This weekend the Canadian Olympic Committee announced that it has created a coach reward program for Olympic podium performances, financially rewarding the coaches of Olympic medal winners.

Beginning with the London 2012 Olympic Games, the coach of Olympic medalists will receive $10,000 per gold medal, $7,500 per silver medal and $5,000 per bronze medal, per sport discipline. This represents half the amount awards to Olympic medal-winning athletes through the Athlete Excellence Fund.

“Coaches are the backbone of our athletes’ planning, preparation and performances,” said COC President Marcel Aubut. “From the time a child takes their first steps onto the field, the track, or the ice, the coach is the key. We need to keep our coaches in Canada. We need to reward them at the level they so rightly deserve.”

“This announcement is significant for more than the financial reasons,” said Wayne Parro, ChPC, Executive Director of Coaches of Canada. “The COC has taken a large step forward in terms of recognizing the value of coaches to their athletes and to the sport system.”

This program is part of the COC’s new focus on coaches. Other components include:

• A coaches’ task force that looks at better recognizing coaches and increasing their profile.
• A Games recognition program that will recognize the coaches of Olympic and Pan American medalists when the athletes are recognized by the COC.
• Another recognition program to be instituted at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

“The new funding announcement is great not only by injecting new money into the sport system but most particularly because it is targeted at coaching, training and support,” said Peter Lawless, ChPC, President of Coaches of Canada. “ As we all turn our attention to London 2012 further enhancements of the coaching and support programs available to our athletes will certainly lead to greater opportunities for success in London and beyond.”