August 31, 2006 – Coaches of Canada””the governing body in Canada that is responsible for the advancement of coaching as a profession””announces its call for nominations for the Jack Donohue “˜Coach of the Year” Award and the Sheila Robertson Award.

The Jack Donohue Award is presented annually in recognition of a coach’s dedication to the profession of coaching and the outstanding performance of their athletes during the past competitive season. The Coaches of Canada Board of Directors selects the recipient of this award. Past recipients have included Michel Larouche (Diving), Kelly Manjak (gymnastics) and Patrick Oaten (Water Polo). The deadline for nomination is September 26, 2006.

The Sheila Robertson award is presented to the National Sport Organization (NSO) that demonstrates a consistent approach in valuing and recognizing the role a coach makes within their organization””with the media and the public. The award was inaugurated in 2005 and was first awarded to the Canadian Yachting Association. A Coaches of Canada selection committee decides the recipient of this award. The deadline for nomination is September 20, 2006.

The recipients of these awards will be notified in advance and will be honoured at the Sport Leadership Awards Dinner, as part of the Petro-Canada Sport Leadership sportif 2006 in Vancouver, BC (visit www.coach.ca for more information).

For more information and details on the nomination process for these awards please visit the new Coaches of Canada website at www.coachesofcanada.com.