A pair of North Vancouver coaches and one from Prince George were recently honoured with viaSport Coach of the Year Awards.
The annual awards recognize British Columbia coaches for their leadership, dedication, contributions to sport, coaching abilities and achievements. North Vancouver’s Chris Nakonechny earned the High Performance Coach Award while Timothy Sherstobitoff claimed the Competition Coach Award. Taryn Vansickle of Prince George earned the Community Coach Award.
“viaSport’s vision for inclusive sport experiences is at the core of these awards,” stated viaSport CEO Charlene Krepiakevich in a release. “We know that each level of sport is crucial in offering British Columbians opportunities to participate in sport at the community level, through competition or high-performance sport.”
These coaches are “all incredible role models,” Krepiakevich said, adding that their “dedication to sport elevates the capacity of the sport community across the province.”
Here are some details about each coach:
Chris Nakonechny
Nakonechny has been instrumental in creating a successful B.C. snowboarding program that continually moves athletes to the national team.
According to viaSport, he has completed the NCCP Advanced Coaching Diploma and, in 2019, obtained a Master’s Degree in high performance coaching and technical leadership from the University of British Columbia.
Under Nakonechny’s leadership, BC Snowboard has increased their monitoring of athletes and implemented a high level of planning to help athletes reach their potential. He was instrumental in supporting the development of Meryeta Odine before she went on to compete in the 2022 Beijing Olympics, winning a bronze medal.
Timothy Sherstobitoff
Sherstobitoff is the head coach and program director for the Devo Youth Cycling Club in the Lower Mainland. Under his stewardship, Devo Cycling Club has seen a significant increase in athletes, from 53 athletes in 2014 to 87 in 2021, according to viaSport.
Sherstobitoff has acted in a provincial coach role and has co-ordinated, planned and executed B.C. provincial team trips abroad. He has also coached at the Junior World Championships with Cycling Canada on two occasions.
Sherstobitoff has been involved in the development of 12 junior national champions, six athletes at Junior Worlds, and has produced 52 Junior National Championship medals across the disciplines of track, road, cross-country and cyclocross.
Taryn Vansickle
Vansickle has been working with the Prince George Blizzard Speed Skating Club for 27 years. She has worked with many young athletes, including some who have made skating a lifelong sport and others that achieved their dream of being a member of the national team.
Within her club she acts as the coach co-ordinator and implements the PG Blizzard Junior Coaching Program, a program focused on mentoring young coaches, according to viaSport. Vansickle has also acted as a B.C. provincial coach and a BC Games zone coach.
