Sean Francois has been involved in team sports his entire life. An active child, team sports allowed him to use his energy in a way that brought him joy.
Sean found basketball in junior high, after moving to another school, he made friends who were all passionate about the sport. From there, Sean found his own passion for the sport and was supported as an athlete by a series of great coaches.
Sean became a coach himself when his children were at the age to play team sports. His passion shifted from being a player to coaching the next generation of basketball players.
“The one thing that’s made me enjoy coaching is seeing the joy that other people have from playing the sport, and knowing that you’ve had a part in that,” said Sean. “As a coach, you want to make sure they continue to play and find that love of the sport.”
As a coach, Sean has seen firsthand how funding for sport can be a game changer for getting players involved.
“Not only is it huge to ensure that sport can be played across all different levels, but it is also huge for the participation and access for those who may not be able to play otherwise,” he said. “Funding applies to every aspect of the sport… It really makes a difference in being able to provide sport to as many people as possible.”
The Support4Sport VIP coaching program has allowed Sean to continue to develop his coaching skills.
“Coach education is massive because it ensures that you’re staying up with best practices; the best ways to get the most out of your athletes, the best way to connect with your athletes,” he said. “But also, ensuring that you’re putting your athletes in the best environment, not only from a physical perspective with regards to the physical environment, but also making sure that they’re supported mentally and that they have those social supports as well.”
Through the Support4Sport VIP program, Sean has been able to improve as a coach through the community of coaches around him that have been mentors.
“Coach mentorship is huge because nobody gets there by themselves. It doesn’t matter how good you are at something, there’s always something else you can learn,” he said. “My experience with Support4Sport has been fantastic.”
