(November 13, 2015) - Basketball received two important nods at the Petro-Canada Sport Leadership Awards Gala, hosted by the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) in Winnipeg.

Women's national team head coach, Lisa Thomaidis, won the Jack Donohue award, which recognizes a coach who exemplifies the great qualities that made Jack Donohue the legendary coach he was.

"Being recognized as the Jack Donohue Award winner is certainly a wonderful feeling. To be named a recipient of an award whose namesake is a legendary Canadian basketball coach, makes it extra special. I'm honoured to have played a part in this historical summer and want to acknowledge all of the world-class staff who also contributed greatly to the team's success," she said.

Thomaidis led Team Canada to back-to-back golds this summer and punched the team's ticket to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero, qualifying on home soil at the 2015 FIBA Americas Women's Championship.

Canada Basketball was also honoured with the Sheila Robertson Award for its Coach Education Program. Led by Manager or Coach Education, Dawn Smyth, the program continues to find innovative ways to reach coaches, including the launch of the Game Plan resource website and the inaugural NCCP Super Clinic.

"The Sheila Robertson Award is a very prestigious honour to receive for Canada Basketball's Coach Education Program. We are very proud of the work we've done in building and executing the NCCP. Recognizing how vital coaches are to our system, we've worked to provide unique opportunities for them to learn. Coach Schools, Mini-Basket, and our coach education website are pieces that are non-traditional and are designed to be creative with philosophy and delivery." - said Michele O'Keefe, President and CEO, Canada Basketball.

The award recognizes a deserving National Sport Organization or Multi-Sport Service Organization that demonstrates a consistent approach in valuing and recognizing the role of the coach within the organization, the media, and the public.

For more information visit http://www.coach.ca/ and for pictures and videos of the award recipients and their inspiring stories, please click on the following links: VIDEOS - PHOTOS.

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