It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Bill Thomson, ChPC, a true visionary in our Canadian sport community who played a pivotal role in the growth and formalization of coaching in Canada. As the inaugural Chairman of Canada’s first National Coaching Institute (NCI) in Victoria, B.C., Bill mentored more than 250 coaches during his tenure as they gained their National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) Level 4/5 accreditation and National Coaching Institute Diploma in high performance coaching. Additionally, over 600 coaches attended the International Coaching School which was established through Bill’s leadership to develop and support coaches from across Canada in their high performance coach education training.
Prior to his work with the National Coaching Institute, Bill was integral in Canadian Soccer Association’s national team programs and worked as a consultant with the Coaching Association of Canada in the development of the NCCP. Bill’s immense impact on high performance sport in Canada is exemplified through the many coaches from the NCI who have gone on to serve in National and International coaching roles. In 2010, the National Coaching Institute was amalgamated into Canadian Sport Institute Pacific, where the legacy of the NCI program continues across Canada as the Advanced Coaching Diploma. We extend our condolences and sympathy to Bill’s family and the sport community in grieving this loss.