Para-Cycling Quadrennial Plan

Transcription

1 Para-Cycling Quadrennial Plan Date: October 2012 Authored By: Sebastien Travers Eric Van Den Eynde Arnaud Litou Andrea Wooles Jacques Landry Greg Mathieu

2 Why do we support Para-cycling? We are inspired by the challenges our athletes have had to overcome to become para-cyclists, and passionate about the implementation of a performance system that will enable our athletes to reach new horizons on the road to podium performances. When Para-cycling was introduced Canada was one of the first countries to embrace this cycling category and has since known success internationally. In Rio we will be targeting 5 combined road and track medals. Our system is continuing to develop under the leadership of our National Coaches who have both demonstrated the capacity of recruiting and developing athletes capable of performing internationally in a turnover period of less than 2 years. Performance Goals Target 1 medal on the track Target 4 medals on the road Identify and develop talent in the medal potential categories and events STRATEGIC PRIORITIES 1. Improve the quality of training environment, using the Bromont Training Centre for road and building in the Milton Velodrome for track 2. Optimisation of Sport Science/ Sport medicine use as a whole but with an emphasis on mental performance 3. Facilitate and promote athlete specialisation when possible between track and road events 4. Identify more athletes and coaches through pre-existing provincial structures 5. Build coach capacity and effectiveness Page 2 of 12

3 London 2012 Highlights Our medal targeted female tandem rode for a gold medal in the women s Tandem B road race, while our support targeted female tandem finished an impressive 4 th place in same event having contributed to setting up our top tandem for the win. In the time trial event Canada finished 3 rd in the women s C4 time-trial. Notable performances were also seen with our men s tandem finishing 4 th in the men s road race event where they finished 4 th by having flatted out of the 2 nd place finish with only 500 meters to go. Almost all of our London performers have confirmed that they will be continuing on for Rio in an already high performing system that is likely to reach adulthood by Technical Leadership A sustainable para-cycling system started after the Beijing Games with the hiring of a National Coach. With the help of the newly appointed HPD, the appointed coach was able to start building a solid system that instilled high performance values of professionalism, effective delivery of programs and increased face time with athletes. Following this appointment, the program acquired development coach to work on talent ID and development by leveraging the provinces and other para organisations. While this coach was originally hired to drive the Talent ID and development, it became apparent soon after his appointment that his skills complemented those of the National Team Coach in the High Performance realm. With the guidance of both the Performance Development Manager and High Performance Director and the support of the Paracycling supervisor, these two coaches will be able to continue working with their targeted 2016 athletes while continuing to build a well-needed pool of 2016 and 2020 athletes The last quadrennial started with the program coming off relative success at the Beijing Games. The remainder of 2009 and the first part of 2010 served as a transition period for our newly appointed head coach. This Page 3 of 12

4 transition into a system meant that mechanics, physiotherapists, physiologists, nutritionists and a team doctor were identified to the team and now would support our head coach in performing specific tasks. The lead-up to the Games was optimal, as athletes congregated in Bromont QC for a road training camp before heading to Roubaix, France for a road and track final preparation block. All logistics went smoothly thanks to the great assistance of our para-cycling coordinator, who would eventually be our Team Leader at the Games. While the logistics were flawless in the lead-up it had become apparent a few months leading into the Paralympic Games that given the higher needs of para-athletes than able athletes the capacity of our coaches to deliver efficient coaching services did diminish slightly. At the conclusion of the London Games a few key lessons emerged. The first lesson was that our riders need to specialise between road and track to optimize our medal chances. Specialisation would mean that we need to build our coaching capacity by having more staff available in the final preparation phase to ensure our athletes DTE is optimal. The second lesson is that while physiological preparation was close to optimal, not as much work was done in the mental training area, leading to surprising under-performances from athletes who were strongly predicted to win a medal. The third lesson learned is that there needs to be a strategy developed early on managing the expectations of athletes with lesser medal hopes in relation to the coaching support they would receive at pre-games and Games time. What we did well: Hiring of full-time para-cycling coach Hiring of full-time para-cycling development coach Hiring of a para-cycling coordinator to support the coaches Finding coaches that can complement each other creating a great synergy Establishing and executing overall team logistics What we could have done better: Focus energies on where the medals lie Distribute coach workloads more equitably More attention to daily training program planning in final lead up to major events Manage coach and management burnout Page 4 of 12

5 Tap into more IST Clearer coach roles and responsibilities (Who does what, when and with whom) Through post London debriefs with coaches, IST and with athletes we have been able to assess our present coaches skill sets as it relates to delivering athletes capable of producing performances at the international level. Our assessment concludes that we should be doing away with a head coach and development coach model, as collectively both coaches complement each other and have enough expertise to both work at the development and high performance levels. When we look at the issue of coach/athlete ratio there is still that impending risk of coaches not having the capacity to service all our performing athlete pool which could lead to athlete frustration and loss of trust in the program and ultimately our cycling system; not to mention the looming risk of coach burnout. In order to minimize the 1-to-8 coach-to-athlete ratio the proposal would be to name a para-cycling supervisor who has adequate coach certification and could alleviate some of the coaches coaching workload when in training and competition environments, not to mention ensure the delivery of program logistics when in the field. The supervisor would be considered a service provider to the coaches and would answer to the High Performance manager and High performance director. Because the program will continue to grow, we need to keep our para-cycling coordinator to make sure all logistical and administrative duties are done in the office. In summary the new coaching structure would be comprised of: 2 national team coaches that answer to the High Performance manager for HP issues and to the Performance Development manager for Development issues with the High Performance Director overseeing the programs 1 national team supervisor that supports the NT coaches and would answer to the High Performance manager and High Performance Director 1 para-cycling coordinator that supports the NT coaches and supervisor but answers to both the HP manager and Performance Development manager Page 5 of 12

6 Schematically the coaching structure would be as follows: High Performance Director High Performance Manager Performance Development Manager Para-cycling sport specific National team coaches (x2) National team supervisor Para-cycling coordinator P/TSO, Training Center and academy coaches Page 6 of 12

7 What Build para training and competition program Build IST needs Coach performance reviews Build out program staff roles and responsibilities Professional development initiatives Secure coach contract for next quadrennial Secure para program manager hire Monitor coach workload When November 2012 November (Every year) January (Every year) February 2013 On needs basis March 2013 March 2013 On-going Daily Training Environment (DTE) Many of our Para Cycling team riders train on their own at home, with sporadic face-to-face contact at training camps and races. By providing centralized coaching and support services, we can improve the quality of each training session, increasing the progression rate of our team It was established early on in the last quadrennial that given the high percentage of Quebec-based athletes and the fact that our NT coaches are based in Quebec that the Bromont Cycling Centre (CNCB) would become the hub for all para-cycling activities. Over the course of a couple of years athletes in the summer months from out of the immediate Bromont area (The Eastern Townships) started congregating to the Bromont area in order to benefit from the national team coaches presence and thus getting more immediate feedback on training. The centralization of our para athletes in Bromont made things easy with regards to IST services which meant that the CNMM (Now INS) would become somewhat of an expert in para-cycling. The centralisation also in Bromont also meant that logistics going to Europe was simplified due to the fact that Bromont (Montreal) was now a holding camp. Page 7 of 12

8 What we did well: Create a good DTE in Bromont Optimize exposure to international events available Target certain events to medal in What we could have done better: More work done on able/para domestic competition integration More specialization of some athletes This next quadrennial is very exciting for our able and para track program as in the fall of 2014 we will be able to train and eventually compete in a covered 250 m velodrome located in the Greater Toronto Area (Milton, ON). As we have identified that centralization promotes an optimal DTE the velodrome will be a great addition to our already existing Bromont training hub. The fact that we will soon have a velodrome will permit us to better emphasize the specialization concept between road and track and so it is foreseen that out track-specialized athletes will eventually be congregating in Milton at key moments of the season. Moving forward it will be important for yearly training plans to be built with the reality of this velodrome being present and for our coaches to be able to travel on a frequent basis back and forth from Bromont to Milton for key training camps on the track but to also work in collaboration with our able track coaches and track IST who will all be located in Milton to conduct integrated training sessions (Able/para) when possible. By soon having two training hubs (Milton for track and Bromont for road) it is anticipated that the DTE for our athletes will be enhanced two-fold, which will contribute to increased chances of medals. Page 8 of 12

9 What Build Yearly Training/Competition plan that delineates the start of a shift towards specialization Start discussions with PSOs leading to better integration Collaborate with existing para organisers and discuss with PSOs hosting possibilities Directed mock track competitions When November (Yearly) December 2012 January 2012 Summer of 2013 (On going) SCIENCE AND MEDICINE Over the past four years, we have put the basic services in place for our Para Cycling team, including a Team Doctor, physiotherapist, dietician, and mechanic During the London quadrennial, we focused services primarily on training camps prior to major races, tying it in with support for the races themselves. On the limited budget we had, we aimed to deliver the basic health services and the highest priority needs of the majority of the riders. We began to introduce individual services during the last two years, to address needs identified by the National Coaches. Finding people to work with the team who had expertise in their field specific to athletes with a disability has been challenging, as has finding practitioners who are a good fit with the team. This is our highest priority for the Rio quadrennial, in all of the service areas. In addition, the geographic spread of the riders posed challenges that will hopefully be reduced through centralization around Bromont and Milton We have begun working with the National Team Coaches to identify areas of need and people to fill the gaps we have identified. Page 9 of 12

10 We believe that bringing a physiologist and advisor will be a tipping point for science and medicine service delivery to our Para team, through the National Coaches. Once this person builds the relationship and trust with the Coaches, we will likely appoint them IST Lead for Para Cycling (and also our contact point with INS Quebec). We will make the most of a shared training facility in Milton to transfer Track knowledge to the Para Track team through IST staff and coaches. Mental health and preparation is a top priority for the Para team, as it is for all of our teams, however with the added understanding that many of our riders have experienced a traumatic and disabling accident. Providing appropriate support under the direction of the Coaches through Sport Psychology, Performance Lifestyle, and Sport Psychiatry could make a measurable improvement to overall team performance. We need to hire at least one mechanic to travel to training camps and races with the team. Individual needs will be addressed as much as possible through the Canadian Sport Centre/Institute network, and through CAIP coverage where that is not an option. Maintaining basic health can be more challenging for some of our Para riders, so regular massage and physiotherapy close to their home will be provided whenever possible. SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT AND TALENT ID We have stretched the limits of our system and our resources (financial and human) over the past four years, and will be making some minor adjustments to meet the needs of our growing team Because of the lack of competitions in para-cycling our program needed to go to all proposed international competitions in order to accumulate valuable UCI points 2 years from Games but also to keep tactical and physical skills heightened. Training is great but testing your levels in competition is more motivating. However, even with pursuing all UCI international competitions the fact still remained that in some of our categories our athletes were still under done on a physiological and tactical levels. The idea to increase racing 2 years out from Games to fill Page 10 of 12

11 this gap was to integrate when possible our para-cycling athletes into domestic able races. Moving forward strategies have been put in place to encourage provinces to start integrating para athletes into able events. We identified early in the last quadrennial plan that there was a need to start specializing our athletes when possible between road and track events. It was observed that many countries were building depth of field and were either focussing on specific events to better ensure medals at Games or building a talent pool big enough to have athletes specializing in specific events. This analysis proved to be a reality at the London Games and while athlete and staff accreditation at Games remains an issue some countries were still able to come out with medals by applying specialization strategies. For Canada however, though we had identified this phenomenon it proved hard to put some components of this strategy in play due to the fact that we did not have access to a velodrome year round (aside from going to Los Angeles) and that our capacity to recruit and develop talent was not there. Our team has grown rapidly, and continues to do so as we find riders who target new events or categories. We need to build our capacity through the Provinces, either directly with the Provincial Teams or through local coaches Our focus in the next quadrennial has to be about continuing to offer as many competition opportunities on the road as possible so that our athletes can measure themselves internationally in the areas of fitness, mental prep, skills and tactics. In order to enhance our athletes exposure to top competitions we will have to be more proactive in helping our provincial partners to promote able/para athlete competition integration. Many of the top para-cycling countries have been able to create that dynamic and so should we. Along those same lines we will need to be more proactive in either finding organizers capable of putting on races like the World Cup and/or World Championship in Baie-Comeau and/or create coach-led racing in a controlled environment (Velodrome or small closed circuits). As we fall into the Paralympic qualification process (2 years out) we will need to deploy our athletes into all international events on offer and that means non-targeted athletes as well as they will help ensure that we accumulate valuable UCI points. Page 11 of 12

12 REVIEW OF SCHEDULE B REVIEW OF BENCHMARKS In 2012, our Para Cycling team met 21% (6 of 29) of their benchmarks. Over the last quadrennial, we have averaged 49% of benchmarks met. The benchmarks for the Paralympic Games were extremely hard to set accurately, because classifications were mixed in way that they had never been before. Program benchmarks will be developed with our Coaches so that we can monitor on-going progress towards our system goals. These will be completed over the winter of 2012/ Met Unmet Page 12 of 12