WINNIPEG — Any distraction can knock his athletes off track. It’s why Tim Shynkaruk, the head coach of the Kelvin High School track and field team, tries to prepare for any problem before it pops up.
“Part of being a coach is understanding what they’re coming from, what they’re dealing with and help them get through it,” said Shynkaruk.
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Things like bullying, discrimination and even abuse. They’re just some of the many difficulties kids may face. To help identify issues, every coach in Manitoba must take the Respect in Sport course. But starting now, they will be required to re-take it every five years.
“You want to stay current and how the newest information will affect your athletes,” said Coaching Manitoba’s Susan Lamboo.
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Roughly 50,000 people across the province have passed the program since it was made mandatory in 2007. Up to 8,000 coaches will have to be re-certified by next April. The course has been updated to include topics such as cyber-bullying, hazing and gender identification.
“To be able to recognize that and give the athletes the support and education they might need to deal with internally and externally, it’s huge,” said Lamboo.
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