Evidence/Artifact #1: Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council
In May 2019, I took part in a National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) course offered by the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council (ISPARC) and the Aboriginal Sport Circle (ASC). This course took place during SD79’s May professional development day in 2019 along other teachers in Cowichan and from other districts and communities on Vancouver Island. The topics that were covered in the full day course focused on:
- Understanding the role of sport in Aboriginal communities
- Understanding and influencing the community in which you coach
- Coaching the whole person, coaching beyond the physical to include the mental (intellectual/emotional), spiritual, and cultural
- Responding to racism in sport
- Establishing a culture (code of conduct) for your team that respects differences and addresses racism
- Helping those you coach make healthy lifestyle choices
The course explored the medicine wheel which is an ancient symbol that has been used by many Indigenous peoples of North and South America. It was discussed how the medicine wheel has been adapted by the ASC as a framework through which to explain the importance of a holistic approach to coaching. The purpose of the adaptation was to show how the different traditional teachings and interpretations from many nations had been gathered together.
What I learned and Why is it important
I have taken many NCCP courses for multiple sports and this is the first time the idea of looking at players more holistically has been covered. Many of the course I have taken focus more on the sport, how to coach, and concussion protocols. Even thought the focus of this course was on Indigenous players I find myself finding much of what I learned to be applicable to all players in youth sport. This was also the first time that racism in sport was covered as a topic in any coaching course I have participated in. This is a topic that should be covered in all coaching courses as there are many Indigenous youth who face this struggle both in sport and not. I learned more about the individual player and what impacts them in this course than all other courses combined in my 20 years of coaching.
References
BC Teachers’ Council. (2019, June 19). Professional Standards for BC Educators. Retrieved from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/kindergarten-to-grade-12/teach/teacher-regulation/standards-for-educators/edu_standards.pdf
Coaching Association of Canada. (n.d.). The Locker. Retrieved from https://thelocker.coach.ca/
Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity, Recreation Council. (2020, April 30). Aboriginal Coach Modules Retrieved from https://isparc.ca/community-sport-development/core-initiatives/aboriginal-coach-modules/
mrdevonlawrence.com 