In 2022, Rowing Canada Aviron (RCA) launched the Made in Canada Coaches (MIC) program, an initiative designed to cultivate a robust pipeline of Canadian coaches dedicated to developing Olympic and Paralympic athletes. This program aims to nurture coaches who are both technically proficient and strong in building relationships, ensuring sustainable success for Canadian rowing on the world stage.

One of the candidates of the MIC program is Katie Bruggeling, the Head Coach for Men’s and Women’s Rowing at Brock University. With a rich coaching background that includes positions at the University of Oklahoma and Clemson University, Kingston Rowing Club and Queen’s University. Katie brings a wealth of experience and a strong track record of leading crews to numerous conference, provincial, and national medals. She is RCA Performance Coach certified and holds a Master’s in Education in Intercollegiate Athletics. Most recently, she coached Canadian crews for the FISU World University Rowing Championships and is currently coaching athletes for the upcoming Mega Worlds taking place in St. Catharines, ON this summer.

For the past nine months, Katie has been working closely with her mentor, Al Morrow, as part of the MIC program. Al shared his insights on their mentoring relationship:

“Katie’s openness to improvement and our shared planning mindset has made our mentorship in the RCA Made in Canada coaching program exceptionally effective,” shares Al.

“Katie is very introspective, and because of this, it is easy to have meaningful discussions as she always has a list of things she knows she needs to work on to be a better coach. From the start of our mentorship, we’ve met once a month for one hour via Zoom meetings by setting a recurring date, and time. This simple method holds us both accountable. The agenda for these meetings is set by Katie, and periodically I will add a few ideas. We often review her activities over the previous month regarding what went well and what she would change. All the time, I try hard to listen and then add a relevant idea that worked well for me.”

Al goes on to share that a structured mentoring program needs to be an integral part of coach development. “As a young coach, I just replicated what I had been taught by my coaches. At times, I would just ‘wing it.’ As our sport and the athletes in it changed and improved, this approach often did not work very well. Over time, I realized the importance of having structured advice from an active, experienced coach on a regular basis was very beneficial. My most successful years in coaching always happened when I had many people behind the scenes giving me advice. I also discovered that the rowers I coached really liked the fact that I was seeking out advice from senior coaches.”

Katie has found immense value in the mentorship and support provided through the MIC coaching program. She expressed her appreciation, saying:

“I’ve been fortunate to work with Al and Colleen Miller, Manager of Coach Education and Development at RCA, in the Made in Canada program. Al and I meet regularly to discuss various rowing and team topics, along with other mentoring activities such as observations and feedback. What makes this collaboration special is open conversations on my current challenges and areas for improvement and brainstorming ways to address them.

Katie shares how working with Al has enhanced her coaching journey. “Learning from Al’s extensive experience has been amazing, and I always leave our conversations with new ideas and a fresh perspective. It has been inspiring to learn from other coaches within the Made in Canada program and the national team staff and athletes who have openly shared their skills and experience to support my development.”

As the MIC program continues, RCA remains committed to developing coaches who are equipped to lead and inspire the next generation of Canadian rowers. The program’s focus on mentorship, professional development, and inclusive opportunities ensuring that coaches like Katie receive the support they need to excel and contribute to Canada’s success on the international stage.