‘Celebrating the incredible impact’: National Coaches Week wraps up

National Coaching Week puts the spotlight on the mentors and motivators who help athletes meet their full potential.

From push-ups to pep talks, coaches play a vital part in helping athletes meet their full potential.

This week, the Coaching Association of Canada is celebrating the 11th annual National Coaches Week.

“Really it’s just about celebrating the incredible impact of coaches from each level of sport, from grassroots community to high performance. It’s about recognizing the impact that coaches have had and celebrating what they contribute to our communities from coast to coast,” says Sarah Min, marketing and communications manager for the Coaching Association of Canada.

The weight and responsibility of being a coach holds true for Ioan Florean, the coach of Suburban FC in Bedford, N.S.

Originally from Romania, Florean has coached thousands of soccer players during his nearly 30-year career.

It’s an unpaid passion he says never gets old.

“I just fell in love with helping the children and keeping the game alive. The game gave me everything I have, my family, my house, my everything else,” says Florean.

Though the job has many rewards, it also has its challenges, including knowing how and when to cater to the needs of players.

“The ability to be flexible and to tailor your approach to the people you are working with is a really critical and special part of being a coach and something that when you have a coach that knows how to do that is a pretty incredible experience,” Charlotte Henderson, the president of Lacrosse Nova Scotia.

A coach herself, Henderson says the impact of a coach is hard to forget, no matter how many you’ve had.

“I still think about growing up playing lacrosse, some of my fondest memories, it has to do with coaches that got me, that wanted to work with me, that pushed me to make myself the best person and athlete I could be at that particular time, but also understood me,” says Henderson.

“And it was people like that, that got me into coaching and subsequently into sort of the more administrative level. Coaches really are the difference in having a good, positive sporting experience and not.”

Henderson says the one thing coaches from all sports have in common is their passion and dedication.

“Coaches are some of the most selfless people there are. Nine times out of 10, particularly in minor sports, these are going to be unpaid individuals who are volunteering their time, and out of the goodness of their own hearts to show up and help kids learn and enjoy sports,” says Henderson.

Although his players come and go, Florean is hopeful his lessons will stick with them forever.

He encourages current and aspiring coaches to simply love the sport and its players.

“Love it enough for you, love it for the children, for everyone else. Because one day they’re going to be a coach,” he says.