Three Oaks Foundation has hosted its first Coaching Boys Into Men Coaches’ Clinic, bringing together local sports coaches to help equip them with tools to address healthy relationships, consent, respect and gender-based violence with young male athletes.
The two-hour clinic was held Tuesday in Belleville and trained 17 coaches representing 10 local sports organizations.
Coaching Boys Into Men, known as CBIM, is a violence prevention and leadership program designed for coaches working with male athletes between the ages of 12 and 18. The program focuses on the influence coaches can have in the lives of young athletes, using structured conversations throughout a sports season to encourage discussions about healthy relationships, consent, respect and bystander intervention.
Coaches are also encouraged to help athletes recognize harmful or disrespectful behaviour toward women and girls and to speak up among their peers.
Organizations represented at the first clinic included the Belleville Minor Hockey Association, Quinte Red Devils and Prince Edward County Kings.
Three Oaks says the local rollout comes as communities across Hastings and Prince Edward Counties continue to deal with high rates of gender-based violence. The organization says engaging men and boys is an important part of prevention, alongside its work supporting women and children impacted by domestic violence.
Three Oaks plans to continue offering Coaching Boys Into Men clinics throughout the region. Training will be available to coaches, sports organizations and schools interested in bringing the program to their teams.
