London, ON – The Western Mustangs received two coaches for 2020-21 from the inaugural year of the U SPORTS Female Apprenticeship Coach Program. Paulina Bond, Assistant Coach for Western Varsity Swimming was one of those two individuals. The other was Becky LeBlanc, see article posted on Tuesday, January 19, 2021.
 
In our interview with Bond, she expressed her excitement and appreciation for the new opportunity this year, as an avenue for her to venture into coaching,
 
"A year after my undergrad and retirement from swimming, I reached out to [my coach], Paul [Midgley, Western Mustangs Swimming Head Coach] to get involved. I missed the sport and missed the team at Western. I wanted to help because I know it takes a lot of work to keep this kind of program up and running. I didn't really have any intentions beyond just helping the team. However, the more I got involved in that first year, the more I loved it. I asked Paul if he thought it would be worth getting my certification for coaching and he said yes. The more we worked together the more I considered coaching as a career, and a couple years later here we are working on the apprenticeship. This USPORTS program was the natural next step to making a coaching career possible. We both thought it would be a great opportunity to get support as a Female coach entering a field where the coaches are predominantly male. "
 
Paulina cites her former experience as a varsity athlete, she specialized in swim sprinting - specifically the 50 Fly, 50 Free, 100 Fly and 100 Free, as a pathway for her to connect with new athletes.
 
"I think being a former student athlete helps me connect with the current student athletes. I understand the commitment it takes and can empathize with them. I share tips and tricks I used during my career and talk about my journey through the program. I ask them lots of questions and approach them with honesty because I appreciated that type of communication when I was an athlete. "
 
Paulina's former coach, Paul Midgley, current Western Mustangs Swimming Head Coach, says Bond's confidence and calm attitude make her an excellent candidate for this new role.
 
"Her knowledge and confidence in her command of the technical aspects of our sport [enables her] to stay cool under pressure and helps to provide needed support to me when things go sideways. If you are a coach, you know that happens a lot in our business."
 
She has been an asset to the team in a very different training year. The pandemic has introduced unforeseen challenges, and having the apprentice coach has really helped the swim team with some of their planning. Midgely also sees Paulina's new role as a step forward for diversity in coaching as a historically male dominated field.
 
"Coaching is still very much a male dominated profession. One area I hope to be able to help her with, is creating a network of coaching and sport support contacts (PSO, NSO, etc.) for her. Looking forward to when we are back on deck for competitions, and introducing to the contacts I have made in over 40 years of coaching."
 
Paulina has high hopes for her role in the apprenticeship and where she wants to take it afterwards.
 
"I consider this apprenticeship role to be an important step towards a coaching career. Programs like the U SPORTS apprenticeship that provide professional development opportunities, guidance, and financial support, are incredibly valuable to my coaching development. I hope to use this as part of my coaching foundation as I gain more experience and learn what it takes to become a head coach."
 
Paulina will continue her coaching apprenticeship with the Western Mustangs until April 30, 2020. For more information about the U SPORTS Female Apprenticeship Program visit: U SPORTS Female Apprentice Coach Program returns for a second year — U SPORTS