2021 Performance Summit Wrap-up
Cycling BC in partnership with BC Speed Skating would like to thank everyone who attended the 2021 Performance Summit. This year’s summit was once again held virtually over three days and featured six sport performance experts that delivered insightful and interactive talks on a variety of topics around the theme of “Building Teams.”
We would like to thank each speaker for sharing their time and knowledge with us. We know it will play a valuable part in the development of our coaches and athletes.
“It was great to see everyone from athletes, coaches, parents and mentors at the summit and I want to say thank you so much to everyone for coming,” said Ben Chaddock, Head of Coach Development at Cycling BC. “We hope everyone can take what they learned from the summit and start putting it into practice in their sport.”
Key Highlights from 2021 Performance Summit Speakers
Scott Donald and Adam Sollitt kicked off the summit on day one with talks on finding mental balance as well as applying The Rule of Two in sport. Scott Donald, a mental performance consultant, shared four ways to achieve mental balance during times of stress and anxiety, 1) remind yourself of your strengths 2) look for what’s going well 3) express self-compassion, and 4) breathe. Adam Sollitt, a coaching consultant with the Coaching Association of Canada, described how coaches can create a safe environment and apply the Rule of Two in sport.
On Day 2 Myriam Paquette, a lecturer at Laval University and a member of the Cycling Canada Performance Science, Research, and Innovation (PSRI) team, taught us how coaches can include polarized training throughout the year and how to avoid typical mistakes. The key messages for polarized training are that coaches plan for mostly low-intensity sessions, some high-intensity sessions, and a limited time training at threshold. Day 2 of the summit concluded with Andrei Madzuk, a coaching consultant and member of the Canadian Sport Psychology Association. Andrei’s interactive session helped our athletes examine leadership attributes such as decision-making, leadership style, and adopting the role of team captain.
The third and final day of the summit featured McMaster University’s Sheereen Harris who shared insights from her PhD research on how to make the best possible decisions under fatigue. Sheereen explained how cognitively demanding tasks, keeping a routine, and Brain Endurance Training (BET) can have an impact on sport performance. Chris Acton, Technical Director at BC Speed Skating, and Ben Chaddock, Cycling BC’s Head of Coach Development capped off the summit with a reflective and interactive session for coaches in preparation for the season ahead.
For more information on the summit or any of the sessions and speakers involved, please email coaching@cyclingbc.net.
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About Cycling BC
Cycling BC is the governing body for the sport of cycling in British Columbia representing the full range of cycling disciplines including Road, Track, Cyclo-cross, Mountain Biking, BMX and Para-cycling. Cycling BC is responsible for licensing riders, coaches, officials, race organizers, and sanctioning over 200 cycling events annually. Cycling BC trains coaches & officials, delivers youth cycling programs in schools, and provides athletes with development opportunities to race nationally through high performance athlete development programs. Cycling BC is a not-for-profit association registered under the BC Societies Act and affiliated with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) through our membership in Cycling Canada. For more information on Cycling BC, visit cyclingbc.net
About BC Speed Skating
The British Columbia Speed Skating Association (BC Speed Skating or BCSSA) is the Provincial Sport Organization responsible for the amateur sport of speed skating (short track and long track disciplines) in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. BCSSA is comprised of approximately 1400 skaters, volunteers, coaches, officials and administrators, belonging to 28 member clubs. BCSSA is a volunteer-driven, registered not-for-profit society and is a member of the National Sport Organization Speed Skating Canada. BCSSA has provided support and services to its members and member clubs since its inception in 1957 in Dawson Creek.
