Rankin Inlet (Feb 09/05) - A group of experts are meeting this week in Rankin Inlet to develop a recognized coaching program for traditional sports.

Sport Nunavut's Kyle Seeley of Baker Lake says the intent is for an introductory level coach's program to be developed that will eventually be recognized by the National Coach's Certification program.

The format would cover the disciplines of Arctic sports and Inuit and Dene games.

"At the end of the day, the intent is to establish competencies a person needs to have in order to be a competent Arctic sports coach," says Seeley.

"The final format will cover such topics as skill analysis and development, effective communication and planning a safe practice, just to name a few." Seeley says the group is working on building a resource that will be available to anybody in Nunavut.

The endeavour is part of the pan-territorial strategy, involving all three territories and northern Alberta.

Seeley says the resource will function much the same way as hockey coach or official training programs do.

He says, ultimately, it will reach the point where a person will need the accreditation before coaching at the Arctic Winter Games level.

"We have the expertise to develop this program right here in Nunavut.

"These are the world leaders on coaching and officiating Inuit games and many Arctic sports."

The meetings go from Feb. 9-11 and will include representatives from the Baffin and Kivalliq regions (Kitikmeot reps took part in an earlier session), the NWT's Rob Meckling (chair of the provincial-territorial coaching co-ordinator's committee) and Mike Heine, who developed the current Arctic sports manuals as well as the partner manuals of Dene games, Inuit wrestling and dog mushing.

Northern Alberta representatives will also be present.

"Much of the information is already contained in those manuals, which are still heavily in demand.

"This exercise is about identifying what information in those manuals needs to be isolated so it can be delivered by a coach.

"After the planning stages are complete, the next step will be to get the territorial sporting organization and a functional board operational so that we have someone to deliver the program that results from the meetings.

"This is a unique process in that there's never been a structured program in place for coaches prior to this."