Welcome to Big Country Soccer Association (BCSA). At BCSA, we are thrilled to announce our participation in the TELUS She CAN Coach Program, an initiative designed to empower women in soccer. Led by our Vice-President/ SQS Coordinator, we're committed to fostering a supportive environment where women feel seen, welcomed, and inspired to lead. If you need any information on how to join, please email us at bigcountrysa23@gmail.com.
Please take a moment to read the below details from Canada Soccer.
TELUS She CAN Coach is a national coach recruitment, development, and training project designed for women to address the challenges they face regarding soccer participation.
RECRUIT
Unlike traditional mentorship programs, this initiative emphasizes recruitment, training, and development. We invite women who are new to coaching and have recently begun their journey (July 2024-present) to join us in this transformative experience.
DEVELOP
Women leaders in sport are critical in creating a welcoming and safe space for girls in sport. This project will strive to support and advance gender equity in soccer by reducing the barriers of entry for women to coach. Our objective is to increase the registration of women and girls and help to balance the gender gap in participation.
INSPIRE
Our aim is to increase the number of women coaches and encourage more girls to participate in the sport.
"TELUS She CAN Coach will align clubs nationwide to actively recruit, develop, and inspire women to become coaches in our game by eliminating barriers, providing a welcoming environment, and ensuring all women interested in coaching have a place where they feel they belong." - Sara McConaghy, Manager, Development - Director, Communicate and Fund Development
For those excited to apply to become a coach and role-model for the next generation of girl soccer players, BCSA will:
Create, maintain, and encourage a network of support for women coaches.
Cover the cost of coaches attending any and all in-person practical Grassroots Coach Education Program Workshops (i.e. Active Start, FUNdementals, Learn to Train, or Soccer for Life)
Cover the cost of the Respect in Sport online training module.
Cover the cost of Making Ethical Decisions (MED) online training module.
For the coach participant, you agree to:
Register for a National Coach Certification Program (NCCP) Number.
Submit to the program lead your request to participate in the Telus SHE CAN Coach program.
Actively participate in the program content and coach education training.
Actively coach in the community.
Participate in the program evaluation.
WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO OFFER IN COACHING?
Let's face it, women have been actively involved in teaching and guiding youth since the dawn of time. We believe this teaching and guiding should also extend into providing opportunities to women where we can support their role of being a role model from a sporting perspective in soccer.
One of the most compelling reasons for women to coach is the opportunity to break down entrenched gender stereotypes and barriers. Historically, sports coaching has been perceived as a male-dominated field, reinforcing the notion that men are better suited to lead and mentor athletes. However, of the past decades, more women coaches are taking the steps to get involved in the sport through coaching, showcasing their expertise, knowledge, leadership, and perspective; proving that gender is not a factor regarding the person's ability to coach soccer.
Women bring a unique perspective to coaching that differ from men. This also helps provide leadership development of youth where many women coaches put emphasis on communication, collaboration, and emotional intelligence which can provide balance and benefits to all athletes, regardless of gender.
Seeing women actively coaching can inspire girls to also break barriers, challenge norms and follow their passions for sport as well. This is crucial for encouraging future generations of women in coaching.
At BCSA, we are committed to fostering a special soccer program environment that enriches the sporting landscape with diverse voices, different ideas and approaches, and varying leadership and mentoring styles. For this commitment to be successful in supporting our youth, you are essential. So, what do you have to offer in coaching.....everything and so much more!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
To help with your decision to embark on an exciting journey into coaching soccer, please review this FAQ document for more information. This is not meant to be all-encompassing, but hopefully will provide additional clarification in order to inspire you to join us!
