at the 2003 World Championships). In 1999 he won gold at the Pan American Games. Mark was the first Canadian to win gold at the IAAF World Junior Athletics Championships, a feat he accomplished in 1996.  He still holds the Canadian outdoor record of 2.35-metres which he set in 1999 and equalled on two other occasions (2000 and 2002).  Mark on his induction, “I am extremely thankful to receive this honour of being inducted into the Hall of Fame. I thank everyone that has supported me throughout the years along with all my sponsors and family. Believe it to achieve it is the motto I live by and I now believe in the future athletes as they will continue to achieve for us all.”

Earl Church of Welland, Ont., coached able-bodied athletics in the Niagara region of Ontario until one of his athletes, Joanne (Bouw) Berdan, introduced him to para-athletics in 1989. Under Earl’s tutelage Joanne became a three-time Paralympic Games medalist. Earl has coached at all levels over four decades and is recognized for his work in bringing credibility and experience acquired in able-bodied coaching to para-athletics. He was the first coach to represent Canada at the integrated World Championships and has coached at the 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004 Paralympic Games. Earl still coaches for the Université de Moncton and Athlétisme Sud-Est South-East Athletics Club.

Jerome Drayton from Toronto, Ont., established the Canadian marathon record of 2 hours and 12 minutes in 1969, bettering it to 2 hours 10 minutes 9 seconds in 1975.  At 44 years and running it is the longest standing uninterrupted Athletics Canada record.  The annual Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon offers a prize bonus should an athlete lower the Canadian record, $1000 gets added to the prize purse for every year that Jerome’s record stands.  On three occasions (1969, 1975, 1976) Jerome won the Fukuoka marathon, an unofficial World Championship at the time.  In 1977 he won the prestigious Boston Marathon and in 1978 took silver at the Commonwealth Games.

The great Phil Edwards (1907-1971) will be inducted in memoriam. Phil is Canada’s most decorated Olympian in athletics winning five Olympic bronze medals.  The versatile athlete from Montreal, Que., won Olympic medals in the 4×400-metres (1928), the 800-metres, 1500-metres and 4×400-metres at the 1932 Olympic Games and at the 1936 Games in the 800-metres.  He was the first black man to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games.

Moncton’s Ian Fowler will be inducted in the builder category of Athletics Canada’s Hall of Fame. In his role as the city of Moncton’s General Manager of Economic Development, Tourism and Culture he was instrumental in bringing to life Moncton Stadium and the 2010 World Junior Championships to Atlantic Canada.  Ian was a key player in ensuring Moncton Stadium brought with it a lasting athletics legacy, playing a pivotal role in bringing the 2013 and 2014 Canadian Championships to Moncton. Since Moncton was awarded the World Junior Championships in 2006 registration in athletics and clubs have flourished along with Atlantic Canada’s representation on national teams. Ian suddenly passed away in 2011.

Lloyd Percival (1913-1974) from Toronto, Ont., the first modernized track and field coach in Canada, will join the Hall of Fame in memoriam. Lloyd began his coaching career through radio in 1941 when his program, Sports College on the Air, first hit airways. The program would eventually move to the CBC radio network which literally had him coaching an entire nation and inspired over a million listeners to join local clubs. Lloyd is the founder of the North Toronto Track and Field Club, now the Toronto Track and Field Club, and is widely credited as the first Ontario based coach, some say in all of Canada, to champion female athletics. He sent more athletes to international competitions than any other coach in his era. He introduced interval training in Ontario along with weight training, cross training, massage and strict diet, all concepts which were decades ahead of their time.

Eugene Reimer (1940-2008) of Abbotsford, B.C., will join the Hall of Fame in memoriam. Eugene’s successful career was highlighted with 50 national medals, 22 international medals and ten Paralympic medals between 1968 and 1980.  He competed in many different events winning Paralympic medals in the club throw, discus throw, javelin, pentathlon, and 4×60-metres open relay.  In 1972 he won gold medals and recorded World records in the discus and pentathlon.  Eugene continued to be an ambassador for people with physical disabilities right up until his passing.  He was an active member in helping promote the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games’ bids.

Canadian indoor, outdoor and junior decathlon record holder Michael Smith of Calgary, Alta., will join the Hall of Fame in the athlete category.  Michael was ranked in the World top ten for an amazing ten years in a row between 1989 and 1998.  A three-time Olympian, he was chosen as the opening ceremonies flag bearer for the 1992 Olympic Games.  Michael stepped on the World Championship podium on two occasions winning silver in 1991 and bronze in 1995.  The three-time Commonwealth Games medalist was the first North American to finish first at the prestigious Hypo-Meeting, a feat he repeated in 1996. “I am very proud to be part of the class of 2013.  It was a wonderful opportunity to represent my country at a world class level and a true honour to be recognized for my accomplishments.”  Michael adds; “Athletics was a wonderful training ground for life and I have taken many of the lessons I learned while training and competing and utilized them in life after sport. It is also very exciting for me to watch the new generation of young and talented Canadian athletes make their mark on the global scene in the sport that I love.”  Today Michael works as an investment advisor and a part time television analyst for both CBC and CTV covering national and international athletics competitions.

Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Coinciding with the Canadian Track and Field Championships and World Trials in Moncton, New Brunswick June 20-23, the class of 2013 will officially be enriched to Athletics Canada’s Hall of Fame on Thursday June 20 at the Delta Beauséjour.  Reception will begin at 6:00pm followed by the induction banquet and dinner at 7:00pm.

For tickets visit: www.moncton2013.com.

The induction banquet will also honour Athletics Canada’s 2012 Annual Award recipients including Olympic bronze medalist Derek Drouin; Olympians Phylicia George, Inaki Gomez, Sarah Wells, and Jessica Zelinka.  Paralympians Jason Dunkerley, Joshua Karanja and Michelle Stilwell.  Development athletes Shawnacy Barber and Nicole Setterington along with Official of the Year, Surge Turgeon, and Coach of the Year, Anthony McCleary.

Visit www.halloffame.athletics.ca for the latest information on the Hall of Fame, its members, processes and more.

Firth Larsson, 59, was diagnosed with cancer a year and a half ago.

Her twin sister Sharon Firth described her as a strong and brave woman who always stood her ground.

“We shared so many things in life,” she said. “No one can come between the memories Shirley and I have,”

The two sisters from Aklavik, N.W.T., made history as the first women from the N.W.T. and the first aboriginal women to represent Canada in cross-country skiing in the Olympics. They competed in four Winter Olympics between 1972 and 1984.

“To be competing with giants at that level was a tremendous accomplishment for us as aboriginal women,” said Sharon Firth. “We said, ‘if we can do it, anyone can do it.’”

Firth Larsson won 42 Canadian national championship medals (29 gold, 10 silver and 3 bronze) and was inducted into the Order of Canada in 1987.

After she married, she lived in France for two decades and earned a teaching diploma from the University of Paris before moving back to the N.W.T. with her husband Jan Larsson in 2005.

Larsson said when his wife was diagnosed with cancer she made a decision to continue to work. She went out and bought a brand-new bicycle with which to commute.

“Every day that she could cycle to work was for her a victory,” Larsson said.

He said his wife didn’t focus on her achievements in sports.

“She always said the past is a part of you but you have to live now and in the future.”

In fact, he said she did not even mention sports in the instructions she left for her memorial.

“She said, ‘when you talk about me, talk about family, the importance of family and of mothers in the family, about health, how we always have to strive to stay healthy, about education, and about Christian values like love, forgiveness and hope,’” he said.

Firth Larsson leaves behind her husband and three daughters.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/story/2013/05/01/north-shirley-firth-obit.html

A highly-respected senior executive in Canada’s sports community, O’Neill has extensive experience in multiple leadership roles. Currently CEO of Field Hockey Canada – a position she has held since 2009 – O’Neill was Chief Operating Officer of the Rick Hansen Foundation from 2004 to 2009, where she oversaw a period of rapid growth and innovation. As CEO of Commonwealth Games Canada from 1997 to 2004, O’Neill led Games strategy and sport technical for the 1998 Games in Kuala Lumpur and the 2002 Games in Manchester, along with the International Development through Sport program.

O’Neill also worked as Director General of the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association from 1989 to 1992, was Chef de Mission for the Atlanta 1996 Canadian Paralympic Team and is a founding member of the Sport Matters Group. Originally from Halifax, N.S., she holds a master’s degree in education from McGill University and a bachelor of arts in psychology from Concordia University.

“I am thrilled that Karen O’Neill has accepted the challenge of guiding Canada to become the world’s leading Paralympic nation,” said David Legg, President of the Canadian Paralympic Committee. “She has the requisite passion, knowledge and emotional intelligence that will enable us to take that important next step. Her strong leadership skills, strategic thinking and reputation within the Canadian sport system will propel the Canadian Paralympic Committee in to a new and exciting era. Karen is a great champion of parasport and an outstanding choice to build on the success of the CPC.”

The Canadian Paralympic Committee is at an exciting point in its 35-year history. The success of Canada’s Paralympic Team and the extraordinary support of Canadians at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games set the stage for the London 2012 Paralympic Summer Games, marking a new era in Paralympic competition and visibility. O’Neill will continue to build on this legacy while working closely with the Canadian sport community towards podium performances at upcoming Games in Sochi, Toronto, Rio and beyond.

“Canadian Paralympic athletes are fierce competitors who have earned the reputation of being among the best in the world,” said O’Neill. “Canada has a strong reputation domestically and internationally, both on and off the field for performance and leadership, and we look forward to continuing this rich tradition. The CPC will continue to use every resource it has to propel Canada forward and work closely with our community partners. We will continue to work on building a more robust parasport system and the long-term athlete pathway, since this will provide our success in the future. Our actions must be bold and ambitious in the quest to become podium contenders.”

The upcoming Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games will take place from March 7 to 16 and will include five sports: para-alpine skiing (including the inclusion for the first time of para-snowboard), biathlon, para-Nordic skiing, sledge hockey and wheelchair curling. Canada’s performance goal for Sochi is to place in the top three nations in the gold medal count. O’Neill will work closely with sport partners such as Sport Canada, Own The Podium and Sport Governing bodies.

The Honourable Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport), applauded O’Neill’s appointment.

“Our Government applauds the appointment of Karen O’Neill as CEO of the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC). Her long history and proven leadership in all aspects of Canadian and international sport, as well as her first-hand knowledge of parasport make her well qualified to guide the CPC in its efforts to grow the Paralympic movement in Canada.”

Anne Merklinger, Chief Executive Officer of Own The Podium, added: “Karen is an extraordinary Canadian talent who is a natural choice to ensure Canada’s high-performance Paralympic community remains focused on excellence and winning medals. I look forward to working together with Karen and her team at the Canadian Paralympic Committee on our joint mission of positioning Canada as a world-leader in Paralympic sport.”

Canadian hero Rick Hansen, known internationally for the Man in Motion World Tour, and now president and CEO of the Rick Hansen Foundation, is thrilled with O’Neill’s appointment.

“Karen’s exceptional leadership will ensure the Canadian Paralympic Committee continues to develop as an organization supporting athletes with disabilities, headed by someone who understands both the needs and interests of the sporting organization and the athletes themselves,” said Hansen. “Karen’s skills will be vital in the continuing movement towards building an accessible and inclusive Canada that supports athletes with disabilities as equals. On behalf of the Rick Hansen Foundation, we are thrilled to see Karen join the CPC and continue to be part of our 25-year journey to create an accessible and inclusive world. We wish Karen every success in her new position.”

Softball Canada would like to thank Don Bates who recently stepped down as chair for his years of service. Don was a tremendous champion of LTPD and greatly assisted in ensuring LTPD principles were upheld in all of Softball Canada’s programs and services.

Noreen, born and raised in Toronto, was involved in many sports, including softball and was recruited to play for the Harmony Centre Women’s Softball team from Saskatoon who went on to play in four provincial championships between 1980 and 1984, winning a Gold medal at the Canadian Senior Women’s Championship in 1980. She also represented Canada at the European Championships in 1980 and at the World Games in 1981.

She moved to Lloydminster with her job and began her coaching career. In 1985 and 1986 she coached the Lloydminster Midget Girls to back-to-back gold medals at the Canadian Midget Championships. She was named Alberta’s Minor Coach of the Year in 1986. In 1987 she moved back to Saskatoon and began an eight year stint coaching Lorne’s Lazers, taking the team from midget to junior and then to senior at the national level , before returning to coaching the junior age class. She led the Lazers to eight straight Canadian Championship appearances during those years. In 1995, she was named the Head Coach for Team Saskatchewan, leading the team to a silver medal at the Western Canada Summer Games in BC. She continued with Team Sask for the next two seasons, taking the team to the 1997 Canada Summer Games in Brandon, Manitoba where the team finished second in their pool and fifth overall. In 2008, she went back to her roots and started to coach again at the midget level in Saskatoon but is currently not actively coaching.

During this time period she also began her coaching career with Softball Canada’s National Teams which included the following assignments:

Junior Women’s National Team (JWNT)

• 1989-1995 – Assistant Coach at the Junior World Championship in Australia in 1991 and in Normal, Illinois in 1995.
• 2002-2003 – Head Coach at the 2003 ISF Junior Women’s World Championship in China (5th)

Senior Women’s National Team (SWNT)

• 1995-1996 – Guest Coach and Support Staff at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia
• 2000 – SWNT Pool Coach
• 2001 – Assistant Coach at 3 Nations Cup in Saskatoon
• 2003 – Assistant Coach at Olympic Qualifier (1st)
• 2004 – Head Coach of the Developmental team
• 2004 – Head Coach of the World University Games team in Plant City, Florida
• 2004 – Assistant Coach at the Olympics in Athens, Greece
• 2004 – Head Coach of the Elite Team at the Canada Cup in Surrey, BC
• 2005 – SWNT Pool Coach and Head Coach of the Elite team
• 2005 – Head Coach of the Elite Team at the Canada Cup in Surrey, BC (3rd)
• 2006 – Assistant Coach of the Elite Team for Canada Cup in Surrey, BC
• 2007-2008 – SWNT Pool Coach

In recognition of her involvement in sport in general and softball in particular, Noreen has been inducted into the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame – Builder (2008), the Softball Alberta Hall of Fame – Team (2010), the Softball Canada Hall of Fame – Coach (2010) and the Softball Saskatchewan Hall of Fame – Coach (2011).

Professionally Noreen has worked at various levels in the sport system gaining valuable knowledge and experiences. Noreen worked at Sask Sport Inc. as a Sport Consultant from 1994 to 2002 and also worked in the Lottery division from 1988- 1994. In 1998-99, she took an educational leave of absence to attend the University of Michigan (Kinesiology Division) to obtain a Masters degree in Sport Management & Communications. She moved on from there to work as an Instructor for Recreation and Tourism Management at the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology Kelsey Campus from 2002 to 2010. In 2010, Noreen rejoined Sask Sport Inc. in the Provincial Sport Development Unit as the Organizational Development Coordinator and Sport Consultant.

Softball Canada has been very fortunate to have outstanding chairs for our LTPD Committee first with Mark Smith, then Don Bates and now Noreen will carry on that tradition of excellence. Noreen brings an excellent blend of knowledge and experiences that will help lead the committee’s initiatives for years to come. As a former National Team coach and one of only a few Level 4 certified Softball Coaches, Noreen knows what it takes to get athletes prepared to compete and perform at the highest level. In her professional career, Noreen consults with provincial sport organizations in numerous areas of development, which includes Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD), Coaching, Officials, Board Governance and any Grants available to the sports. Noreen will be able to bring the knowledge and best practices from these sports into her work on Softball Canada’s LTPD Committee.

‘This is a wonderful opportunity to chair the LTPD Committee for Softball Canada and one that aligns to the work I’m doing with Sask Sport Inc. currently’ stated Noreen. ‘Working with sports daily provides me the opportunity to learn best practices from a variety of sports that translates to leading or using ideas in other sports. Along with playing and coaching in softball, I’m excited to get to work on current projects and to engage in new initiatives. I’m excited to continue the excellent work done by previous chairs and committee members in identifying programs and structures that will facilitate the values of the organization and softball’s LTPD model. I look forward to working with passionate people that want to develop the sport from the grassroots to the podium.’

As the Canadian representative of the International University Sports Federation, CIS has put forward Ann-Sophie Bettez, a McGill University graduate and former CIS female athlete of the year, up for best individual female university athlete, as well as the University of Victoria’s SheKicks Campaign, nominated in the special projects category.

The awards – accompanied by a grant of 6,000 euros – will be presented at the FISU General Assembly during the 2013 Summer Universiade set for July 6 to 17 in Kazan, Russia.

Bettez, a native of Sept-Iles, Que., played five seasons with McGill from 2007-08 to 2011-12. The record-setting forward helped the Martlets claim a CIS medal in each of her five campaigns with the team, including national titles in 2008, 2009 and 2011. Over her illustrious university career, she was named CIS rookie of the year, was a five-time all-Canadian, was voted CIS player of the year in her final season, and went on to capture the prestigious BLG Award as the top female athlete in CIS – all sports combined – in 2011-12.

Bettez earned two academic degrees from McGill, graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce in 2011 followed by a Certificate in Public Relations in 2012. She remains involved with the Martlets as a special skills coach and currently plays for the Montreal Stars of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League. A former member of the national under-22 team, she guided Canada to FISU gold at the 2011 Winter Universiade in Erzurum, Turkey.

“Ann-Sophie’s growth and development as a player, student and person has been incredible,” says McGill head coach Peter Smith, who served seven years with the national women’s program and was an assistant coach on the squad that won Olympic gold in 2010. “She is a coach’s dream — she was one of the hardest workers on a team full of hard workers and I hold her work ethic up as the standard for the young players on our team to strive for.”

The SheKicks Campaign, launched to increase the participation of women in soccer, was an initiative designed to act as a legacy project of the University of Victoria Vikes, hosts of the 2012 CIS women’s soccer championship. The campaign consists of three components: SheCoaches, SheReferees and SheLeads.

While using the UVic women’s program as a model of female success in university sport, SheKicks targets women and girls in the soccer community with the overall goal being to promote the involvement of women at all stages and all levels of the game, and increase the participation of women in coaching and refereeing.

At present, 27 members of the Vikes are becoming certified coaches in the Canadian Soccer Association’s Learning to Train program. Additionally, SheKicks is in contact with soccer associations around Greater Victoria in hopes of initiating a coaching mentorship program for the 2013-14 season.

“I’m really pleased that the program has been a success so far,” said Tracy David, head coach of the UVic women’s soccer team. “With an event like the FIFA Women’s World Cup coming to Canada in 2015 we feel that we’re just scratching the tip of the iceberg and we’re excited to think about where the program can go.”