Women in Sport Foundation

[ Although participation in girls; hockey continues to grow throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, there remains a significant lack of female coaches, mentors, and leadership opportunities for young women. Many female athletes complete their playing careers without seeing women represented behind the bench, resulting in limited pathways into coaching and sport leadership. Existing female coaches frequently report feeling isolated, lacking mentorship opportunities, and facing barriers to professional development. PeakForce has identified this gap through working directly with more than 200 female athletes across the province. Conversations with athletes, parents, coaches, and community organizations consistently highlight the need for structured opportunities that encourage young women to transition from participants to leaders. As our programming has expanded beyond the St. John's region into rural communities, the need for qualified female coaches has become even more apparent. Research consistently demonstrates that visible female role models increase confidence, leadership aspirations, and long-term participation in sport among girls. Without intentional recruitment and mentorship, the shortage of female coaches is likely to continue, limiting opportunities for future generations. Our goal is to create a structured coaching pathway that develops confident, knowledgeable, and skilled young female leaders while strengthening communities through increased access sport as well as to female role models in sport.]

[ We have launched the Junior Female Coach Leadership Initiative to establish a structured pathway that supports girls aged 13–18 as they transition from athletes to community leaders through coaching. In addition, the project will include an Emerging Adult Coach Initiative that prepares adult female coaches for higher-performance coachingenvironments while serving as mentors and role models for junior participants. This intergenerational mentorship model strengthens the leadership pathway by connecting emerging youth leaders with experienced female coaches. Participants will complete NCCP Coach Initiation and Respect in Sport certification before participating in supervised coaching placements alongside experienced female coaches. Throughout the program, youth will receive structured mentorship while learning practice planning, skill instruction, communication techniques,leadership principles, and athlete development.Each participant will complete at least ten hours of guided on-ice coaching while receiving regular feedback from mentors. Monthly leadership workshops will focus on topics including confidence building, conflict resolution, communication, teamwork, ethical decision-making, and coaching philosophy. By combining nationally recognized coach education with practical coaching experience and ongoing mentorship, the project removes barriers that often prevent young women from entering coaching. Participants leave with recognized certifications, practical experience, increased confidence, and a clear pathway toward continued leadership within hockey and other community organizations. Along with our leadership development initiavtives, our aim is to increase access to hockey for females around the province and to decrease the barriers to participation.]