(Vancouver, BC - Mar 2, 2023)
The University of British Columbia established a Masters of High Performance Coaching and Technical Leadership 10 years ago to raise the professional standard of coaches in Canada.
“We are thrilled to see our graduates and current students leading athlete at the Canada Games in PEI” said David Hill, UBC Adjunct Professor and Director – System Enhancement with Canadian Sport Institute Pacific. In total, nine UBC alumni and current students are leading athletes at the games in the sports of Karate, Gymnastics, Speed Skating, Badminton, Hockey, Freestyle Skiing and Cross Country Skiing, representing Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan and British Columbia.
“Canada Games is a critical entry point to high performance sport in Canada, and it is great to see our students having a positive impact in their respective Sports”, said Maria Gallo, UBC Professor and MHPCTL program supervisor. “Major games are a great opportunity for Athletes and Coaches to experience other sports, and we had 10 coaches representing Canada at the Tokyo Olympics.” Gallo speaks from experience having coached at the Tokyo Games herself.
“The landscape of sport continues to evolve and we are striving to stay at the cutting edge of performance, but importantly athlete safety and wellness” stated Hill. “It is a testament to those who strive to improve themselves as coaches no matter what stage they are at in their career.”
The UBC program provides a unique opportunity for coaches to enrol in masters program without a formal bachelor degree, but recognizes prior learning experience and other qualifications for entry into the program. “This is a very innovative program and we are grateful to UBC for supporting life-long learning” stated Gallo. Indeed, the average of students is 38 year old, and is truly a Pan-Canadian approach to coach professional development with linkages to Canada’s National Coaching Certification Program. “We are grateful for our partnership with the Coaching Association of Canada, where the UBC program also grants the coveted NCCP Advanced Coaching Diploma”, stated Hill. UBC students have the option of completing a one-year graduate certificate, which ladders into a two-year masters program.
“We would like to wish all coaches and athletes at Canada Games success toward achieving their goals and hope that our coaches can connect while at the Games” said Gallo.
The list of UBC coaches in PEI include:
| Gabriel Sylla | Karate | Team Quebec | HPCTL Certificate Graduate |
| Jim Jennings | Karate | Team Ontario | MHPCTL Graduate |
| Kraig Devlin | Karate | Team BC | MHPCTL Graduate |
| Nicole Garrido | Speed Skating | Team BC | Current MHPCTL Student |
| Phyllis Chan | Badminton | Team BC | HPCTL Certificate Graduate |
| Antoine Vallières | Gymnastics | Team Quebec | Current MHPCTL Student |
| Chris Manhard | Cross Country Skiing | Team BC | MHPCTL Graduate |
| Graham Pollock | Freestyle Skiing | Team BC | Current HPCTL Student |
| Robin Ulrich | Hockey | Team Sask | MHPCTL Graduate |