The first ever National Coaches Week is September 19-27. An initiative of the Coaches Association of Canada and the Provincial and Territorial coaching organizations, this week celebrates the tremendous positive impact coaches have on athletes and communities across Canada. This week is an opportunity to recognize coaches for the integral role they play by simply saying #ThanksCoach.
The BC Games and Team BC are part of BC’s athlete development pathway, but also provide an important opportunity for coaching development. Organizations like Volleyball BC have seen the progression and success of their coaches through these programs.
In honour of National Coaches Week, the BC Games and Team BC are profiling five of our outstanding coaches and saying #ThanksCoach with a gift card and Team BC recognition item.
Kyra Iannone, Surrey
Beach Volleyball
1. Why did you choose to get into coaching?
I started coaching around the age of 13 when my little brothers started playing sport. I have four brothers and they are all athletic.
2. What is your coaching certification level?
Level 3
3. What is your favorite thing about coaching?
Creating a family of athletes, my athletes are so important to me. I also love competing and planning game plans.
4. Do you have a particular coaching style?
If you ask my athletes they would say I am prepared. I am a practice coach, as I coach beach volleyball at a high level you can’t coach within the game (like tennis) so I have to prepare my athletes well before matches, and create athletes that can think for themselves and are students of the game.
5. Which multi-sport Games have you attended?
2006 and 2008 BC Summer Games
2011 and 2015 Western Canada Summer Games
2009 and 2013 Canada Summer Games
6. How is coaching at a multi-sport Games different from a single sport event?
It is more exciting because it is such a team event, you are part of something bigger. The other aspect of a multi-sport Games are the mission staff, they are amazing. You feel so very taken care of and part of a big amazing support system for the athletes.
7. What was your favorite memory from coaching at the Canada Games?
Winning gold at the 2013 Canada Summer Games with Ben Chow and Dan Caverly. It was something that was so very special. We took two defenders and put them out of their comfort zone. There was so much trust between the three of us. They trusted me to make all of these tactical, strategic and technical changes that they really weren't comfortable with and I trusted them as committed athletes to achieve our goals. Yes, that gold was incredible!
8. Do you have a coach mentor and what have you learned from him/her?
For indoor volleyball, I am so blessed to have some very supportive CIS coaches who are just incredible at their craft, Ben Josepheson at TWU, and Greg Poitras and Steve Manuel at UBCO. On the beach side I haven’t been blessed with mentors, I have traveled the world with some amazing athletes and learned from experience and all the countries in the world that do things so differently.
9. What has been your best success in coaching?
I have had teams represent Canada on the beach for years and going to Worlds is always amazing. I have had teams come in the top four and have been able to represent Canada twice in Halifax which was really amazing. But sometimes, the best moments are small like winning provincials at high school with my Semiahmoo Senior Boys team, with some of my ex athletes helping me as assistant coaches or making Team Canada for the first time with my brother Riley. I have been so very blessed in my coaching career.
If you ask my athletes my greatest success would be creating the Sideout Beach Volleyball Club for high performance beach athletes in Canada. The Sideout Beach family is an amazing group of athletes.
10. What are your next goals as a coach?
For beach volleyball; I would like to Medal at Worlds
I would also like to win Provincials and Nationals with my indoor team at Douglas College.
ViaSport is the lead for National Coaches Week in British Columbia. Read more about how you can recognize coaches and all the activities taking place around B.C.