Philosophy

Coach Dan presenting to Head Coaches & High Performance Directors at the Own the Podium Olympic debrief in October of 2016.

Sport teaches us about ourselves.

Discover what you are capable of.

Pursue your dreams and push your limits.

Be inspired. Be dedicated. Persevere.

Be an athlete for life.

Core Values  

Honesty and Integrity
Responsibility
Sincerity
Loyalty

The Athlete and Sport

The pursuit of excellence in sport should be focused on the needs and development of the athlete. Coaches have a professional obligation to provide an environment, which recognizes and meets these needs. Sport is an athlete-centered endeavor.

The coach has a responsibility to ensure that athletes are developed in a way that will enhance their life beyond sport.

Athlete as an Active Participant

The coach has a professional obligation to encourage the athlete to be an active participant in the training environment. Much of this responsibility centres on educating athletes in the fundamentals of the training process. The athlete must be able to reciprocate this communication in order to make the coach-athlete feedback loop effective.

Athletes should understand basic training concepts. This should include a basic understanding of energy system training; loading and recovery principles; competition preparation; mental training skills; nutritional skills; self-monitoring skills. Through knowledge in these areas, athletes should be able to provide informed feedback to the coach. The athlete should also be able to make informed training choices in the absence of the coach.

Athlete and Individual Potential

Every athlete has unique talents and abilities that can be developed to maximum potential. Athletes must work hard to identify their specific strengths and weaknesses in each area of the sporting endeavour. Athletes must pursue areas of development with commitment and purpose. Athletes will experience success at their own level – personal best is the most important goal.

The Role of the Coach

In order to achieve success, it is important that the athlete and coach work together in a cooperative and positive environment. The coach has a duty to be:

• Approachable
• Highly motivated and creative
• Knowledgeable & Confident
• Professional
• Punctual
• Delivers on promises
• Fun – energetic
• Coaches athletes as individuals
• Creates strong team identity through creation of strong individuals
• To improve each person and him/herself
• Sees coaching & sport as a passion – not a job
• Willing to show as much or more commitment to sport than athlete
• Does not try to live through the athletes results
• Acts as a role model as much as possible
• Interacts in a positive manner with other athletes, coaches & officials
• Treats athletes fairly
• Supports athletes as much as possible in sport, life, career etc.

Andrew L’Esperance achieving one of his goals in XCO MTB

Photo: Kevin Light    http://www.kevinlightphotography.com