Today myFM is celebrating local coaches and the impact they’ve had on the St. Thomas-Elgin Community with our Hooray for Coaches Day feature, presented by Kenny Insurance Brokers.
As a former teacher and principal, Jim Waite knows a thing or two about motivation.
He has served as the head coach for golf at Western University since 1991 and under his leadership the Mustangs have won four OUA championships and he was named OUA Coach of the Year in 2012.
However, Waite is far from a one-sport wonder.
He also served as the National and Olympic Curling Coach for Canada, helping to earn two gold medals and two silver medals for Canada.
In 1993, the St. Thomas native was appointed team leader of Canada’s men’s curling squad.
A memorable moment for Waite was the Vancouver Olympics in 2010 where Team Canada won a gold medal with skip Kevin Martin.
He points out, “After what you have been through at the Olympics, possibly the highest pressure system in the world, you are pretty close when you come through one of those.”
Watching his students or team members celebrate success is a source of enjoyment for Waite.
When it comes to instilling confidence, Waite stresses it comes down to feeling good about your abilities.
Having enjoyed four decades of success on two sporting fronts, Waite has this to offer those who would like to become a part of the coaching fraternity.
Waite credits his time spent as a principal with the Thames Valley District School Board as being a valuable resource in his coaching career.
“As a principal, it’s the same concept. You are trying to lead a team . . . and you are trying to develop the camaraderie of a team. I wasn’t way above everyone else when I was a principal, I was part of the whole program. And that’s what we try to do, get people involved and get them feeling they are all part of it.”
You can hear a longer interview with Jim Waite below.
