TORONTO – It’s down to the final quarter, Carey Ashton from Montreal, Québec, is close to winning Canada’s Most Valuable Coach if he can drum up enough public support to take the title. Chosen from 878 coaches nominated from across Canada, Carey is one of six finalist coaches from the ranks of amateur, competitive and community sport to be nominated for Chunky MVC: Most Valuable Coach.
A 13-year veteran baseball coach, Carey is currently the bench coach for the McGill Redbirds. As a bench coach for the Redbirds, Carey helped the team win its first CIBA National Championship in 2006. A huge contributor to the community, Carey has been nominated for Coach of the Year many times and in 2007 was named Community Unsung Hero of the Year by a local Montreal radio station and his team. Despite being diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at a young age, Carey has coached and proven to his young athletes and the community at large that you can do anything that you set your mind towards.
"One of the many reasons I enjoy coaching is that allows me to look beyond my disability,” says Carey Ashton. “I want people to see me as I see myself on the field - as a baseball coach, not as a coach in a wheelchair. Being nominated as a finalist for the Chunky Most Valuable Coach is such a huge honour for me and my staff. I hope it also inspires other people with disabilities to get involved in the community and follow their dreams, whatever they may be.”
Now in its second year. the Chunky MVC: Most Valuable Coach contest recognizes the contributions of the estimated 1.8 million Canadian coaches from across the nation. From September 14th, 2009 to January 6th, 2010, millions of Canadians involved in sports were encouraged to nominate a coach who has made a real difference in their lives and the lives of others by reflecting and promoting the values of leadership, physical activity and community. Canadians are encouraged to visit www.chunkymvc.ca and cast their vote by March 14th for their favourite coach. The winner of Chunky MVC will receive a prize package valued at $25,000 to put towards his or her athletes and community.
“As the Official Nutrition Sponsor of the CAC, Chunky soup believes that amateur sport and proper nutrition are vital to growing strong communities,” says David Allard, Senior Brand Manager, Campbell Company of Canada. “Chunky soup is committed to supporting coaches like Carey and the role they play as the backbone of amateur sport in Canada. From teaching life skills like goal-setting to the importance of proper nutrition, coaches serve as true role models, knowing what their players need before, during and after the game. The Chunky MVC program celebrates the positive contributions made by some of the best coaches in Canada.”
Carey Ashton is one of the six finalists vying for the title of Chunky MVC. The five other finalists are:
Courtesy the Coaching Association of Canada
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