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For more information or to sign up for the Coaching Boys Into Men program, we encourage you to contact our Outreach Supervisor.
Contact:
Phone Number: 613-732-7776
Email: wssshs@wsssbmh.org
This violence prevention program that trains coaches and teachers to support teen males is now available to schools and sports teams throughout Renfrew County.
Beginning this fall, shelters across Ontario, including Renfrew County’s Bernadette McCann House, will be providing training for coaches, high school teachers and those in athletic and recreational spaces to deliver the globally recognized Coaching Boys Into Men (CBIM) program.
The CBIM model educates coaches and teachers to lead meaningful and transformational conversations that will challenge rigid gender norms, redefine healthy masculinity and equip youth with the tools they need to dismantle the harmful platforms that perpetuate gender-based violence and increase the knowledge of what constitutes abusive behaviour.
The CBIM program equips coaches to teach their teen male athletes ages 12 to 18 about healthy relationships, respect and the interconnections between mental health and safer communities. CBIM increases attitudes that promote greater gender equality and greater intention to safely intervene when witnessing disrespectful behaviour. By leveraging the power of sports, coaches and community, CBIM teaches young male athletes that violence never equals strength.
This evidence-based violence prevention program, developed by Futures Without Violence, leverages the influential relationship between coaches and team members. It delivers a program that challenges youth dating violence and gender-based violence, and focuses on healthy relationships, consent, mental health and building cultures free from violence.
Coaching Boys Into Men uses the influence of sports and coaches to teach young men to challenge harmful behaviours like relationship abuse and sexual assault. The program is building in momentum across the province; partnerships have now been formalized with all three Canadian Football League teams in Ontario — the Ottawa Redblacks, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Toronto Argonauts.
“Last year, this program was funded by the Ministry of Education, so it was school-focused, but now the funding comes from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services and will be distributed through shelters, so it can be expanded to sports teams,” explained Leigh Sweeney, executive director of Bernadette McCann House, a shelter whose mission is to create change and end abuse for children and youth across Renfrew County.
“Bernadette McCann House, I would say, is very progressive when it comes to working with men,” continued Sweeney. “We’ve been running the Caring Dads program successfully and we’ve been in the schools working with young men as well as young women. We understand the need and the urgency to educate young people about healthy relationships and respect. And we really believe in this program as a great way to do that. We’re excited about working with coaches and teachers to prepare them to deliver Coaching Boys Into Men in our community. And there is a similar program we hope to implement for girls at a later date.”
Interested schools and sports teams can contact Bernadette McCann House to access the program. Teams receive a nominal cash incentive for participating in a one-day training, delivered by certified CBIM trainers, that prepares coaches to provide the 12- week program to their athletes.
Coaches will then engage in interactive conversation with male team members for approximately 15 minutes per week about such topics as dating, healthy relationships, respect, mental health issues and violence prevention.
“In the coming weeks, we’ll be approaching schools and teams throughout Renfrew County, but we’d also love for coaches to reach out to us to inquire about becoming part of this program,” said Sweeney.
The training will take place this fall so coaches and teachers can start the program as soon as possible.