Andy Higgins is a life-time educator whose medium has been Physical Education, Counseling, and Sport. He was brought up in the bush of Northwestern Ontario and came to Toronto to attend university. He is grateful for the benefits of both worlds. Educated in Canada Andy has coached here for over 40 years. After 10 years of successful teaching, counseling, and coaching at the secondary school level, 24 at the University of Torontoand four years Coaching Performance in the corporate world, in 1999 Andy accepted the position of Director and the challenge of developing a National Coaching Institute in Toronto .
Leadership and Success:have been hallmarks of all that Andy has done since high school days. At the University of Toronto he created programmes in men’s and women’s track and field that experienced unparalleled success, and developed a “club” programme that became the core of the first High Performance Centre for track and field in Canada and model for others that followed. Personally Andy coached men and women to the podium in every major “Games” for which Canadians are eligible. Most notable were Olympic and World Championship medals for decathletes David Steen and Michael Smith.
“Many years ago the American writer Mary Parker Follet observed that " The leader who inspires me most is not the one who is capable of doing great things, but the one who makes me feel that I can do great things." For over forty years Andy Higgins has helped thousands of Canadians believe that they are capable of doing great things! Whether in the world of sport or of business, Andy recognises that the essence of leadership is having both an intimate understanding of oneself as well as a deep sensitivity to the range of factors that motivate diverse individuals and groups.”
Chris Rudge CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee
Values and the understandingof the human process are basic to all Andy does. He was taught and mentored by a number of truly quality people who shaped his approach to working with others. Andy is passionate about human possibilities and supportive of all that can enhance the process. He wrote and delivered the first formal coaching education/certification program in Canada in 1970 and has been closely associated with coaching education and development ever since. He is a founding member and past president of the Canadian Professional Coaches Association. In 2001 Andy was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame as a coach.
"Andy Higgins is one of the most creative, passionate, and principled coaches I have ever known. This book distills his accumulated wisdom. No coach, parent or teacher should be without this book."
Bruce Kidd, PhD
Dean, Faculty of Physical Education and Health,
University of Toronto
Andy Higgins is also a successful speaker and workshop leader with a long history of making a difference in sport and business organizations across Canada and many other countries.
SPEAKER:
Andy has been a Keynote speaker, has “wrapped-up” conferences, as well as presenting on special topics “after dinner.” He addressed organizations ranging from the Canadian Medical Association, to Dupont Canada , the Life Insurance Managers Association of Canada to regional staffs of the Ministry of Natural Resources, from the Secondary School Principals Association of Ontario to the Ontario Victorian Order of Nurses. Andy’s talks are special not only because he delivers information with passion, he prepares to meet the themes and needs of the organization.
Workshop leader:
Andy has created workshops for specific needs in very particular situations. Degrees in education and training as a counselor, and graduate degree in Adult Education combined with a lifetime of facilitating learning in others gives Andy great adaptability and flexibility. He has worked with groups as diverse as a small Life Insurance agencies sales staff, to 35 senior Inspectors of construction sites with the Ministry of Labor. Andy’s work has been particularly extensive in education and sport and it is this background and experience he takes into other settings.
Personal Performance Coach:
More than forty years of working with people have made it very clear that the issues in Human Performance are never technical, nor tactical ones. These are, of course essential. Everyone need to know how to do what they must do whatever the context. And, they must know when and in what ways to do it. However, the limiting factor is always inner beliefs and attitudes that are no longer useful. Andy coaches the person. He works with the individual to develop greater personal awareness and create a greater range of options in any situation. He “begins with an expectation of significant positive change.”
“Andy coached me through a significant crisis in my life. He taught me techniques; journaling, visualization and breathing. Starting with directing me to attend to "self-talk", Andytaught tome askquestions of myselfthat explored my inner world; my belief system and attitudes. With his help I came to see anopportunity that has led to tremendous success with family, business, and health and I'm now living a very balanced life."
Neil Feigelsohn
Independent Business Man
2007 Geoff Gowan Award
Andy Higgins is the recipient of the Geoff Gowan Award
The Geoff Gowan Award was created in 1996 to honour former Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) president Geoffrey Gowan, CM, PhD. The award recognizes lifetime contribution to coaching development. It is awarded to a coach who has presented a positive public image of coaching and enhanced the role of the coach with the Canadian public.