News

New Brunswick's Sylvain Comeau close to winning Canada's Most Valuable Coach

(Toronto, Ontario) – It’s down to the final quarter, Sylvain Comeau from Beresford, New Brunswick,  is close to winning Canada’s Most Valuable Coach if he can drum up enough public support to take the title.  Chosen from 878 coaches nominated from across Canada, Sylvain is one of six finalist coaches from the ranks of amateur, competitive and community sport to be nominated for Chunky MVC: Most Valuable Coach. 

Sylvain Comeau is the coach for the Bathurst Bears, a Wheelchair Basketball team in the senior league with a focus on recruiting players between the ages of thirteen and twenty-one.  He is also the assistant coach for the 2011 Canada Winter Games’ Wheelchair Basketball team in Halifax, Nova-Scotia, and the head coach of the 2010 Team New-Brunswick for the Canadian championships in Wheelchair Boccia in Moncton, New Brunswick.   Sylvain has been coaching Wheelchair Basketball for the past eleven years.  Since his involvement in both Wheelchair Basketball and Boccia, Sylvain has been instrumental in recruiting players to both sports, developing their capabilities and building teams that continue to strongly represent New Brunswick during the Canada Games.  He is also coaches Wheelchair Track and Field in northern New Brunswick.  Though Sylvain suffers from ataxia which affects his overall muscle coordination and nervous system, he lives through the pain by placing his energy and focus on others through coaching.

“One of the greatest rewards of coaching is the opportunity to be involved in changing the lives of young athletes,” says Sylvain.  “It’s wonderful to help them realize their goals and make their dreams come true.”

Now in its second year, the Chunky MVC: Most Valuable coach contest recognizes the contributions of the estimated 1.8 million Canadian coaches across the nation. From September 14^th2009 to January 6^th 2010 millions of Canadians involved in sports were encouraged to nominate a coach who has made a real difference in their lives and the lives of others by reflecting and promoting the values of leadership, physical activity and community.  Canadians are encouraged to visit www.chunkymvc.ca  and cast their vote by March 14^th for their favourite coach.  The winner of Chunky MVC will receive a prize package valued at $25,000 to put towards his or her athletes and community.

“As the Official Nutrition Sponsor of the CAC, Chunky soup believes that amateur sport and proper nutrition are vital to growing strong communities,” says David Allard, Senior Brand Manager, Campbell Company of Canada.    “Chunky soup is committed to supporting coaches like Sylvain and the role they play as the backbone of amateur sport in Canada.  From teaching life skills like goal-setting to the importance of proper nutrition, coaches serve as true role models, knowing what their players need before, during and after the game.  The Chunky MVC program celebrates the positive contributions made by some of the best coaches in Canada.”

Sylvain Comeau is one of the six finalists vying for the title of Chunky MVC.  The five other finalists are:

• Carey Ashton, Montreal, QC - Baseball
• Jennifer Boyer, Mississauga, ON - Lacrosse, Hockey, Field Hockey and Curling
• Robert Cullen, Brandon, MB - Football
• Daisy Eyegetok, Cambridge Bay, NU  - Basketball
• Todd Melton, Okotoks, AB - Swimming

About the Coaching Association of Canada

The Coaching Association of Canada is a not-for-profit amateur sport organization with the mission of enhancing the experiences of all Canadian athletes through quality coaching. CAC and its partners deliver a leading-edge coaching system whose goal is to have an impact on 1,000,000 athletes through the training of 100,000 coaches each year in the National Coaching Certification Program. Visit www.coach.ca for more information about coach education and training.

About Campbell Canada

Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Campbell Company of Canada was recently named one of the Best Workplaces in Canada by the Great Place to Work Institute.  Campbell Canada is committed to providing extraordinary, authentic nourishment to all Canadians with simple, healthy foods and meal preparation that are lower in sodium with more vegetables and whole grains, and no artificial colours or flavours. Campbell Company of Canada is a subsidiary of Campbell Soup Company, based in Camden, New Jersey. Visit Campbell Canada’s website www.campbellsoup.ca for more information on the company’s health and wellness efforts and the products that carry the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s Health Check™ symbol.

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To coordinate an interview with any six of the finalist coaches for Chunky MVC or to speak to someone from Campbell Canada or the Coaching Association of Canada, please contact Elissa Zaks/416-642-7969/ezaks@webershandwick.com.

For more information please contact:

Elissa Zaks
Weber Shandwick
416-642-7969
ezaks@webershandwick.com