25-year-old rugby athlete, Maddie McDonald is the Nova Scotia True Sport Athlete Ambassador for June 2022.
About two years ago this rugby player leaped to the sidelines as a coach and has felt the rewards of the True Sport Principles ever since.
“My commitment to giving back as a coach is what brings True Sport to life for me. I feel that my involvement in rugby has made such a difference in my life, that I just have to pay it forward,” says Maddie. “As a coach, I encourage athletes to take care of their physical, mental and emotional health by discussing a variety of health topics and providing them with strength and conditioning programs.”
This coach’s goal is to create a love for sport that is infectious and keep girls in the game. “My coaching philosophy is to help foster a passion for sport and physical activity in my athletes, as it’s due time that we change the statistics of up to 62 per cent of adolescent girls dropping out of sport,” said Maddie.
Maddie graduated from Acadia University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Kinesiology and a minor in Sociology. Tuning out the voices that said there are no opportunities for both Kinesiology and Sociology, Maddie tackled her dreams by finding a job that touches on both disciplines. As the Regional Physical Activity Consultant for the Central Region, Maddie makes a difference.
“My position is centred around making physical activity and recreation more accessible to everyone in the Central Region. I had found exactly the type of position I was studying for years ago without even knowing that it existed. For the first time, I feel as though I am exactly where I need to be,” said Maddie.
Her future goals are to continue her coaching career as a head coach of a university women’s rugby program and advance her career in the world of physical activity.
As both a coach and athlete, Maddie has some excellent advice when it comes to sport. “Don’t take it too seriously. Sport is supposed to be fun, and I think a lot of people put too much emphasis on the winning aspect which can result in burn out. You can continue with sport all the way through your lifetime, but only if you are able to keep that burning passion alive,” says Maddie.
“My second piece of advice is to put a lot of emphasis on positive self-talk and allow yourself to make mistakes. We can be our own worst enemies, and if you get too down on yourself, you won’t perform nearly as well as what you are capable of.”
The Nova Scotia True Sport Athlete Ambassador Program is a social media campaign created to foster a positive and safe sporting culture across the province. The goal of the program is to increase awareness of the seven True Sport Principles; “Go For It, Play Fair, Respect Others, Keep it Fun, Stay Healthy, Include Everyone, and Give Back.” Each month a new featured athlete will share how they live the True Sport Principles in their athletic and everyday pursuits through personal stories on Instagram.
