It's Time to Celebrate Canada's Coaches

    
    Campbell's(R) Chunky(R) partners with Coaching Association of Canada and
    TSN/RDS to find Canada's Most Valuable Coach
    

TORONTO , Sept. 16 /CNW/ - In a recent survey sponsored by the Campbell's(R) Chunky(R) brand Chunky Soup and the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC), 92 per cent of respondents agreed that coaches make a valuable contribution to their local community.* Unfortunately, within the same study, nearly 70 per cent of respondents felt that these same coaches don't receive enough recognition for their efforts.

Starting today, Chunky Soup, the CAC and TSN/RDS will recognize the contributions of the estimated 1.8 million Canadian coaches with the launch of Chunky MVC: Most Valuable Coach contest. This program encourages the millions of Canadians involved in community, amateur and competitive sports to visit www.chunkymvc.ca to nominate a coach who has made a real difference in their lives and the lives of others by reflecting and promoting the values of leadership, activeness and community. The winner of Chunky MVC will receive a prize package valued at $25,000 for his or her athletes and community.

"Chunky Soup is committed to supporting coaches and the role they play as the backbone of amateur sport in Canada . From teaching life skills like goal-setting or problem-solving to the importance of proper nutrition, coaches serve as true role models, knowing what their players need before, during and after the game," says David Allard , Senior Brand Manager, Campbell Company of Canada . "Now in its second year, the Chunky MVC: program will once again celebrate the positive contributions made by some of the best coaches in Canada ."

Even coaches who have risen to the 'big league' ranks agree that it all starts with the contribution made by unsung heroes coaching little league hockey, baseball and soccer teams.

"Every day, coaches across Canada dedicate their time and resources to ensuring their teams succeed both on and off the court, field or ice. It's important that as Canadians involved in sport, we celebrate our coaches," says Jay Triano , former CAC member and head coach of the Toronto Raptors. "Coaches impart invaluable life lessons by reflecting and promoting the values of leadership, activeness and community. And, whether you're the coach of a professional basketball team or your child's local little league team, coaches play an important role in the health and wellbeing of athletes."

For many coaches, helping athletes achieve peak performance also means helping them understand proper nutrition. Ironically, nearly 50 per cent of respondents from the Chunky-CAC survey believe that involvement in amateur sports comes at a cost of both preparing and eating healthy meals.

"Preparing quick, convenient yet nutritious meals is a challenge for busy families, especially active ones," says Kelly Anne Erdman , Registered Dietitian and member of the CAC Sport Nutrition Advisory Committee. "To achieve personal best performances, athletes of all ages need a balanced, healthy diet."

As the Official Nutrition Sponsor of the CAC, Chunky Soup believes that amateur sport and proper nutrition are vital to growing strong communities. When pressed for convenient food options before or after the game, Chunky soup and chili provide great-tasting options to help time-pressed active family eat a balanced, healthy diet with varieties that are low in fat, offer a full serving of vegetables and have no artificial colours or flavours.

About Chunky MVC: Most Valuable Coach

The Chunky MVC: Most Valuable Coach will win $25,000 in prizing for his or her athletes and community. The Campbell's(R) Chunky(R) brand and the Coaching Association of Canada invite Canadians to visit www.ChunkyMVC.ca and nominate their Most Valuable Coach starting September 14, 2009 to January 6, 2010 . In January 2010 , six finalists will be chosen from the nominees and the public will have an opportunity to vote starting February 8, 2010 to March 14, 2010 . The winner, based on popular vote, will be revealed on March 22, 2010 .

About Campbell Canada

Headquartered in Toronto , Ontario, Campbell Company of Canada was recently named one of the Best Workplaces in Canada by the Great Place to Work Institute. Campbell Canada is committed to providing extraordinary, authentic nourishment to all Canadians with simple, healthy foods and meal preparation that are lower in sodium with more vegetables and whole grains, and no artificial colours or flavours. Campbell Company of Canada is a subsidiary of Campbell Soup Company, based in Camden, New Jersey. Visit Campbell Canada's website www.campbellsoup.ca for more information on the company's health and wellness efforts and the products that carry the Heart and Stroke Foundation's Health Check(TM) symbol.

About the Coaching Association of Canada

The Coaching Association of Canada is a not-for-profit amateur sport organization with the mission of enhancing the experiences of all Canadian athletes through quality coaching. CAC and its partners deliver a leading-edge coaching system whose goal is to have an impact on 1,000,000 athletes through the training of 100,000 coaches each year in the National Coaching Certification Program. Visit www.coach.ca for more information about coach education and training.

    
    * This study was conducted for Campbell Canada by Harris/Decima via
        their national telephone omnibus survey among a representative sample
        of 1,022 Canadians. The survey was conducted August 6th to
        August 9th, 2009. The survey responses are considered accurate to
        within +/- 3.1 percentage points (19 times out of 20).
    

For further information: Elissa Zaks, Weber Shandwick, [phone], [email protected]