Coaching Excellence Awards given to Oakville, Burlington teachers

Micha Patenaude sure knows how to make a good first impression.

The first-year teacher at Oakville’s École Secondaire Gaétan-Gervais guided the junior girls’ volleyball team to its first Halton Secondary School Athletic Association league championship in April.

It was the first time a French-language high school had won the Athletic Association volleyball championship.

Now Patenaude is being recognized for her efforts as one of 15 coaches being awarded with the Ontario Coaching Excellence Award.

Presented during National Coaches Week (September 16-22) by the Coaches Association of Ontario (CAO), Hydro One Inc. (Hydro One) and the Ministry of Sport, the province’s highest coaching honour across all sports and levels celebrates the integral role coaches play with their teams, sport and community.

Burlington Assumption Catholic Secondary School teacher and coach Kathryn Carlone was also named a winner of the Ontario Coaching Excellence Award.

“Congratulations to all our 2024 award recipients who are creating safe and encouraging spaces for young people to thrive,” said Jeremy Cross, CAO’s Executive Director. “A big #ThanksCoach to Hydro One for their steadfast commitment to supporting coaches as they build our communities through sport.

“We’re also very grateful to the Ontario Government and the Ministry of Sport for their enduring support of National Coaches Week that makes it possible for us to recognize and celebrate the invaluable efforts of all Ontario coaches.”

The awards will be presented at a special celebration during the Toronto Blue Jays vs St. Louis Cardinals game on Saturday, September 14, 2024, at the Roger’s Centre in Toronto.

The 15 coaches will also receive $500 in funding for new equipment to keep their athletes and teams safe and their respective sports affordable and accessible.

Also, among the 15 recipients of the award was Canadian and former Major League Baseball pitcher turned community coach Jeff Francis.

“From little league to the big leagues, coaches are a big part of the success of sport in Ontario and to the development of our athletes, both on and off the field,” said Neil Lumsden, Ontario’s Minister of Sport. “The lessons they teach, and the values they instill are carried by their athletes for life. To everyone being recognized here today, congratulations—and thanks, coach.”

The recipients of the award were selected from a broad pool of coaching nominations across more than 30 sports and 50 communities. The annual awards honour coaches at all levels for their unique commitment to inspiring, innovating, and sharing sports knowledge.

The full list of 2024 Ontario Coaching Excellence Award winners are:

• Jeff Francis, Lucan-Ilderton Athletics & North London Baseball, London
• Kathryn Carlone, Assumption Catholic Secondary School, Burlington
• Sergeant Derek Brown, CFB Trenton, Trenton
• Renee Bausch, Red Lake Mat Cats Gymnastics, Red Lake
• Marco Bianchi, Toronto Playgrounds Baseball Association, Toronto
• Katja Mathys, Cross Country Ski Ontario, Parry Sound
• Micha Patenaude, École secondaire Gaétan-Gervais, Oakville
• Roger Slomke, St. Patrick High School & Thunder Bay Minor Hockey, Thunder Bay
• Tristian Reid, Phoenix Volleyball Club, Toronto
• Yulissa Agudelo, Bushido Boxing, London
• Sarah Steinke, Uxbridge Swim Club, Uxbridge
• Mark Zaragoza, Humber College Basketball, Scarborough
• Kaylee Wedge, Kapuskasing Weightlifting Club, Kapuskasing – Susan Kitchen Trailblazer Award
• Micah Bradnam, KW Vipers Basketball, Kitchener-Waterloo – Hydro One Safe Play Award
• Jack Sasseville, Hardwood Ski and Bike, Oro-Medonte – Andy Higgins Lifetime Achievement Award

This year marks the 10^th annual National Coaches Week. In Ontario, one in seven adults is actively involved in coaching, with as many as 75 per cent volunteering their services.