Canada Games apprenticeship program helps female coaches from P.E.I. develop

Two Island women are bringing back valuable experiences as apprentice coaches aspart of the recentCanada Games in Red Deer, Alta.

It was all part of theWomen in Coaching Canada Games Apprenticeship Program, set up to encourage more women to become coaches at higher levels of sport.

"It has been nothing short of amazing, that's for sure," said Sami Sentnerfrom Mill River East, P.E.I., who apprenticed with the women's hockey team at the Canada Games.

"Through the program I have learned so many things that I really do need to know in order to be successful. It's justtaught meso much and has given me the opportunity to really get out there and experiencewhat it is like to be a coach at Canada Games."

Sentner was one of the two Island women chosen to apprentice during the games, the other,Caitlin Campbell from Bedeque, P.E.I.,was working with the biathlon team.

Both were competitors during the 2015 Canada Winter Games.

Sentner played on the women's hockey team then and saidit was a dreamto transitioninto coaching with the sport.

She hopes to inspire the women on the teamto also move into coaching.

"They were leaders to a lot of little girls who someday want to play Canada Games," Sentner said. "I hope that some day these girls look at me and say 'Wow, I really want to give back and I want to do that too.'"

The goal of the apprenticeship programis to get more females involved in coaching by giving themexperiencepreparing a team for the Games.

Each province and territory is able to send two femalesto further develop their coaching skills at the Canada Games level.

It's a partnership between the Canada Games Council, the Coaching Association of Canada and the provinces and territories.

"The goal is that the young apprentice coach will go on to continue to coach back home," saidJo-Anne Wallace, P.E.I.'s chef de mission for the 2019 Canada Games.

"What we would like to see is more females become involved and see it as a natural progression for them," she said.

Wallace said 45 per cent of Island athletes are female, but women make up just about a quarterof the coaches for provincial sports organizations on P.E.I.

"This is a trend right across the country, it is not unique to Prince Edward Island in that we don't have as many females coming on board to be coaches," Wallace said.

"Always there is a variety of reasons for that but there is certainly some work being done across the country to try to get more female coaches involved."

The apprenticeship program has been part of the Canada Games since 2005.

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