The Coaches Association of Ontario (CAO) is looking for Ontario’s greatest coaches.

In an effort to recognize and celebrate the thousands of dedicated women and men, the CAO has launched Ontario’s Coach of the Month. Each month, one outstanding coach will be identified and featured on the CAO website and within their local community.

Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis, and will be kept on file for up to six months.

“Our community coaches are the lifeblood of our sport and recreation programs,” said Susan Kitchen, executive director of the CAO.

A whopping 92 per cent of respondents to a 2002 survey by the Ottawa-based Centre for Ethics in Sport agreed that, “sport had a positive influence on the development of values in today’s youth.”

As Kitchen explained, “Much of that positive influence is directly attributable to our coaches. In fact, the CAO recognizes coaching as a social responsibility to make sport and society better and affect thousands of Ontario youth in positive ways.”

Nomination forms are available at www.coachesontario.ca/component/option.com_forme/fid,1/