Launch of the 2023–24 Cohort of the LAB Coaches Program

By Emmanuelle Champagne 

On November 14 , the first LAB Coaches workshop was held , organized by André Gendron, advisor forcoach and environment development; Nicolas Masbourian, coach and environment development officer ;and Frédérik Laberge, head of sports excellence in Montreal.

The first part of the workshop was designed to bring the coaches together·e·so they could get to know each other better. A round-robin introduction, enriching discussions, and quick-fire questions were used to help everyone learn more about one another. 

Take it a step further 

During the second activity, the coaches·e·were asked to define the characteristics of a good learner and a good teammate. The ability to listen, motivation, sincerity, perseverance, commitment, and openness were among the responses highlighted. 

Working in teams, they had to reflect on and analyze what concepts such as identity and reflection meant to them personally. 

“Identity is a sense of self that is defined both individually and collectively and is divided into three categories: social, cultural, and personal, which are shaped by values, experiences, and knowledge. Identity is always in flux.”

A new member of the Sports Council 

Coach Development Advisor·e·and its environment, André Gendron, has recently joined the Montreal Sports Council team.

A native of Quebec City, André Gendron is entering his 25th year as a coach. Although volleyball has always been his greatest passion, he has also worked as a coach in soccer, basketball, track and field, and even figure skating. 

He caught the volleyball bug in fourth grade, starting out with mini-volleyball. After high school, he decided to give up playing the sport to focus on coaching.

“I’ve tried a lot of sports, but volleyball is really the one I quickly focused on,” says André Gendron, assistant coach at McGill University. 

In 2010, he took on the role of full-time coach. Realizing he lacked the knowledge needed to be a better coach, he went back to school at the age of 30. He earned three certificates from the University of Sherbrooke: a certificate in sports intervention, a certificate in psychology, and finally, a multidisciplinary certificate. “All of that was to pick up bits and pieces of knowledge to help me coach better,” says André Gendron, coach of the Division 1 women’s volleyball program at Cégep André-Laurendeau. 

When he received the invitation to lead the LAB Entraîneur·e·and all the programs offered to coaches, André Gendron was immediately delighted to join the team.