CSC WCIP Goals

• Provide women intern coaches with ongoing mentorship from a qualified mentor coach, with a national or international coaching development opportunity, and enhanced professional development and learning opportunities
• Connect all participating women intern and mentor coaches in an ongoing supportive network
• Increase the number of high performance women coaches in Commonwealth sport in Canada

Intern Coach: Erin MacGregor  

“Having a mentor like Jill Perry in invaluable as Jill mirrors what my coaching career could become.”

Sport: Boxing

Occupation: Erin is a Senior Laboratory Technologist in the Transfusion Medicine Department of Nova Scotia Health in Truro, N.S.

Mentor Coach: Jill Perry

Athletic Background: An accomplished boxer, Erin was the 52kg gold medallist at the 2010 national championships. A year earlier, she was the silver medallist in that category.

Erin, whose hometown is New Glasgow, N.S., spent five years in Fredericton attending the University of New Brunswick, and is now living in MacLellans Brook, N.S. After participating in many team sports, at the age of 14 she decided to try an individual sport and chose boxing as a club was nearby. Her passion for boxing developed quickly because it made her feel empowered and confident. The positive influence of her coaches kindled her interest in coaching while still an athlete. She wanted to pass on her knowledge and skills to others, especially girls. She credits her mentors – Jim Worthen from the Albion Amateur Boxing Club in Trenton, N.S., Brad Ross, Boxing Nova Scotia’s provincial coach, and CSC WCIP mentor Jill Perry – with supporting her ambition.

Education: In 2016 Erin graduated from the University of New Brunswick with a Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science degree.

Coach Education: Erin is National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) certified in Boxing Instruction-Beginners and is working on Competition-Introduction. She has completed Level Two Boxing courses and is now taking Level Three. She has also completed numerous other NCCP courses.

Why a Coaching Career? Erin spends at least three nights a week at the Albion Amateur Boxing Club as a volunteer coach and coaches at competitions on weekends. Although she coaches all ages, she is driven by making a difference in the lives of youth, determined to give back the knowledge, skills, and experiences boxing has given her. She wants to provide her boxers with a safe space to spend their time. Boxing has formed the individual she is today; she values the positive aspects of sport and what it can do for participants and enjoys contributing to improving young lives. “I am privileged to be able to coach the sport I love and that has given me so much.”

Coaching Experience: Erin has been coaching as a volunteer for more than seven years at the club and provincial levels. Having demonstrated leadership and creativity, she is being groomed by Boxing Nova Scotia to coach and lead their teams at national championships and the 2023 Canada Winter Games. Erin, who has been chosen as a Canadian representative for the 2020 USA Boxing Global Coaching Initiative, has assisted at numerous provincial training camps and is also a Level 2 official.

Erin is an executive member, fundraising chair, and assistant coach of the Albion Amateur Boxing Club; vice-president-administration of Boxing Nova Scotia; and the association’s assistant coach for the 2023 Canada Winter Games.

Importance of the CSC WCIP: From Erin’s perspective, the CSC WCIP is important in providing opportunities to form connections and break down the barriers faced by women in coaching. As a CSC WCIP coach, she will be exposed to the high-performance environment at Boxing Canada’s national training institute in Montreal. She considers the CSC WCIP to be an “amazing leadership opportunity” and is excited to be part of a strong network of coaches. “Having a mentor like Jill Perry in invaluable as Jill mirrors what my coaching career could become.”

After the CSC WCIP: “My goal is to become more deeply involved in sport within Canada. I hope that networking through the CSC WCIP will increase my opportunities to coach. I look forward to building on the strong connections within the CSC WCIP as the interns and mentors continue to support and empower each other after the internship is completed.”