Chantel Norman has finished her final days in Humboldt with a flourish by winning the Saskatchewan Club & Recreational Coach Award of Excellence 2015.
鈥淚 was very excited and honoured that my work was recognized and appreciated,鈥� said Norman, who now goes by McDougall since getting married. 鈥淚 was head coach (in Humboldt), ran the programs on the ice, and organized them all.鈥�
After 15 years of skating and coaching not just in Humboldt, but in Saskatoon as well, Norman felt it was finally time to slow down. She got married last fall and is now looking to start a family, so living in Saskatoon while working in Humboldt would be difficult. Moreover, her commitments with Skate Saskatoon are growing. So this award was a great farewell to a much-loved coach.
鈥淐ongratulations to Chantel for 15 years of awesome work and dedication,鈥� said Troy Lucyshyn, president of Skate Humboldt. 鈥淩eplacing her will be very difficult.鈥�
According to Lucyshyn, the award is given to coaches that have a proven track record for teaching the Learn to Skate program and the Star Skate program, which Norman evidently has.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about personal success, achievement, participation, spirit, and passion,鈥� said Lucyshyn. 鈥淐hantel has demonstrated that she鈥檚 achieved all that.鈥�
Ironically, Norman never thought she鈥檇 actually end up with a skating career back when she was just 15 and started coaching. She was only a figure skater when the skating club in Humboldt seemed to be on its last legs. It was about to fold, in fact, if nobody could step and take charge of it. So that鈥檚 what Norman decided to do.
鈥淎t that point, they were going to fold it. I think we had like six skaters; it was so low. We had to rebuild it and there was only four or five of us on the committee then,鈥� she said. 鈥淗aving the opportunity to start something like that was one of the things that made me fall in love with the sport because (the committee members) became like family.鈥�
After becoming a coach, Norman graduated high school and then commuted for post-secondary education in Saskatoon for hair styling. She eventually moved to the city and coached there while also coaching in Humboldt (and some surrounding communities) and doing hair styling on the side. She stopped training as a skater when she was 18 and last June she gave up hair styling to pursue coaching full time.
鈥淚 was amazed at how I could fall in love with each kid individually,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 go on the journey with them 鈥� it鈥檚 hard to look back at what you鈥檝e done because it鈥檚 always been for the kids and everything I鈥檝e done has been to build more opportunity for them.鈥�
Despite everything she鈥檚 accomplished, rebuilding the club, splitting her time coaching so many kids, etc., Norman said she still feels like she sometimes has to prove herself. The figure skating coaching community in Saskatchewan isn鈥檛 very big. There are probably only about 50 coaches in total and many of them are in their late 50s and 60s. There鈥檚 a generation gap between the older coaches, the younger ones like Norman, and the newer ones who are in their mid- to late teens.
鈥�(The most challenging thing) is having to prove myself only because I look young and I sound young. A lot of people discredit my ability as a coach, so I always feel I having to prove that is a struggle,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檒l probably continue to feel that way because everyone is much older.鈥�
Despite that feeling, this award should prove that Norman has distinguished herself as an accomplished coach to her peers.
鈥淭he award makes me feel like I鈥檓 on the right track and I鈥檓 meant to be a coach,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 feel like I鈥檓 where I鈥檓 supposed to be.鈥�
Norman said it鈥檚 going to be extremely difficult saying goodbye to everyone she鈥檚 worked with in Humboldt over the last 15 years. A few of them were there with her right from the start. So for her, it鈥檚 a bittersweet goodbye.
鈥淚 grew up with this group of women and it grew into a board where you became family,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e built our culture from there. The opportunities of learning to build a community like that is rare. I鈥檝e learned so much and the people I鈥檝e worked with on the board have really made me who I am today and made me successful. They鈥檙e definitely part of my success.鈥�
