The provincial government has announced that this is the sixth annual "Coaches Week" in B.C. this week.

We'll bite.

While many of these types of weeklong recognitions constitute gratuitous attempts by politicians to get some recognition for themselves, the fact is that coaches play an important role in the lives of many youngsters.

Organized sports are among the most constructive ways for young people to develop appropriate social behaviour, while also helping to develop their growing bodies in a healthy way.

Minor sports coaches are right up there with parents and teachers as dominant role models in children's lives.

They can have a huge impact on a child's future - helping them to develop important fundamental skills that will see them through the rest of their lives - skills like discipline and handling both winning and losing in a positive, constructive way.

A good coach can also help develop a youngster's skills in coping with adversity. Well-motivated children become well-motivated adults. Learning how to accept good leadership as a child provides guidelines for how to become a good leader as he or she grows into her adult roles.

From hockey to football, lacrosse to soccer, figure skating to track and field, from swimming to paddling- coaches help young people determine how they will approach life.

The best part of all is that most of the coaches who affect our children's lives are not in it for the money.

For the most part, they are doing it out of the goodness of their hearts - in most cases out of a desire to give back to a community that they feel gave something to them.

And that in itself is a worthy example of role modelling for our children.