U SPORTS Female Apprentice Coach Program Returns for a Third Year; Application Deadline: Feb, 11

U SPORTS is pleased to announce that applications for the third edition of the Female Apprentice Coach Program are now open.

Funded through Sport Canada, the initiative was originally launched in the 2019-20 season and aims to increase the number of females in coaching positions across Canadian universities. The initiative matches apprentice coaches who have recently graduated, with a head coach in one of the 11 U SPORTS-sanctioned sport offerings for female-identifying student-athletes.

“We’re excited to open the recruitment process for the third year of our Female Apprentice Coach Program. As we continue to tackle the unprecedented challenges currently facing Canadian sport, this initiative will open new doors and provide the tools for furthering coaching development and education in Canadian university sport and for success to more proud alumnae aspiring to become coaches themselves in the near future. We appreciate the ongoing support of our partners at Sport Canada for helping us further make those dreams a reality.”

Lisette Johnson-Stapley – Chief Sport Officer at U SPORTS

All participants in the program will be a member of the coaching staff at their respective schools, where they will provide feedback to colleagues as well as student-athletes, while taking part in team activities where possible. Job duties may vary due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Applications should be submitted to Jenna Blackburn, U SPORTS Sport Coordinator, at jblackburn@usports.ca by Feb. 11 at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT.

The program’s second campaign features 18 apprentice coaches chosen from nine of the 11 sports, with playing or coaching experience at 19 different U SPORTS institutions. 

In total, 36 apprentice coaches have been given the opportunity to develop through the program since its inception in the 2019-20 season.