Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame Profile: Tim Frick

In honour of the upcoming Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame 2014 Induction Celebrations presented by Canadian Tire on October 22, OLM will be featuring inductees—recent and historic—in a weekly Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame Profile piece.

Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame aims to share the stories and achievements of Honoured Members to inspire Canadians in all aspects of life.

Tim Frick: Coach, Wheelchair Basketball

Athletes would be nowhere without a supportive, dedicated coach. Tim Frick is that and more. He inspires, motivates and encourages his players to be the very best they can be both on and off the court.

Frick’s coaching style? He believes in the preparation of the athlete, not focusing on beating the opponent. Frick makes sure to prepare his athletes’ minds and bodies for any and every challenge. He focuses on all-round development—balancing sport, life and education. Frick constantly develops confidence, self-discipline and respect in his players. He is a champion in the development of opportunities for sport and physical activity for persons with disabilities.

As Head Coach of the Canadian Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team from 1990 to 2009, Frick developed Team Canada into one of the most dominant teams in the history of Canadian amateur sports. With a decade-long undefeated streak in major international competition attached to his name, Frick proves time and time again how valuable he is.

Through his own coaching and development of other coaches, Frick has imparted his knowledge on to Canadian sport. He had the opportunity to coach the next generation of coaches and instructors when he was a faculty member of Douglas College’s Sport Science and Coaching Program. Frick has also won numerous coaching awards. However, Frick’s true intentions as a coach are perhaps best summed up with the Canadian Paralympic Committee naming its coaching excellence award the Tim Frick Paralympic Coach Excellence Award.

Frick had the opportunity to coach Rick Hansen during his Man in Motion World Tour. Hansen said, “Inside each of us there’s the potential to do great things. And if we’re lucky, we meet people who see possibilities which we don’t see ourselves. Tim Frick was my friend, my coach and my Difference Maker. Tim challenged me to be the best I could be, to find excellence through hard work and purpose. Tim helped me become the “Man in Motion”.”

With Frick’s induction into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame on October 22, Canadians will be able to learn of one of the greatest coaches to exist.