Jim Jennings (HPCTL 2016) is presently completing his master’s degree in high-performance coaching and technical leadership and will graduate in May 2022. He is the former Chair of Karate Canada’s Long-Term Development (LTD) Committee and a member of the High-Performance Committee. He runs a Karate club in Bradford, Ontario, which offers recreational and high-performance training for athletes competing at both the Provincial and National level.
Jim started in karate at age 13 and soon after began to compete at the local level, eventually making his way to the National team six years later. His longtime involvement in the sport exposed him to various coaching styles. “There were many great technical people and wonderful and passionate coaches, but I believed there was so much more to coaching,” stated Jim. To fill this gap and develop his own coaching style, he seized the opportunity of becoming the head coach for Ontario’s provincial karate team. One of his career highlights was when he coached eight karate athletes from Team Canada at the Commonwealth Championships, winning nine medals.
Although issues of inclusion are prevalent in high-performance sport and leadership, Jim highlights the diversity in Canadian karate teams, both provincially and nationally. “Our Provincial and National teams are incredibly diverse with a rich mix of athletes whose heritage stems from many parts of the world. Our selections are set up to involve anyone who is interested regardless of race, gender, or sexual identity.” When asked where he finds issues of inclusion in his life or at work, Jim indicates the lack of women’s participation in high-performance leadership. However, through his efforts he has made some successful strides to achieve gender equality in karate coaching. “I strive to nurture leadership for participants at our club and this has been very successful, especially for teenage girls who make up about 70% of our club membership,” notes Jim. “As a past Provincial head coach, it was my initiatives that brought women coaches onto what was once an all-male Provincial coaching team. This has flourished since then with 50% of our Provincial team coaching positions now filled by women.”
In 2016, Jim received his certificate in the HPCTL program and then continued to the master’s program at the UBC School of Kinesiology. When asked about what made his time at UBC memorable, he reflected on how his teachers played a huge role in his academic success: “My studies were done through a mix of online and in-person sessions. Living in Ontario, I did not have access to any of the on-campus programs or teams, which made me feel somewhat isolated. That said, the professors, instructors and guests that played a role in this program were amazing in how they delivered the program. Their level of knowledge is inspiring, and they were incredibly helpful and encouraging during the difficult pandemic times.” The HPCTL program provided him with useful skills and knowledge that he now uses to support his athletes.
Jim’s main interests are, “high-performance programming, grass roots approaches to ensure quality sport for all ages,” and “conducting further research regarding the junior to senior transition in karate.” He is “open to new challenges” and hopes to pursue more opportunities in both his coaching and academic career. “I am older than most students, so I had my path relatively set out,” comments Jim. “However, as far as my coaching or academic career goes, it is still a work in progress.”
Follow Jim on Twitter @JimJennings18 to learn more!
