Being selected as a targeted athlete on the Cycling BC High Performance Provincial Team doesn’t just mean you get to wear the Cycling BC team kit at races; it also means you are representing the highest standard for youth cyclists in the province.
Athletes interested in applying for selection to the 2020 High Performance Provincial Team must satisfy a set of criteria set forth by Cycling BC and the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific (CSI Pacific).
Applications must be submitted online by January 14, 2020.
One of the objectives behind Cycling BC’s High Performance Provincial Team is to deliver enhanced services and programs for athletes and coaches, helping to get more BC athletes progressing to higher levels of the sport, including transferring on to the Canadian National team.
Candidates selected for the Provincial team will take part in training camps with Cycling BC regional coaches and on special occasions with Cycling Canada’s national level coaches. Coaching plays a significant part in the Provincial team experience as coaches, designated by discipline and region, work with Cycling BC’s High Performance Manager to develop the team’s training plan for the season. Cycling BC coaches are NCCP (National Coaching Certification Program) Level II certified or Competition Development trained, or higher. Cycling BC is also committed to the Coaching Association of Canada’s Responsible Coaching Movement which implements policies and processes to make sport safer for all.
Provincial team athletes also get to travel with the team on competition projects that give them exposure to invaluable racing experiences and help them to develop important life skills such as time-management, meal planning and preparation, and other personal management tools that help build their confidence as young adults. In addition to training and racing, being on the Provincial team provides an opportunity to build strong social connections and, for some, friendships that can last a lifetime.
“Tara has planned all the camps and projects and has helped so much in getting us to races around the world,” says Lief Rodgers a junior rider from Port Moody, BC who was on the Mountain Bike XC team in 2019. “Mike Charuk has coached me mentally and physically for the past couple of years while Joel Harwood has helped a lot with bike skills. Making it on to the national team and travelling to Europe to race is my goal for next season as a first year junior in XC.”
Tara Mowat is Cycling BC’s High Performance Program Manager and is always looking for ways to support athlete and coach development by providing opportunities for them to get to the next level. “We have some exciting team projects lined up this season that will give our athletes a good shot at being identified as potential national level riders,” says Mowat. “We have learned a lot over the years in building this program. Providing athletes with opportunities to participate in projects teaches them things they can’t get from a book, classroom, video, or any other way.”
View a list of team projects and training camps for the 2020 season.
Some of the other enhanced services and programs for Provincial team members include free access to fitness/training facilities, access to grants through the Athlete Assistance Program (AAP), discounts on food & nutritional supplements, and sport education events such as the Cycling BC Performance Summit. As an additional new perk in 2020, Provincial team members will also receive preferred rates on Full Body Motion Assessments at Yana Motion Lab.
Students participating in Cycling BC’s High Performance programs can also earn external credits towards graduation through the Province of BC’s External Sport Credentials Program. This gives Cycling BC athletes the flexibility to train and participate in projects while fulfilling their academic requirements.
Applications for the 2020 Cycling BC Provincial Team are open until Tuesday, January 14, 2020. Applicants must be current Cycling BC members in order to apply.
Cycling BC High Performance & Development Programs
Provincial Team Athlete Criteria (PDF)