The Coach of the Year award is presented as part of Sport Manitoba's Night of Champions presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries annually in April, and the category winners are recognized during National Coaches Week in September.
The category refers to the type of athlete the coach is primarily coaching and at which level they have competed.
Vince Leah Memorial Award - Fundamentals
Individuals who coach grassroots athletes of any age. The coaching environment at this level is primarily non-competitive, with an emphasis on participation and having fun.
Konica Minolta Dr. Jack Hunt Award - Learn to Train
Coaches who are responsible for athletes developing competitive skills and preparing for competition (i.e., regional or provincial)
Janet Arnott Memorial Award - Train to Train
Coaches who are responsible for athletes who compete at the Canada Games and National Championships
Peter Williamson Memorial Award - Train to Compete/Train to Win
Coaches who primarily work with high-performance athletes that compete at the national or international level.
Peter Dick Award - School Systems
These coaches are in the school system and coach as an extracurricular activity. This award is open to those individuals who coach at all grade levels from elementary through high school.
Active for Life Award
Coaches who are responsible for athletes who focus on achieving health and fitness for life.
Archery
Matthew Trudeau
Sessilja (Kirstie) Jonasson
Athletics
Jill (Gillian) Seymour
Courtney Allary
Kaitlyn Clarke
Justin Charrier
Graham Hutchison-Campbell
Shaye Samec
Patrick Nepinak
Badminton
Kyler Murray
Della Mason
Baseball
Keith Bousquet
Roger Langlais
John Howden
Basketball
Keith Mason
Bryden Bukich
Danielle Daniels
Kaelei Knutson
Josh Gandier
Jack Jamieson
Chris Isaacs
Amanda Hallson
Donovan Martin
Rich Shead
Preslee Munroe
Tania Wallack
Kim Avanthay
Claudia Anderson
William Munroe
Box Lacrosse
Richard De La Ronde
Malcolm Blacksmith
Tyndall Fontaine
Cruz Jimenez
Stacey McIvor
Delanie Bruyere
Laura Pott
Darryl Young
Canoe/Kayak
Mohamed Crossman-Serb
Fredrick Spence
Berlinda Garrioch
Cheryll Constant
Shawna Joynt
Nadya Crossman-Serb
Golf
Dennis Chartrand
Sherry Meade
Rifle Shooting
Trevor Dysart
Soccer
Gary Swanson
Peyton Swanson
Chelsea McKay
Simone Turner-C
Shannon Ross
Don Sookermany
Janelle Chartrand
Nicole Chartrand
Jessica Chow
Stephanie Midford
Cadin Dupasquier
Margaret Anderton
Jarrett Campbell
Christina Keeper
Softball
Leslie McKay
Virgil Arthurson
Hailey Yuskin
Kelly Yuskin
Dennis Stevenson
Dean Govereau
Shaye Kemball
Todd Kemball
Candace Ransome
Melissa Houle
Swimming
Robyn Chow
Carson Beggs
Maxine Lavitt
Wendy Shewchuk
Tracy Bowman
Gordon Mallet
Volleyball
Benjamin Szewczyk
Charisse Cyr
Jayme Menzies
Tristan Dreilich
Gabrielle Wishart
Brooke Kozielec
Kristy Fewchuk
Jani Comeault
Riya Donnelly
Cameron Menzies
Wrestling
Mika Coles
Jordan Colomb
Savannah Chapman Cochrane
Winona Morrison
Desmond Bear
Dawn Bear
Volleyball
June La Habana
Volleyball
Arnd Lupo Ludwig
Mike Stephens
Please review the nomination package before completing the nomination form.
Notice: All nominations must include a minimum of three high-resolution pictures of the coach submitted via the Google Form. If you are experiencing technical difficulties or want more information, email coaching@sportmanitoba.ca or call (204) 925-5692.
Years of Service Recognition
Coaches who have dedicated a minimum of 25 years to coaching at any level. To be recognized for this award, the coach must be nominated through their Provincial Sport Organization.
International Coach Recognition
Manitoba coaches who have coached at International Events in 2022/23.
Our Sport Manitoba Coaching Awards presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries nominees and winners. Thank you to all the nominated coaches. You are incredible role models for your athletes. Thank you!
Nominees
Leslie Duhamel
Alice Charles
Quinton Denechezhe
Kevin McNeill
Winner
Kurtis Cullen
Kurtis Cullen (Brandon, MB) puts the fun in FUNdamentals. Coaching the Brandon Racquetball Association Junior Program, he has his creative ways of making learning entertaining– Blaze Pods, hitting tees, a ball machine, and a radar gun. Kurtis plays a huge role in character development of starting athletes. With this, he makes sure that every athlete knows the importance of respect towards officials, coaches, opponents, and their fellow athletes.
Through Kurtis’ dedication and sincere devotion to the sport, he was able to skyrocket the program’s participants from 7 to 50 juniors registered in the Spring of 2023.
Nominees
Jon Magarrell
Brian Jones
Dan Tereck
Gary Bell
Amanda Bourgoin
Winner
Sandra Page
Sandra Page (Winnipeg, MB) has coached in canoe kayak for six years. She supervises the Manitoba Canoe and Kayak Club Youth Group and facilitates training camps and clinics. She also facilitates winter pool practice sessions for swimming and pool paddling, and evaluates performance during tests and races - which is part of the selection process for the provincial team. This year, Sandra successfully encouraged her athletes in the Youth Group to ease into competitions. She provided coaching at Spring Training Camp in Portugal in March, encouraged new athletes to compete in the Manitoba Cup, and supervised her team at the Regatta in Regina, summer training in Banff, and the Canada Summer Games in Niagara.
Nominees
Daria Jorquera-Palmer
Winner
Kyler Murray
Kyler Murray (Oakbank, MB) has coached badminton for a decade, and has served on both the middle school and high school badminton teams in Oakbank. He has also assisted in providing badminton lessons to various age groups ranging from junior, teen, and intermediate. This year, Kyler was an apprentice coach for 2023 Canada Winter Games, and was selected to be the Head Coach for the badminton team that competed in the 2023 North American Indigenous Games in Halifax.
As a coach, Kyler creates an enriching environment for his team by introducing his athletes to a variety of training and exercises, where he focuses on core values and all-round development.
Nominees
Kevin Dawe
Clinton Brandt
Ayach Bounachada
Winner
Gabrielle Wishart
Gabrielle Wishart (Winnipeg, MB) has coached volleyball for seven years. She has facilitated community developmental volleyball programs, and advocates for athlete development and skills development for newcomers– few of the many reasons why she was named Head Coach for Team Manitoba’s 16U male volleyball team at the 2023 North American Indigenous Games. Her team successfully finished with an 8-0 record and headed into the international championship.
As a coach, Gabrielle embodies the true spirit of sport by promoting respect, inclusion, and integrity within and beyond her team. She creates a safe and inclusive environment for her athletes by respecting all their religious and cultural differences, and by making sure that her team’s relationships with each other are rooted in learning more about their identity as Indigenous athletes.
