Speak with the Experts
The Sport Performance Speaker Series is offered at all three CSI Pacific campus locations, with additional remote access by webinar.
The Sport Performance Speaker Series is offered at all three CSI Pacific campus locations, with additional remote access by webinar.
Please note that attendance at the speaker series is limited to Canadian Sport Institute Pacific or PacificSport registered athletes, coaches and/or parents of registered athletes.
Invited coaches are encouraged to bring their registered athletes. Non-registered athletes may be eligible to attend with their coach on a case-by-case basis. In such situations, please contact the event organizer.
To find out if you are eligible to register for Canadian Sport Institute Pacific:
Check EligibilityMiss a previous Speaker Series session? Don’t worry! You can access recordings of them on demand via our Athlete Services team.
Find out more about previous events and request them on demand here
Read below for events coming soon and for planned speaker series over the next few months! More details to follow.
More events coming soon!
PREVENTION AND RECOVERY
PISE – 330A/B
Friday, June 1st – 9:00am-5:00pm
Cost: $180
After taking this workshop, coaches will have the knowledge needed to:
PSYCHOLOGY OF PERFORMANCE
PISE – 330A/B
Thursday, May 31st – 8:00am-5:00pm
Cost: $180
Completing this workshop will allow coaches to:
LEADING DRUG-FREE SPORT
PISE – 330A/B
Wednesday, May 30th – 1:00pm-4:30pm
Cost: $110
After taking this module, coaches will be able to:
MANAGE A SPORT PROGRAM
PISE – 329A/B
Wednesday, May 30th – 8:00am-12:30pm
Cost: $150
As coaches begin to take on more responsibility, they are expected to plan and execute tasks that go beyond the delivery of daily training and the management of the daily training environment. The Manage a Sport Program module provides coaches with the opportunity to plan and interact with program budgeting, setting staff and team expectations, arranging team travel, building athlete agreements, and reporting on athlete/team progress. This module is perfect for any club head coach, provincial team coach, aspiring team manager, or technical administrator.
After completing this module, coaches will be able to:
ADVANCED PRACTICE PLANNING
PISE – 329A/B
Wednesday, May 30th – 8:00am-12:30pm
Cost: $150
For individual training sessions to effectively contribute to the overall objectives of an annual training plan, a coach must understand the outcome of each training session and how their cumulative effects will contribute to athletic development. The Advanced Practice Planning module examines the impact of daily training sequencing and the manipulations that can affect training outcomes.
After completing this module, coaches will be able to:
DEVELOPING ATHLETIC ABILITIES
PISE – 329A/B
Monday, May 28th – 1:00pm-5:00pm
Tuesday, May 29th – 8:00am-5:00pm
Cost: $205
After completing this module, coaches will:
*Includes two-hour online pre-workshop session.
PERFORMANCE PLANNING
PISE – 329A/B
Monday, May 28th – 1:00pm-5:00pm
Tuesday, May 29th – 8:00am-5:00pm
Cost: $200
In order to achieve peak performance, an athlete’s training program needs to be periodized according to the demands of their sport as well as their individual development needs. The Performance Planning module allows coaches to reflect on the structure of a yearly plan and appropriately sequence training and development priorities so as to achieve peak performance.
After completing this module, coaches will be able to:
*Includes two-hour online pre-workshop session.
COACHING AND LEADING EFFECTIVELY
PISE – 330A/B
Sunday, May 27th – 9:00am-4:00pm
Monday, May 28th – 8:00am-11:30pm
Cost: $190
This module gives coaches the skills needed to:
MANAGING CONFLICT
PISE – 330A/B
Saturday, May 26th – 12:30pm-5:30pm
Cost: $150
This module will allow coaches to:
MAKE ETHICAL DECISIONS
PISE – 329A/B
Saturday, May 26th – 8:30am-12:00pm
Cost: $110
By successfully completing this workshop, coaches will be fully equipped to handle virtually any ethical situation with confidence and surety. MED is one of the NCCP’s cornerstone workshops, and leaves coaches with no doubt as to what to do when the going gets tough.
Upon completing this module, coaches will be able to:
*Optional for completion of Sport Performance Coaching Certificate
Breanne Watson is a former four-year letterwinner and four-year starter for the Washington Huskies…member of back-to-back NCAA Tournament teams as a junior and senior…ended her career with 861 career points, 492 rebounds…three-time Pac-10 All-Academic honorable mention selection…tallied 36 career double-figure scoring games which ties for 26th in UW history…named MVP of two regular season tournaments in her career – the 2004 WBCA BTI Classic and the 2006 Basketball Travelers Husky Classic…averaged 10.0 points in all NCAA tournament games played…represented Canada at two World University Games in Daegu, South Korea (2003) and Izmir, Turkey (2005)…upon graduation from Washington, Watson went on to have a successful professional basketball career in Europe.
Currently, as Associate Athletic Director at Simon Fraser University, Breanne provides leadership to Canada’s only NCAA school. In this role Breanne oversees 30 full and part-time coaches, 17 varsity sports and 400+ student athletes – in addition to managing responsibilities for day to day operations, varsity budgets, event scheduling, presentation and team travel.
Danelle holds a PhD in Social Psychology and an MA in Sport Psychology from The University of Ottawa, as well as BSc in Psychology and a BA in French from the University of Washington. For her doctorate, Danelle looked at how coaches and athletes communicate about training in endurance sport and how such communication affects athletes’ self-determined motivation.
For over a decade, Danelle has worked as mental performance consultant with several national sport teams via the Canadian Sport Institute – Calgary, and currently through the Canadian Sport Institute – Pacific. Along with teaching sport psychology part-time at Camosun College, Danelle works collaboratively with parents, individual athletes, teams and coaches on mental preparation strategies for optimal performance and wellness in sport.
As an athlete, Danelle grew up competing in soccer, basketball, volleyball, and track and field. She is a three-time Xterra World Championship Medalist, a former Professional Mountain Bike Racer and NCAA Division One Collegiate All-American in Track. During her off-road triathlon career Danelle competed for the Luna Pro Team between breaks to give birth to her now 10-year old daughter and 7-year old son. Competing into motherhood, Danelle has also been an advocate for mom’s to stay active and even competitive after having children.
In her spare time, Danelle enjoys blogging on topics related to motherhood, sport and performance psychology at www.danellekabush.com. She currently resides in Victoria BC, Canada.
Currently In her fourth year as the Canadian Sport School Victoria Lead Coach, Jennifer has a strong coaching background that involves working with athletes at various levels: Youth, NCAA, CIS, Professional, and Olympic including a NCAA and World Champion. She has a BA from the University of California at Berkeley where she double-majored in American Studies and French while competing in NCAA Division I Track & Field. Her passion is working with high school and young elite athletes to help give them a strong foundation for success at the next level.
As a coach, Jennifer holds the following certifications: Strength & Conditioning (NSCA-CSCS), Olympic Weightlifting (NCCP & USAW), Sprints & Hurdles (NCCP), Run, Jump, Throw (NCCP), Fundamental Movement Skills (NCCP), Neurokinetic Therapy (Level 1), and Functional Movement Screen (FMS Levels 1 & 2).
Having retired from competition in 2012, Jennifer has represented Canada internationally in the hammer throw and is the 2006 Commonwealth Games silver medallist, a four-time Canadian Champion, and a two-time World Championship team member (2005, 2009). Additionally, Jennifer is a two-time NCAA All-American (2000, 2003) and the former Canadian record holder.
Jennifer brings a strong understanding of the high performance sport system and is very involved in athlete advocacy with experience serving on the IAAF Athlete Commission, Athletics Canada Board of Directors & Athlete Council, AthletesCAN Board of Directors, BC Athlete Voice Board of Directors, and Commonwealth Games Canada Athlete Council.
Sharleen has been supporting elite and aspiring performers through her work as a mental performance consultant for 20 years. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from University of Waterloo and a Masters of Science in Applied Sport Psychology from University of Idaho before completing her Doctorate in Sport & Exercise Psychology from the University of British Columbia. Sharleen is a professional member of the Canadian Sport Psychology Association.
Over the past six years Sharleen has been intimately involved with high performance sport through her work with national teams of cross country skiing, mountain biking (cross-country), rugby, swimming, triathlon and paratriathlon. She attended the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the 2015 Pan American Games, and supported athletes and coaches through three Olympic Games including the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver (Canada) and Sochi (Russia), respectively, and 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).
Sharleen is an adjunct professor with the University of Lethbridge. She actively publishes her research on self-regulation and emotion management as well as sport talent development. Sharleen’s commitment to practical and scientific understanding of the psychological foundations of performance excellence affords a cutting edge approach towards training athletes, coaches, and sport performance staff to achieve personal and performance excellence.
Ethan Carmichael Denum, 19, of Coquitlam, BC, passed away surrounded by family and friends on Saturday January 7, 2017, after a year-long battle with cancer. As a baby, he was eager to make an appearance and entered the world seven weeks early on January 29, 1997, at Royal Columbian Hospital. He had a short, but meaningful and accomplished life. If he wasn’t at the pool playing or refereeing water polo, he could be found travelling the world with his family, playing his favourite video games, eating or cooking in someone’s kitchen, or filling screens with an endless number of witty posts on social media. Perhaps his most notable accomplishment was the network of good friends he nurtured, many of whom the Denums consider family. We will miss his extra big hugs, fierce loyalty, positive attitude, and his unlimited capacity to love – this, above all, was his greatest gift.
“Think of me as living in the hearts of those I touched. For nothing loved is ever lost and I have loved so much.”
Ashley is a Registered Dietitian with a B.Sc. in Nutrition from Acadia University and a Masters in Exercise and Sport Science from the University of Sydney, Australia. She has completed the International Olympic Committee Diploma in Sports Nutrition and is a Board Certified Specialist in Sport Dietetics.
Ashley has worked at Canadian Sport Institute Pacific for more than four years and is involved with National Men’s and Women’s Rugby 7s programs, Cycling Canada, Triathlon Canada, and Diving Canada. Her focus is on taking cutting-edge sport nutrition interventions and applying them practically for athletes to help them meet their performance and health goals.
Samantha is a Biomechanist holding a B.Sc. in Kinesiology and an M.Sc in Kinesiology specializing in biomechanics from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. She has completed the Human Performance Training certificate from Sheridan College in Brampton, Ontario. Before moving to Vancouver, Samantha worked at McMaster University with varsity athletes as a strength & conditioning coach and student athletic therapist.
Samantha is currently a Sport Biomechanist and the Performance Analysis Lead at Canadian Sport Institute Pacific. She is a member of the IST for the Canadian Freestyle Ski program, and provides support to other athletes based in the Vancouver and Whistler locations. Samantha has been a member of the Mission Staff’s Sport Science and Sport Medicine Team for the 2014 Commonwealth Games (Glasgow, UK), the 2015 Pan American Games (Toronto, ON) and the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics. This coming winter, Samantha will be supporting Team Canada as a mission staff member at the 2018 Peyongchang Winter Olympic Games. In this role she will be providing performance analysis support to mountain sports such as freestyle skiing and snowboard.
This course offers a collection of modules introducing athletes and coaches to the principles of Strength & Conditioning (S&C). Beginning with an overview of developing a S&C program and how it is applied to a high performance sport context, the course narrows into specific concepts such as periodization and physical testing.
To obtain this certificate, score 100% on the following tests:
Having a basic understanding of health in a high performance sport context is essential to athletic performance. The Sport Medicine course helps athletes stay fit and able to compete and train at their best by teaching athletes and coaches what they need to know to keep injury and illness at bay.
To obtain this certificate, score 100% on the following tests:
Securing financial support in most sports does not come easy. This course presents strategies and solutions for athletes to approach, connect, and close the deal with external organizations to help fund their athletic goals.
To obtain this certificate, score 100% on the following tests:
This course teaches athletes and coaches the importance of recovery to the overall training program within high performance sport. The concept of recovery includes nutrition, rest (physical and mental), hydration, and sleep which are all presented in detail through the modules collected within the Applied Performance Recovery course.
To obtain this certificate, score 100% on the following tests:
This course provides an overview of some of the most common mental barriers, and how athletes and coaches can power through them. Covered are concepts such as motivation, anxiety, stress, and consistency and include strategies for using each to an athlete’s advantage.
To obtain this certificate, score 100% on the following tests:
Hear from some of Canada’s most experienced and successful high performance athletes, and how they got to the top of their sport. This course features presentations from Olympic, Paralympic, and World Champion athletes covering everything from dealing with sport/life balance to competing at an Olympic Games.
To obtain this certificate, score 100% on the following tests:
Rebecca graduated from the Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics program at Monsah University (Melbourne, AUS) in 2010, and following this successfully completed the Sports Dietitians Australia course in 2011. Rebecca is also a graduate of the International Olympic Committee Diploma of Sport Nutrition. Following her education, she completed a 2 year sports nutrition fellowship at the Australian Institute of Sport from 2014 to 2016, and it was after this that Rebecca brought her expertise to Canada.
Rebecca relocated to Vancouver and began work with Canadian Sport Institute in the spring of 2016. She currently works with multiple summer and winter sport national team training groups and is part of a B2Ten’s national nutrition mentorship program. She is currently involved in a research study with Athletics Canada that will examine the impact of two different iron dosing protocols on the red blood cell responses of two groups of endurance athletes (track and field) during altitude training.
Melissa is a graduate of Mercyhurst University of Erie, Pennsylvania where she completed her Masters in Exercise Science and Athletic Therapy. While completing her Master’s, she led the Division I Mercyhurst University women’s ice hockey team throughout her four years. During her graduate studies she worked as an assistant athletic therapist for a variety of varsity teams at the University including: Division II Men’s Basketball, Women’s Field Hockey, and the Men’s and Women’s Rowing Crews.
Following her studies, just over four years ago, Melissa began working at the Canadian Sport Institute as a Physiology Lab Coordinator where she has supported a number of provincial and national teams through field and lab based physiology testing. Shortly after joining the CSI physiology team, she was appointed as the lead physiologist for the Canadian Wheelchair Rugby program. She has supported the team at numerous international events over the past 4 years including, World Championships (Silver), Para-Pan Am Games (Gold) and the Rio Paralympic Games (4th).
Throughout the quadrennial, she has worked on extensive research examining vitamin d status and supplementation
protocols for elite spinal cord injured athletes, as well as heat acclimatization training in para team sports. She plans on
continuing to pursue these areas of research in para sport though the next quadrennial in preparation for Tokyo 2020.
After spending 13 years as a competitive short track speed skater and seven years as a competitive soccer player, Natalie is no stranger to the world of high performance sport. In addition, she also has experience in the world of athlete career transitions. With a Master’s Degree in Athletic Counselling as well as several years of field and firsthand knowledge, Natalie brings a winning combination of personal passion and professional expertise to Game Plan.
Natalie’s (non-sport) career highlights thus far include her time as an Academic Coordinator at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts where she helped student-athletes develop and enhance the skills necessary for academic, athletic, and personal growth. On top of that, she was the Athletic Counsellor at Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts where she specialized in performance enhancement, goal setting, stress management, focus, and mental preparation.
Building on those specialties, Natalie’s ‘Game Plan’ goal is to help educate athletes on the athletic performance benefits of career exploration while in sport. By encouraging a proactive approach to this crucial form of development, athletes working with Natalie have an opportunity to reduce outside distractions and concerns regarding ‘life after sport’ and experience an increase in confidence regarding transitions within and beyond sport.