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Janelle Forcand wins BFL Female Coach of the Year award
Photo Courtesy: Dalia Stewart

Janelle Forcand wins BFL Female Coach of the Year award

WINNIPEG, Manitoba – Hockey has been part of Janelle Forcand’s life since she was born. Whether it was being pushed along the ice in her stroller by her mom, as her older brother went skating, to playing it from a young age, to watching it on TV or going to games with her dad. Her love and passion for the sport only grew from there. Growing up Forcand played community club hockey, AA, and for her high school team. She finished her competitive career playing for the Polar Ice in the Manitoba Women’s Junior League (MWJHL).

About eight years ago, Forcand started coaching as an assistant to a youth girls’ team and then several other AA teams, such as female U13 St. James Titans, boys U11 Winnipeg Jets Hockey Academy (WJHA) minor, female U11 WJHA to name a few. Most recently she was head coach for the U11 female WJHA minor team.

While interviewing Forcand, it became instantly clear why she was chosen for this award and to notice her specialness and effectiveness as a coach. She genuinely cares about her players and goes that extra mile. This is evident, by the pile of letters and cards Forcand has received from many of her players.

Q. Janelle, tell me about the award you received?
A. I received the BFL Female Coach of the Year award, which highlights female coaches who have made significant contributions to the game of hockey. Hockey Canada awards the Provincial Female Coach of the Year to two female coaches from each province, a community and a high-performance level. From there, a selection committee, which includes Olympic gold medalists Cassie Campbell-Pascal, Gina Kingsbury and Caroline Ouellette along with others, select the national winners for the two levels. I was fortunate enough to receive the provincial award and then selected as National Female Coach of the Year at the community level.

Q. Why did you become a coach?
A. I never imagined coaching would be something I’d get involved in, but was invited behind the bench by a couple of my former teammates who were coaching. It didn’t take long for me to realize how rewarding coaching is and the importance of having female representation out on the ice for the young girls to look up to. I also want to make sure I’m giving back to the game and my community because it has given me so much.

Q. How do you keep your team engaged?
A. My philosophy is that I want to provide my team the ability to learn through play. There are some on-ice skills that are taunting to learn such as edge work, tight turns and stopping. So, I enjoy incorporating non-traditional equipment into my practice plans. For example, I have a set of giant foam die and pool noodles that I bring onto the ice. Since I mostly coach younger children, the sight of something unique and colorful gets them excited and makes them want to stay involved. I also have a fun survey I get the players to fill out. Asking things like who’s your favorite hockey player, what do you want to learn this season, what position would you like to try, etc. I find it’s a great way to get to know the players. Plus, I also make sure that each player has their favorite song on the dressing room playlist!

Q. Who are your inspirations?
A. When I started to play hockey, the female game was beginning to grow and female representation for the sport existed. Jennifer Botterill and Cassie Campbell-Pascal were a few of my inspirations, so when I was presented this award by Cassie Campbell-Pascal, I was pretty star-struck and speechless. It was a surreal moment.

Another inspiration is my mom. Although she may not coach or play hockey, the things she has taught me throughout my life have really shaped the way I live and coach. Her patience, kindness and ability to go above and beyond for others are attributes that I strive to instill in my coaching. As a teacher, she always puts her students first and makes a positive impact in their lives. That is something I try to do with the players that I coach.

Q. In closing, is there anything else you would like to add?
A. The Female Coach of the Year award is a great way to add visibility for females who are involved in hockey in other ways besides playing. Winning this award meant a lot because it made me realize how far I have come as a coach and allowed me to reflect on the differences I have made in children’s lives.

It was extremely motivating to receive this award at the community level. Often coaching recreational hockey or lower levels is overlooked because there is so much focus on high performance and the elite aspect of hockey. So, to be recognized emphasized the importance of female coaches being in the game at every level. It doesn’t matter who, where or what you coach, you are making a positive impact. My hope is that my story will encourage other females to get involved in coaching. It truly has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my life. 

Thanks, Janelle, and congratulations on this prestigious award.

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