Barb Bautista fell in love with the sport of ringette at age 10 and never looked back. She competed at many levels of the game, eventually retiring from playing with four stints as a National Team player.
Bautista began her coaching career along the way, wanting to give back to the sport and to help find a way to give developing athletes the same opportunities she had benefited from. She has coached all levels of ringette, from grassroots programs and summer camps, to high-performance programs at the Canada Winter Games, National Ringette League, and Senior National Team. Bautista specializes in technical development and program structure.
Barb Bautista has a passion for the sport of ringette that is second to none. As the Senior National Team Coach for the 2016, 2017, and 2019 cycles, Barb has not only challenged herself, but also her coaching staff and all those that she works with to better the resources and programs available for athlete and program development. She has been a key contributor to the implantation of these initiatives. Barb’s knowledge of and passion for ringette is evident in all that she does and the athletes she coaches and coaches she mentors are consistently positively impacted by her. Over the last three seasons Barb has coached 17 athletes who have returned to the Senior National Team under her leadership. In the final game at the 2019 World Ringette Championships many commented they had just watched ‘the best game of ringette they had ever witnessed’; athlete and program development has been a commitment that is only just beginning to pay off.
“[Barb] has the experience of a player, the knowledge of a coach, and the true heart of a champion. You combine all of the above attributes and her forward-thinking approach and she has helped transform high-performance and the athletes in our sport. One of the most remarkable aspects of Barb’s career in ringette is her unwavering commitment to mentorship and fostering the growth of our sport and the people it involves. She has always been willing to unselfishly share her knowledge and go above and beyond to support and guide aspiring players and coaches.” -Dailyn Bell