Local coach honoured at Ontario Coaching Excellence Awards
Patricia Howes, head coach of the Kingston’s Royal Military College (RMC) fencing teams, was awarded a top provincial coaching honour from the Coaches Association of Ontario (CAO) at the 2020 Ontario Coaching Excellence Awards over the weekend.
“I coach because I love working with people and seeing them grow, learn and achieve their personal goals. This award was a huge surprise but a wonderful honour,” said Patricia Howes, winner of the Hydro One Safe Play Award. “Recognizing that our athlete’s physical, mental & emotional safety is important shows growth in sport. It demonstrates that while the sport skills we coach are valuable, coaching the whole athlete & supporting their well-being, is equally valuable and important.”
The awards were presented on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, and Patricia is one of ten coaches from across Ontario recognized for their dedication and commitment to their athletes and community.
According to a press release from RMC dated Tuesday, Sept 22, 2020, the awards were hosted by two-time World Champion, Olympian, TV Host and Sports Broadcaster, Perdita Felicien. Catch the recap of Saturday’s event at www.coachesontario.ca/events/awards.
The celebratory event marks the 6th annual National Coaches Week, from September 19-27, highlighting the positive impact coaches have on athletes and the role they play in building safe communities by saying #ThanksCoach, read the release.
“Patricia is a shining example of the positive impact coaches all across Ontario have on and off the field of play with their athletes and communities”, said CAO’s Executive Director, Jeremy Cross.
This year, CAO and Hydro One partnered to award one coach with the Hydro One Safe Play Award and provide all award recipients with $500 to purchase sporting goods from local Canadian retailers of their choice.
This partnership also includes the launch of a new virtual hub, Safe Sport 101, to be launched later this September, where coaches can gain access to the safety tools and resources they need in this new coaching environment, according to the release.
“The entire Hydro One family would like to congratulate Patricia for being a champion in building safe communities,” said Jay Armitage, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Hydro One. “Coaches like Patricia empower the leaders of tomorrow by fostering inclusive and supportive environments. Hydro One is proud to stand with all coaches across the province.”
For more information about National Coaches Week across Ontario visit www.coachesontario.ca/events/coachesweek.
About the Coaches Association of Ontario (CAO)
The Coaches Association of Ontario is an independent, non-profit organization that supports coaches from community level to high performance across all sports in Ontario. For more information, please visit www.coachesontario.ca, and follow them on Facebook or Twitter.