For 17 years, the Ontario Coaching Excellence Awards program celebrates the dedication and commitment of exemplary individuals who inspire, innovate and share knowledge of sport with others.
The Awards recognize the importance of leadership, performance and the value of human insight which are all integral to great coaching. Coaches were recognized across Ontario at the 2023 Ontario Coaching Excellence Awards celebration on September 16.
The event marked the start of the ninth annual national Coaches Week, a celebration of the tremendous positive impact coaches have on this nation’s athletes and communities. The week is an opportunity to recognize coaches for the integral role they play by simply saying #ThanksCoach.
To celebrate National Coaches Week (September 16-24), representatives from OFSAA, the Coaches Association of Ontario (CAO), Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport (MTCS), and Hydro One were on hand to present the province’s most prestigious coaching honour, an Ontario Coaching Excellence Award.
The OFSAA School Sport Coach Award winners were selected by OFSAA based on their unique contribution to sport through continuous development. The Award does not reflect the accomplishments of a teacher-coach in any one year, but the contributions over a period of years.
The 2023 male recipient of the “Coaching Excellence Award” in the School Sport Category is Chris Finner of St. Michael Catholic High School in Kemptville, ON.
The 2023 female recipient of the “Coaching Excellence Award” in the School Sport Category is Stacy Ganogiannis-Reid of East York Collegiate in Toronto, ON.
Whether it is winning OFSAA championships or a student improving their grades, Chris and Stacy are advocates for sport as more than just a team, but as a family.
“We are thrilled to recognize coach Chris and Stacy for their unwavering dedication and support of athlete development on and off the playing field. Our communities are strengthened by the relationships created and fostered through sport and coaches like Chris and Stacy are leaders in creating those safe, fun, and positive spaces for youth to grow,” said CAO’s Executive Director, Jeremy Cross. “Congratulations and #ThanksCoach to the recipients and for the impact on our communities.”
About the Coaches Association of Ontario (CAO)
The Coaches Association of Ontario is an independent, non-profit organization that supports coaches from community to high performance across all sports in Ontario. For more information, please visit www.coachesontario.ca, follow on Facebook or Twitter.
