Hi <<First Name>>!
 

I hope this message finds you all in good health and spirits.

The COVID-19 situation has made a large impact in our world and as we all come to grips with the severity of the situation, I would like to make sure that as coaches, we are aware of the support networks available for our athletes and ourselves. These are trying times but it is an excellent opportunity to role-model how best to support, connect and lead in our communities and networks. Here are a few mental health resources:

• CSI Pacific Webinar - Youtube
• Mental Health Resources - BC Government
• Haley Smith - Blog

Finding the right training suggestions for our athletes is also difficult during this time. In late March, Olympic coach Dan Proulx shared his insights in a webinar (view slide deck). In essence, try to focus on a rolling progression of accumulation, transformation, performance, and recovery.  However, the definition of those terms and the length of each phase can be tailored to meet your athlete's needs. Here are some helpful resources:

• Downdog "Build-your-own" Yoga App - link
• Create an online group ride - Zwift
• Articles From TrainingPeaks Blog - link

I also came across an excellent insight from one of my favourite leadership speakers, Simon Sinek, this morning and wish to share it with you (Watch Here). In summary, Optimism, the hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something, is different than Positivity, the focused practice of being or tendency to be positive in attitude at this moment.  I know that it can be difficult to provide uplifting guidance to our athletes during times of uncertainty.  I suggest driving your coach-athlete interactions in the same manner as when an athlete is recovering from injury, focusing on daily victories and fostering an appreciation for the personal growth hardship provides. 

If you are interested or able to focus any time or energy into the development of your own coaching skills, various online resources are becoming available:

• Rule of Two - new version (ENGLISH) (FRENCH)
• HeadStart Pro - 50% discount until May 31st
• Safe Sport E-Learning - new modules coming April 2020
• Canadian Journal For Women In Coaching (LINK)
• Comp Intro modules
  • Nutrition (On-Demand)
  • Making Ethical Decisions (April 15th)
• Comp Dev modules
  • Available online via Sport New Brunswick (Register by email)
    • Coaching and Leading Effectively (April 27 & 28)
    • Prevention & Recovery (April 29 & 30)
    • Leading Drug-Free Sport (May 2)
    • Advanced Practice Planning (May 7)
    • Developing Athletic Abilities (May 13 & 14)
  • Available online via CSI Pacific (Victoria) (Register Here)
    • May 23-29
    • $750 for all classes
    • Learn more here

The Coaches Association of Canada is also working on advancing intersectionality in the field of coaching. As part of this focus, they would like to examine the experience of visible minority coaches (new and longstanding) to see if they need any additional training or services to support their experience in coaching and their retention as coaches.  To learn more, email Andrea Johnson.

• April 18, 2020 (REGISTER)
  • 9:00 am - 10:30 am:   Visible Minority* coaches (5+ years experience)
  • 11:00 am - 12:30 pm: Visible Minority* coaches (<5 years experience)
  • 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm:     Coaches who coach visible minority* athletes

*Visible minority is defined by the Government of Canada as "persons, other than aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour.

The Coaches Association of Canada is also conducting research on gender-based and teen-dating violence. Athlete 16-24 years old and adult coaches working with athletes 16-24 inclusive, can participate in the research (10-minute time commitment). To learn more, please review this PDF. To participate, please register here.

If you have any inquiries or questions, please feel free to contact me via email or call 604-224-7433. I will be working remotely over the coming month on various youth and coach development projects and should be able to respond quickly.

Warm regards,

Ben Chaddock
Cycling BC NCCP Liaison