Scott named CCAA Coach of the Year

Grace Scott of The King’s Eagles has been named the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Women’s Volleyball Coach of the Year.

She received the award at the 2019 CCAA Women’s Volleyball National Championship banquet, hosted by Niagara College in Welland, ON.

Scott guided the Eagles to a 22-2 record and first-place finish in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) North Division.

“Grace is a tremendous mentor and advocate who has orchestrated a very well-balanced and competitive program at The King’s, where they have represented the ACAC at many CCAA National Championships,” said Fred Batley, CCAA Women’s Volleyball Convenor.

“As a coach she has fostered and developed exceptional student-athletes who are faith based, able to achieve both on and off the court, and at the same time attain the life skills to reach their goals and dreams after volleyball.”

Scott, also the Director of Athletics at The King’s, sees herself as a teacher as well as a coach. She is an athlete-centered coach who desires to see her players grow in confidence, care about others and learn to be leaders.

She is also a relational coach, who enjoys mentoring student-athletes and helping them develop their leadership abilities. Scott has numerous one-on-one meetings with her student-athletes throughout the year which focus on goal setting, skill development, personal well-being, and academics.

At The King’s, Scott wants very much to see students learn how to be successful in ways that reach beyond just sport. In order to accomplish this, she believes team building and having fun together are important parts of learning to work as a team.

This season, Scott once again participated in the CCAA’s Female Apprentice Coach Program (FACP), mentoring aspiring coach Jenna Smith.

“Grace is a dedicated, disciplined and passionate coach and Athletic Director,” said Dr. Michael Ferber, Vice President Student Life at The King’s University. “Her strong work ethic, decisive leadership, high expectations and commitment to her players have won her the respect of colleagues, athletes and coaches across the province.”

CCAA Coach of the Year winners receive a customized ring provided by Jostens Canada, the Official Ring Supplier of the CCAA Championship Awards Banquet. 

OTHER NOMINEES

Brent Hall		Jimmy El-Turk		Ian Poulin-Beaulieu		Lauren Hale-Miller
Camosun Chargers		St. Clair Saints		Élans de Garneau		UNBSJ Seawolves
In his second year at Camosun, Hall led the Chargers to an incredible turnaround season. Camosun placed third in the PACWEST with a 16-8 record, one year after posting a 1-23 record. In February, the Chargers handed the defending CCAA National Champion VIU Mariners their only loss of the season. Hall’s goal is to facilitate a rewarding and collaborative environment that fosters personal development for student-athletes and coaches. He is an alumnus of the Men’s Volleyball program at Camosun.		El-Turk guided the Saints to a 15-3 record and second-place finish in the OCAA West Division. He is a strong believer in the importance of strength and conditioning and stresses the importance of team building and having strong leadership and character on his team. El-Turk mentored Taylor Fitzgerald as part of the CCAA’s FACP this season. He was recently named head coach for the Team Ontario Girls team for the 2021 Canada Games and El-Turk will also assist with the Canadian Youth National Team this summer.		In his first season as head coach of the Élans, Poulin-Beaulieu led Garneau to a 12-6 record and second-place finish in the RSEQ. He has excellent communication skills and has quickly gained the respect of his players, who have bought in to his coaching philosophy. Poulin-Beaulieu’s objective is to help his players grow on and off the court as he promotes the holistic development of student-athletes. He was also a mentor in the CCAA’s FACP this season, working with former Garneau captain Mariane Demers-Ménard.		Hale-Miller guided UNBSJ to a 14-7 record and third-place finish in the ACAA. The Seawolves have added depth and increased athleticism and have focused on improving the speed of their offence in order to better dictate the flow and pace of the game. Hale-Miller’s direct and fair approach has garnered her tremendous respect from her players and peers in the ACAA. She is the President of the Wolfpack Volleyball Club and head coach of its U16 team.