Building a Stronger Nordiq Nation Through Coach and Wax Tech Immersion Opportunities
Being a coach in a smaller province or territory can be isolating at times. Fewer opportunities for interaction with other coaches can lead to less exposure to different ideas, philosophies, and approaches which can make it harder to develop as a coach. To address this, and other system gaps, Nordiq Canada made the commitment to create meaningful development opportunities for coaches and wax technicians three years ago by formalizing an immersion program which gives opportunities to these individuals to attend developmentally appropriate competitions and training camps led by Nordiq Canada. Last year, 42 coaches and/or wax techs took advantage of the opportunity.
“A lot of the feedback we received was along the lines of, well, I just went over there and all I did was get coffee, or I drove the van. So we really wanted to shift the program to being learning objective based for those people that were coming in and aligned it with their coaching education and pathway. We wanted to offer them a true opportunity to say, ‘Yeah, this is what I want to get out of my experience – I’m really hoping to do XYZ,’ and then where that was possible, we’re able to give them that opportunity,” said Julie Beaulieu, Sport Development Director for Nordiq Canada.
Andrew Brisbin was one of those coaches that took advantage of the program last season. The provincial coach for Saskatchewan, Brisbin joined Nordiq Canada’s Development Coach Matt Smider, and Anna Healy, a coach from the Wostawea Cross Country Ski Club in New Brunswick, at a three-week training camp in Canmore, Alberta and Sovereign Lake, British Columbia last November.
Working with the top U20 athletes in the country and being able to learn and compare notes with Smider and Healy, was something that Brisbin wouldn’t have been able to do without being part of this immersion program.
Andrew Brisban coaches Nordiq Canada Development Athlete Jérémy Lantz
“Having an opportunity to kind of see what those athletes that are there now, what they’re doing, and then just interacting with other coaches and athletes from across the country was a lot of insight. In Saskatchewan, we see athletes and coaches from our neighbouring provinces, but it’s a big country – there aren’t a lot of opportunities for Saskatchewan and Atlantic Canada to interact,” said Brisbin who primarily works with U16 and U18 athletes in his day-to-day coaching.
This year, Nordiq Canada has received 47 applications for the program which again includes several training camp opportunities for coaches, but also opportunities for both coaches and wax technicians to attend international competitions like the Junior/U23 World Championships and the FISU World University Games, both being held in Italy.
Katherine Denis, a former competitive racer who now coaches at Nakkertok Nordic near Gatineau, Quebec, had the opportunity to attend the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, South Korea last January as part of the program and came home with a renewed confidence in her coaching abilities.
“One of my biggest takeaways (from the experience) is that I’m actually pretty good at what I do as coach. Not to be arrogant or anything, but this experience gave me added confidence. I know what I’m doing. I have the skills. I have the knowledge. And I also have the ability to acquire more of both those things,” said Denis who was involved with logistics, coaching, and wax tech work in Gangwon.
Katherine Denis, Eric Bailey, and Alison McArdle wax skis at the 2024 YOG
“The other thing that really stuck with me is how important the team environment actually is when you land. I worked with Eric Bailey, head coach for the event, and we got along so well. I learned so much from him.”
It’s that learning that Beaulieu is so grateful for. “We couldn’t offer what we offer to our athletes if it weren’t for these coaches who volunteer for these opportunities. And because of them choosing to be better, we’re then able to offer better programming to our athletes.”
Beaulieu also highlights the benefits of coaches and wax techs being able to share the knowledge gained from these experiences when they go back to their home clubs.
“We’re in a decentralized system, so the opportunities for our coaches to get together from across Canada, to have time to learn, to share knowledge across the system are pretty limited. But what Andrew learned, he brings back to Saskatchewan, and what Anna learned, she brings back to New Brunswick – and they both teach it to the coaches there. So, I have massive gratitude, because (these coaches) are literally who are supporting our development pathway for our athletes which then creates opportunities to become stronger as a nation through shared experiences.”
Providing more opportunities for women and non-binary coaches is also something that Nordiq Canada has made a commitment to and is something that Denis herself is working to promote.
“I would say over the past couple of years that I have become part of that goal of trying to get more female coaches involved in the sport,” says Denis. “I don’t feel like I’m on the other side, seeing it happen anymore. I’m already an experienced coach and I’m part of that group coming up and I’m watching as other female coaches do it too – it’s really fun to see.”
Denis hasn’t applied for another opportunity this year as she wanted to focus on preparing her club athletes for the competitive season, but said she will look for more opportunities in the future and encourages others to do so as well: “Everyone who can do so, should be looking too. Because that’s part of what these kinds of experiences give you – at the end, to be able to say to yourself: ‘yeah, I can do this.’”
The 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Game Cross-Country Ski Team
For more information on coach and wax tech development and learning opportunities with Nordiq Canada, please click here.
Written by Julie Forget