Tenicha Gittens, head coach of the Concordia Stingers women's basketball team, will be one of 12 mentors participating in a new initiative from the Black Canadian Coaches Association in partnership with the Coaching Association of Canada.
She will take on a leadership role in the Black Female Coach Mentorship Program (BFCMP), a pilot project that seeks to create equitable opportunities for Black female coaches in Canada.
“Representation matters,” said Gittens. “When you see people who look like you, doing something you want or hope to do, you tend to believe you can do it.”
The BFCMP has three main objectives:
• Provide Black female mentorship.
• Advance coach professionalization amongst both program mentors and mentees.
• Provide a sustainable model of formalized mentorship that increases accessibility, support and leadership development for Black female coaches in sport.
“I take it on as a responsibility,” said Gittens. “This is an opportunity that we’ve never had before. These are exciting times. People are realizing things need to change and asking how do we get it going?
“I’m excited to be a part of it. I’m sure it’s going to get bigger.”
Mentorship can take on many forms, and Gittens doesn’t know if she will have someone shadow her or if she will help encourage and develop someone from a distance. It will be clear once the mentees are selected.
There is call for applications open to women who identify as Black, Biracial or Indigenous and are aspiring or current sport coaches. The deadline to apply is Monday, Oct. 26.
