Over 350 new coaches for Toronto as Let's Get Coaching! launches

TORONTO, Nov. 29, 2014 /CNW/ - This evening, the City of Toronto, Coaches Association of Ontario (CAO) and MLSE Foundation congratulated over 350 participants as they completed their National Coaching Certification Program training to become community-level coaches. This one-day event was the launch of Let's Get Coaching!, a City of Toronto Host City Showcase Program project designed to encourage sport development and healthy living across the city in celebration of the 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games.

"Let's Get Coaching! is a great new program that brings so much value to Toronto, especially our youth," said Mayor Rob Ford. "This legacy program of the Pan Am/Parapan Am Games will benefit residents long after the Games are over by engaging young people in coaching. We are all looking forward to the Games next summer and how they will transform the city but I am just as excited about programs like this that are creating sport opportunities in Toronto's communities right now."

Let's Get Coaching! is presented by the City, CAO and MLSE Foundation. The program will create 2,015 new coaches in Toronto to encourage residents to get involved in their communities by coaching the sports they are passionate about. The program offers training as part of the National Coaching Certification Program, in fundamental movement skills and over 25 sports.

Let's Get Coaching! is free to all Toronto residents, 16 years and older, and will be available at community recreation centres and other facilities throughout next year. Registration is open now on the City's website. The program's launch event was held today, on RBC Sports Day in Canada, a national celebration of sport, community building and healthy, active living.

"Coaching matters. Learning the skills to be a better coach is so important for our physical and mental health. I applaud the 350 Torontonians who will make a difference by applying what they learned on RBC Sports Day in Canada this year about being a great coach," says Sheilagh Croxon, CAO Chair and Olympic Synchronized Swimming Coach.

"MLSE Foundation is very proud to be supporting Let's Get Coaching!," said Michael Bartlett, Executive Director of the MLSE Foundation. "By training 2,015 local coaches with the City of Toronto and Coaches Association of Ontario, we're ensuring these individuals are able to continue to develop sports programming and provide sustainable opportunities for youth in Toronto to play."

The launch event took place at the University of Toronto Scarborough and Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (TPASC), a newly-built aquatics and sports facility in the city's east end. The TPASC will be a venue during the Pan Am/Parapan Am Games next year, but before and after, the TPASC offers hundreds of community recreation and fitness programs for residents.

Toronto's Host City Showcase Program is a Council-approved program featuring dozens of projects and initiatives designed to ensure a legacy of long-term community benefits and enhance the experience of the 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games for residents and visitors.

To register for Let's Get Coaching training or sign up for programming at the TPASC, residents can visit http://www.toronto.ca/torontofun or call 416-338-4FUN. To learn more about the Host City Showcase Program visit http://www.toronto.ca/panam2015.

About Coaches Association of Ontario
The Coaches Association of Ontario is an independent, non-profit, coach-led organization that strengthens development opportunities and provides educational resources for coaches in a variety of contexts. The CAO promotes coaching ethics and ensures the wider community recognizes the vital role of the coach in the development of sport at all levels. For information visit http://www.coachesontario.ca or follow us at @coaches_ont

About MLSE Foundation
The MLSE Foundation believes all kids should have access to sport and the opportunity to develop lasting dreams on the playing field. With the support of all four MLSE teams – the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC Toronto Marlies – the Foundation funds the refurbishment of local athletic facilities and programs that support kids through sport and recreation. Since launching in December 2009, the MLSE Foundation has invested more than $15 million into our community. For information visit mlsefoundation.org or follow @MLSEFoundation.

Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities. Toronto is proud to be the Host City for the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us @TorontoComms.

SOURCE: City of Toronto

For further information: Media contacts: Andrea Gonsalves, Strategic Communications, 416-397-4149, [email protected]; Brooke Rosenfeld, Coaches Association of Ontario, 416-426-7001, [email protected]; Akasha Di Tomasso, MLSE, 416-815-5924, [email protected]