Mustangs Athletics: Preserving and Advancing Our Tradition of Excellence

Recruiting and Retaining Top Talent Through Endowed and Term-Funded Coaching Positions

Winter 2016

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Mustangs Athletics A Century of Sport, A Tradition of Excellence

An Extraordinary Part of the Western Experience “The experience I gained as a student-athlete was more than a physical thing. I developed a competitive spirit that didn’t go away. That spirit is the drive that pushes you to get more out of life, to achieve more, as well as help other people.”

- Mustangs alumnus (football and wrestling) and Western Chancellor Jack Cowin, BA’64, LLD’00

Support for the Next Generation of Mustangs

For over a century, the Western Mustangs have enjoyed a tradition of excellence that rivals that of any other school across Canada. Our storied history contains hard-fought provincial and national championships, five Rhodes Scholars and an alumni base who serve as tremendous ambassadors for Western.

We are extremely proud of our heritage, and are steadfast in our commitment to ensure the Mustangs name remains synonymous with superior athletic programs and the highest level of achievement.

At Western, we recognize that developing tomorrow’s successful global leaders involves more than outstanding academics—it requires attention to wellness of mind, body and spirit. In fact, a key to our success in providing Canada’s best student learning experience has been our recognition of the needs of the whole student.

Western’s varsity teams play a significant role in creating that experience, and our student-athletes represent the type of student we wish to attract and develop. These individuals are engaged in high performance activity in and out of the classroom, with their athletic pursuits encouraging focus, dedication, leadership, team work, strong ethics and sense of responsibility to others.

In this next century of Mustangs Athletics, our mission is to recruit the best and brightest student-athletes and give them the opportunity to work with the best coaches in a world-class varsity program. Through Be Extraordinary, our most ambitious fundraising campaign to date, Western is committed to raising $25 million in support of our athletic programs.

With the help of our alumni and friends, Western will create a sustainable funding model that will allow us to recruit and retain top-tier coaches to lead our teams to victory and carry the Mustangs tradition of excellence forward for generations to come. We think that’s extraordinary.

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Our VisionA Sustainable Funding Model for Coaches

Advancing Our Legacy

Coaches: Our Key to Success Coaches ensure the quality and effectiveness of any sports program, and serve as extraordinary teachers and mentors who positively influence the development of our student-athletes.

Our Mustangs alumni share a deep appreciation for the leadership and life skills that being involved in athletics afforded them, and the pivotal role that their coaches played in their personal growth and development.

The Changing Landscape of University SportOver the past few decades, universities have seen their Physical Education curricula expand to include applied science. Western is no exception, and today boasts one of Canada’s most robust Kinesiology programs. We are proud of our growth and achievements.

Under the original model, coaches’ salaries were faculty-funded, with Western holding an enviable number of full-time faculty-based coaches in the 1970s.

However, times have changed and in response, schools across Canada are adapting to what is abundantly clear: the faculty-funding model for coaches is no longer an option.

Responding to the ChallengeMost of our coaches volunteer significant amounts of their time. We are extremely fortunate to have such passionate and dedicated volunteers. However, they cannot provide on a volunteer basis what is provided by full-time, privately funded coaches at our peer institutions.

The time has come to create a sustainable funding model for coaching at Western. Yet, as a public university, Western’s resources to support coaches are constrained. And, despite the misconception fueled by the nature of college sport in the U.S., university sport in Canada does not generate millions of dollars at the gate or through broadcast rights.

Our athletic goals for our Be Extraordinary campaign are ambitious, but quite simple—scholarship support for student athletes, and, as outlined in the following brief, sustained support for our coaches.

We invite you to join our team to help create a stable financial resource that will allow Western to recruit and retain inspiring, enthusiastic and passionate coaches.

How Are We Funded?Currently 50 per cent of our $6M athletics budget* is funded through student activity fees. (Approximately $90.00 per student)

Student

Activity Fees

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et S

ales

&

Spon

sors

hip

University Support

Team Fundraising

*Based on 2015-16 figures

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Our Game PlanEndowed & Term-Funded Coaching Positions

Extraordinary Leadership

Leader, Mentor, Counsellor, CoachCoaches are the primary figures in a student-athlete’s experience, with influence that extends well beyond the arena of competition. Our athletic alumni fondly recall the role their coach played in their Western Experience ... and their lives.

Coaching is a complex task that requires an elite level of knowledge of the strategies and behaviours that drive peak performance. Top-tier coaches possess a comprehensive understanding and love of their sport, which empowers them to motivate student-athletes and develop intensive training programs.

The quality and size of a coaching staff is also key to recruitment, which has become fiercely competitive across Canada. Not only does the activity of recruitment itself demand a lot of time and resources, but potential athletes and their families are seeking assurance that a full-time coach will be in place to guide and develop their full potential.

Recruiting and Retaining Top TalentIn an aggressive contest to attract and retain coaches who can develop individual athletes and programs to their fullest potential, full-time coaches are quickly becoming the norm across the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) program.

And Western does not want to be left on the sidelines.

Our coaches’ salaries are significantly less than the national average.To gain and maintain a competitive edge, we must ensure there is sustainable funding in place if we are to be successful in attracting and keeping top coaches.

Endowed or term-funded head or assistant coaching positions will help us recruit leaders who will build strong, competitive teams that will challenge for provincial and national championships. In turn, this success will contribute to our legacy and fuel Western’s efforts to attract top student-athletes.

Western is committed to recruiting passionate, knowledgeable and ethical coaches to ensure our student-athletes and varsity teams realize their full potential. We are reaching out to our alumni worldwide to create a funding model that will allow us to attract and support the best possible coaches.

Former Team Canada rugby player and Head

Coach of Women’s Rugby, Natascha Wesch

One of the Mustangs’ all-time great running backs; Hec Crighton

Award winner and Head Coach of Football, Greg Marshall

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Our Request Invest in Our Coaches

Support For Future Mustangs

Endowed and Term-Funded Coaching PositionsIn much the same way that an endowed chair supports a university professor and/or program, endowed coaching positions, or “coachships” within the department of athletics will help us to attract and retain high calibre coaches to lead our student-athletes and enhance the quality of our programs.

Funds will be used to provide salary support for our head coaches or to facilitate the hiring of assistant coaches—both of which will allow for an enhanced experience for our student-athletes and increase our ability to capture provincial and national titles.

We have set an ambitious $12.5M goal to create endowed and term-funded coaching positions. To reach this target, it will take a generous team of donors. We invite you to consider a gift in support of our vision to create a sustainable funding model for Mustangs Athletics.

While endowed gifts ensure our coaching positions will be funded in perpetuity, donors may choose to initially fund these positions for a five-year term through an expendable gift.

Team Expendable EndowedFootball $600,000

($120,000/yr. x 5 yrs.)$3M

M/W BasketballM/W HockeyRowingM/W Rugby M/W SoccerSwimmingTrack & FieldM/W VolleyballWrestling

$500,000 ($100,000/yr. x 5 yrs.)

$2.5M

“Coaches play an enormous role in developing student-athletes into leaders, both in and out of the classroom. By helping us fund top-tier coaching at Western, our alumni will help our student-athletes receive the support they need to train at an elite level and bring their personal best to their sport, their future careers and their communities.”- Thérèse Quigley,

Western’s Director of Sports and Recreation Services

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e H

ense

n, L

ondo

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ee P

ress

Men’s hockey coach, Clarke Singer

Terra AhrensDirector of Development, Sports & RecreationThames Hall Room 3170e. tahrens@uwo.cat. 519.661.2111 ext. 81159

ImpactYour Gift Matters

Benefits and Outcomes

Extraordinary Opportunity at a Critical TimeOur ability to compete at a high level and capture OUA and CIS championships takes dedication, practice, teamwork and ongoing financial investment. Endowed and term-funded coaching positions are a critical component in building consistently competitive teams. Your support of these positions will help:

• Western become more competitive in its ability to recruit and retain outstanding coaches and student-athletes; • Earmark funds for training and recruitment activities that will further strengthen our programs; • Ensure our coaches can fully focus on program development, rather than fundraising; • Create a sustainable resource from which to build a winning program.

Support for coachships represents a significant show of faith in our coaches, programs and our student-athletes. Through your gift, you will join other leading alumni in inspiring others to support our coaches and student-athletes.

Recognition

Naming OpportunitiesIn recognition of philanthropic leadership and financial commitment surrounding an endowment and term-funded gifts, Western will be pleased to name the position as acknowledgement of this generous investment.

Gift AnnouncementMedia releases are issued for donations of $1 million or more.

Recognition in the 1878 SocietiesIndividuals who have cumulatively given $25,000 to Western are recognized in Western’s 1878 Societies, which honours the University’s most significant donors through invitations to 1878 events, recognition on the donor wall in Alumni Hall, and naming in our Annual Report.

Regular Reporting and Engagement OpportunitiesDonors will receive regular stewardship reports detailing the impact of their investment, and invitations to meet with the coaches and to attend special team events.

Your gift in support of an endowed or term-funded coaching position will strengthen the program for years to come and ensure that future generations of student-athletes will continue to benefit from the outstanding coaching and leadership that has been part of the Western Mustangs tradition for over a century. Thank you for your consideration.

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Appendix OneCoaching Stats Across the OUA and CIS*

Sizing Up The Competition

Full-Time Coaching Positions (Includes Head & Assistant Coaches)

Carleton 7

Laval 7

York 4.5

Guelph 4

McMaster 4

Waterloo 4

Queen’s 4

Laurier 3.5

Ottawa 3.5

Waterloo 3.5

Western 3

Toronto 3

Windsor 2.5

Full-Time Coaching Positions (Includes Head & Assistant Coaches)

Alberta 3

Lakehead 2

New Brunswick 2

McGill 2

Saint Marys 2

Ryerson 2

Toronto 2

Acadia 1.5

Calgary 1.5

Carleton 1.5

Queen’s 1.5

Western .5

Football Men’s Hockey

The Mustangs Hockey current coaching model is based on a .5 full-time equivalent position (50% coaching and 50% faculty of Kinesiology instructor). However, across the landscape of the CIS, 90% of the teams have full-time coaches plus various models which include part-time and full-time assistants. Within the current model, our coach is essentially only permitted to have 50% of his workload associated with being a head coach. While his success speaks for itself, this is a unique coaching model and clearly needs support to grow for the future.

The salaries paid to our full-time coaches are significantly less than the national average.

In order to understand the competitive landscape our coaches have secured the following data: