Zoe Miles is the head coach of the Sackville Waves Aquatic Team and a volunteer coach with the Dalhousie University Varsity Swim Team. She has a psychology degree from the University of Calgary, is a NCCP Senior Coach (Level 3) Certified, and is president of the Nova Scotia Swim Coaches Association. Swimming Canada selected her for its Women in Leadership Program. As a swimmer she competed at the 2008 Olympic Trials and at three world championship Trials and was a national qualifier from 2003 to 2012. 

Name: Zoe Miles, Sackville, Nova Scotia

““The importance of WCIP is to help solidify my pathway towards becoming a performance coach.”

Sport: Swimming

Mentor Coach: Tina Hoeben

WCIP Responsibilities: Zoe is responsible for meeting with her mentor in order to learn from her and to attend the online learning seminars with the WCIP group. She will choose an educational/professional development opportunity in order to gain national and international experience.

Current Occupation: Head Coach, Sackville Waves

Athletic Background: Zoe was a competitive swimmer for 13 years. She swam for Team Nova Scotia from the age of 11 to 18 and then with the University of Calgary Dinos for three years. She was a multiple finalist and medallist at national junior and senior championships and Eastern Canadian championships. Zoe helped the Dinos’ women’s varsity team to Canadian Interuniversity Sport Championships in 2010 and 2011.  

Why Coaching? Coaching appeals to Zoe because it enables her to give back to the sport she loves. The favourite part of her day is when she is on deck with her swimmers, helping them to work towards their goals. “I believe it is important to develop successful athletes who are also successful people and so I strive to teach values and behaviours that will bring success to my swimmers whatever they do.” Each and every day, Zoe comes to the pool ready to celebrate her team’s wins, large and small. She makes sure that her “best self” is on the pool deck, because that is what she asks of her swimmers.

Education: Zoe earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Calgary in 2014.

Coach Education: Zoe is an NCCP Senior Coach (Level 3) Certified. She has completed several Own the Podium Education Workshops and many multi-sport National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) courses. She recently completed Safe Sport Education, including Commit to Kids and Respect in Sport. In 2019, she completed an Own the Podium/Swimming Canada program, with 12 women coaches from across the country who were selected “to help meet Swimming Canada’s objective of creating a balanced and empowered leadership team.” They continue to exchange ideas regularly. She is in the process of becoming a learning facilitator for NCCP courses that are required for coaches to become Level 1 Certified in Swimming.

Importance of the WCIP: Zoe expects WCIP to help to solidify her pathway towards becoming a performance coach. ”I want to learn from the best so I can share my new knowledge with my swimmers and my province. I also want to learn from mentors and role models not only in my sport but in other sports so I can eventually move into a mentor role to younger coaches. Every opportunity to interact with more experienced coaches who have coached at higher levels allows me to observe what they do over and above traditional coaching to create successful teams, athletes, and programs.”

She believes that building a strong, cross-country network of women coaches is vital if Canada’s performance coaching demographic is to become closer to a 50-50 male/female ratio.

“I am excited to the part of WCIP because it allows me to share my ideas and learn from others. Most of all, I am excited by the opportunity to select a tailor-made professional development opportunity, which will allow me to gain valuable international experience. That, in turn, will ensure I am providing my swimmers with the best tools as they strive to achieve their goals.” 

After the WCIP: “I will complete WCIP with a cohort of five coaches from whom I can continue to learn. I will continue to expand my areas of interest and use my new-found knowledge to become a better coach. I hope that what I learn from WCIP will help me to achieve my goal of becoming a national team coach.”