The BCCA launches Coach Mentorship for BIPOC in partnership with Football Canada
Toronto, ON: The Black Canadian Coaches Association and Football Canada are pleased to announce the launch of Canada’s first Football Coach Mentorship Program (FCMP) designed to empower and advance individuals identifying as Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) in Canadian football.
The FCMP represents the BCCA’s first sport specific and gender inclusive mentorship program. In partnership with Football Canada , the BIPOC Coach Mentorship Program focuses on three main pillars:
1. Provide coach mentorship.
2. Advance coach professionalization amongst both program mentors and mentees.
3. Provide a sustainable model of virtually based and in person experiences that increases the visibility, skillset, and leadership development for football coaches that identify as BIPOC.
The call for the Football mentorship program was first proposed by the Black Football Coaches of Canada (BFCC) , a collection of Canadian football coaches across Canada seeking to advance racial equity. The group was formed by Corey Grant, current BCCA Assistant Director and current Head Football Coach at Carleton University and later merged to become the BCCA’s Football branch. The BFCC will manage the program’s objectives and activities in alignment with Football Canada and the BCCA’s three objectives of celebration, advocacy through allyship, and networking.
The program is open to football coaches of all sport backgrounds, with mentors ranging from former professional athletes to National team and U Sports Head Coaches, while mentees range from community coaches, club and former Head coaches. The program is inclusive to football coaches of all backgrounds regardless of gender, race, class, and sexual orientation. It is also encompasses both contact and non-contact football sport programs.
Program Mentors represent experienced and successful coaches at the U Sports, National and Provincial level. The BIPOC Football program will follow both virtual and in-person experiences, bringing together mentors and mentees to coach alongside one another at the Annual Football Canada Cup.
Program Mentors Program Mentees
- Gary Waterman – Nova Scotia
- Darrell Adams – Ontario
- James Colzie lll – Nova Scotia
- Kamau Peterson – Ontario
- Josh Sacobie – Ontario
- Jason Lafferty – Alberta
- Fabrice Raymond – Quebec
- Shomari Williams – British Columbia
- Nate Taylor – Ontario
- Devantae Hobbs – Alberta
- Dexter Mondor – Saskatchewan
- Gerritt Hon – Alberta
- Justin Tillery – Alberta
- Yembeh Moiba – Alberta
- Ronald Hollingsworth – Ontario
- Dany Durang – Ontario
- Nick Oppong – New Brunswick
- Michelle Knowles – Ontario
- Chris Ashman – Saskatchewan
- Dion E. Thomas-Hodges – Nova Scotia
- Cody Adams – Ontario
R: Tara Mrakic, Co-Chair of the BFCC and Secretary of the BCCA
“Football Canada, is excited to have the opportunity to partner with and support the Black Canadian Coaches Association (BCCA) in the development of coaches across Canada. We are proud to be a part of this program and watch young BIPOC coaches take the opportunity to grow and further develop their coaching philosophy. Everyone needs a mentor, no matter the experience of the coach; the development of these relationships will last far past this year’s Canada Cup and will no doubt create future Canadian mentors for BIPOC coaches.”
– Jason Lafferty, Board member and chair of Football Canada Diversity and Inclusion Committee
“I’ll say this – it’s been over two years since this project was thought of and it’s finally come to fruition. We are overjoyed to get the BIPOC Football Mentorship Program off the ground through connecting and advancing coaches from all levels and places across Canada. We expect this program to not just have a positive impact on our inaugural participants, but on our broader football community.”
– Tara Mrakic, BCCA Secretary and Co-Chair of the Black Football Coaches of Canada
“We look forward to seeing how the partnership can grow beyond the Football Canada Cup creating opportunities for increased diversity of football coaches at all levels of our sport.”
– Shannon Donovan, Executive Director Football Canada
