ASC Priorities

"The experience of training in a high performance setting is essential to an athlete's development and future success in elite sport."

 

The ASC adopts an athlete-centered approach to its programs; support for athlete development is of primary importance to the organization. Each year, we bring together Aboriginal athletes from across the country to participate in high performance competitions and training camps. These events are designed to offer promising young athletes the experience of competing and training in an elite, high performance environment. We feel that providing these opportunities to some of Canada’s best young Aboriginal athletes will prepare them for higher levels of competition in mainstream sport.

"As community leaders, coaches play an important role in providing healthy, active lifestyles for our youth."

 

The availability of qualified coaches is the cornerstone of effective community sport and recreation. That is why the ASC has established the National Aboriginal Coaching and Leadership Program (NACLP). It encourages Aboriginal coaches to become certified through the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP). Designed to respond to the unique needs of Aboriginal coaches, the NACLP has developed the Aboriginal Coaching Manual that is being used to supplement the current NCCP curriculum. In further support of the professional development of certified Aboriginal coaches, the NACLP has established the Aboriginal Coach Mentor Program. This program operates in association with the high performance training camps where Aboriginal coaches are brought together to train under the guidance of some of Canada’s top national level coaches.

"The support and recognition you receive from your peers gives you greater confidence and courage to attain your dreams."

 

Sport role models are extremely important to our communities, and especially to our youth. Canada has produced a long line of Aboriginal sport heroes, from Tom Longboat at the turn of the century, to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ George Armstrong in the sixties, and more recently Alwyn Morris, Ted Nolan and Angela Chalmers. To recognize the ongoing commitment and outstanding achievements of amateur Aboriginal athletes, the ASC has re-established the prestigious Tom Longboat Award, which recognizes the year’s top male and female Aboriginal athletes at both the regional and national levels. Likewise, certified Aboriginal coaches are being recognized for their commitment to the development of Aboriginal athletes through the newly established National Aboriginal Coaching Awards. The ASC has also started a new program entitled the Aboriginal Athlete Support Fund, which is designed to help elite Aboriginal athletes reach their full potential and compete in their sport at the highest level possible.