What are the National Indigenous Coaching Awards and who can be nominated?

Each year the Aboriginal Sport Circle presents the "National Coaching Award for Indigenous Excellence in Sport" to one woman and one man identifying Indigenous coach who shows exemplary integrity in their approach to coaching. The 2026 awards were presented at the 2026 National Indigenous Sports Gala (October 2026), where Victoria Marchand and Dale Bear were named recipients.

Prizes: an all-expenses-paid round trip with a guest to the Awards Gala, a custom-made National Indigenous Coaching Award and a $1,500 bursary for coaching professional development.

Eligibility (2026 program year, May 31, 2025 to May 31, 2026):

• The nominee must be Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit or Métis).
• They must have been actively involved in their sport during that year.
• They must demonstrate sportsmanship, fair play and ethics in sport.
• A nomination package had to be submitted to the Aboriginal Sport Circle on or before July 10, 2026.

What a nomination includes: the nominee's details and sport(s), years coaching, the highest level coached (community through international), 4 to 5 high-resolution photos of them coaching, and a narrative with testimonials showing their commitment to coach development, a positive image as an Indigenous coach, and a holistic lifestyle balancing the physical, mental, cultural and spiritual.