Shallon Olsen has been a registered athlete with the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific and PacificSport Fraser Valley since 2011. Canadian gymnast Shallon Olsen was in her first year of eligibility at the senior level when she reached the vault final at the Rio 2016 Olympics. More than a year later, she’s solidified herself as a…
The first words of her Twitter bio are: “2 Olympics | 2 Sports”. It’s a cool and succinct introduction to 26-year-old Georgia Simmerling, who did the Super G at Vancouver 2010, and is now a five-time World Cup medallist in ski cross. Simmerling is looking to add a third sport to that mix. In the…
Canadian places 3rd at Winterberg Canada’s Jane Channell reached a skeleton World Cup podium for the first time in her career Friday, placing third in the women’s race at Winterberg, Germany. The 27-year-old from Whistler, B.C., stood with the best time in the finish area with only three athletes left. When Britain’s Laura Deas failed…
Canadian skicross star Marielle Thompson capped her dream season in style Sunday by winning her second career Crystal Globe. Thompson, who won Olympic gold last month at the Sochi Games, edged Fanny Smith of Switzerland to win the final World Cup of the season in La Plagne, France, and the overall title. “Once I was…
Canada’s Kimberly Joines will now take home the bronze medal for the women’s sit-ski slalom at the Sochi Paralympics after a jury overturned the disqualification of the German skier who now has won gold. Anna Schaffelhuber was disqualified after the first run of the race for not having her outriggers (the skis that para-skiers use…
The CSI Pacific Podiumcast is a collection of one-on-one interviews between our Athlete Coach Services team and a variety of high performance athletes, coaches, and support personnel.
Listen to each and learn from Canada’s best as they share their wisdom and sport experience with the intention of passing on their expertise and guiding the next generation of great Canadian talent.
Our Podiumcast is sponsored by Endur – A Canadian Performance Sock Company
ADVANCED PRACTICE PLANNING
PISE – 329A/B
Wednesday, May 29th – 8:00am-12:30pm
Cost: $150
Note: Performance Planning is a recommended pre-requisite for this module
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:
Think you have learned enough in one of our subjects to show your expertise? Earn a Canadian Sport Institute Pacific Sport Education Certificate by completing all requirements listed!
1. Watch the designated presentations for your course
2. Take the follow-up tests and a earn a grade of 100% on each (you will receive an electronic completion certificate whence you have passed)
3. Submit the required completion certificates to Drew Todd, Athlete Services Lead (dtodd@csipacific.ca)
Occasionally, CSI Pacific plans individual presentations that build on one another creating a mini-series in a particular subject that allows the speaker to go deeper on the topic.
Watch all four parts in our two currently offered mini-series: Mental Performance and Nutrition.
The Sport Performance Speaker Series offers numerous workshops, webinars, and education events throughout the year. Where possible, presentations are recorded and repurposed for additional engagement on-demand.
Here you will find more than 50 such presentations, across eight high performance disciplines, to help educate and support elite athlete development.
Event Description
In this session, athletes will start to plan out their individual competition needs, based on what a competition schedule looks like for their sport. This session will also look at situations where athletes are travelling to competition, or where there may be a lack of access to familiar foods, and how best to adapt their competition nutrition plan.
Speaker Bio
Genevieve Masson works as a Sport Dietitian at Canadian Sport Institute Pacific, supporting elite athletes from a variety of sports including: freestyle skiing, ski cross, snowboarding, luge, cross-country skiing, biathlon, wrestling and softball. Gen enjoys helping the athletes perform at their best through nutrition-based interventions and research.
Genevieve Masson works as a Sport Dietitian at Canadian Sport Institute Pacific, supporting elite athletes from a variety of sports including: freestyle skiing, ski cross, snowboarding, luge, cross-country skiing, biathlon, wrestling and softball. Gen enjoys helping the athletes perform at their best through nutrition-based interventions and research.
PREVENTION AND RECOVERY
PISE – 330A/B
Friday, May 31st – 9:00am-5:00pm
Cost: $180
After taking this workshop, coaches will have the knowledge needed to:
PSYCHOLOGY OF PERFORMANCE
PISE – 329A/B
Thursday, May 30st – 8:00am-5:00pm
Cost: $180
Completing this workshop will allow coaches to:
LEADING DRUG-FREE SPORT
PISE – 329A/B
Wednesday, May 29th – 1:00pm-4:30pm
Cost: $110
After taking this module, coaches will be able to:
MANAGE A SPORT PROGRAM
PISE – 330A/B
Wednesday, May 29th – 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:
DEVELOPING ATHLETIC ABILITIES
PISE – 329A/B
Monday, May 27th – 1:00pm-5:00pm
Tuesday, May 28th – 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 27th – 1:00pm-5:00pm
Tuesday, May 28th – 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 – 329A/B
Sunday, May 26th – 9:00am-4:00pm
Monday, May 27th – 8:00am-11:30pm
Cost: $190
This module gives coaches the skills needed to:
MANAGING CONFLICT
PISE – 329A/B
Saturday, May 25th – 12:30pm-5:30pm
Cost: $150
This module will allow coaches to:
MAKE ETHICAL DECISIONS
PISE – 330A/B
Saturday, May 25th – 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
Harry Jones plays for the National Rugby 7’s team. He captained Canada’s team at the 2009 IRB Junior World Championship in Japan. He also competed for Canada at the Under-17 and Under-19 levels while also playing in the Canadian Rugby Championship for the BC Bears.
Harry is an extremely consistent player on Canada’s Men’s Sevens Team and played in all 10 tournaments during the 2017-2018 season before competing at the Commonwealth Games.
Harry and the National 7’s Rugby Team are currently training for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics’.
In this Athlete Interview, Harry discusses being in a leadership position on a high performance team, the balances of being an athlete and thinking about the future after sport, and what it’s like battling with injuries during season and overcoming not only the physical aspect of being injured but the mental battle too.
Joanna (Jo) Irvine, Registered Dietitian, obtained her undergraduate degree in nutrition from the UBC and is also a graduate of the specialized Sport Nutrition program from the International Olympic Committee. Over the past several years she has been working with the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific providing nutrition support to a variety of teams including Canada Soccer, Cycling Canada, and Swimming Canada to help optimize athletes’ performance during both training and competition. Aside from her passion for work and drive to stay current with sport nutrition research, Jo enjoys being active and outdoors with her very energetic family.
Since 2011, Dr Trent Stellingwerff serves as the Director of Performance Solutions / Innovation & Research at the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific (Victoria, Canada).
In this role, he directs 15 different major research projects across different sport performance discipline areas, with 6 PhD to Master’s students involved. He is also the Director of Sport Science & Sports Medicine for Athletics Canada. His primary sport and research focus is via his physiology and nutrition expertise primarily to Canada’s National track and field team.
Prior to this, Trent was a senior scientist in Performance Nutrition for PowerBar at the Nestle Research Center (Lausanne Switzerland). Trent has more than 80 peer-reviewed scientific publications in the areas of exercise physiology, skeletal muscle metabolism and performance nutrition and supplementation. Furthermore, he has co-authored 7 book-chapters focusing on the role that nutrition can play in supporting elite athlete performance.
In 2010, Trent was a lead author and presenter for the IOC (International Olympic Committee) Consensus Meeting in Nutrition. Over the years, Trent has attended 3 Olympic Games, 4 Commonwealth Games and 5 World Championships.
Riley Pickrell is a track and road cyclist based in Victoria, BC. Riley is a high school student at Claremont Secondary School as well as at the Canadian Sport School in his grade 12 year. Prior to competing in Cycling, Riley formerly competed recreationally in most seasonable sports including hockey, baseball, lacrosse, tennis, water and alpine skiing and short track speed skating. In 2011 Riley sailed with his family to New Zealand and back. After returning, Riley began competing in cycling.
Over the past 4 years, Riley has competed in five age group National Championships, winning a total of 36 national medals on the road and track. This past summer Riley competed at the Tour De L’Abitibi, a Junior World Cup Stage Race and the Junior Track Cycling World Championships. At the Tour De L’Abitibi Riley Competed for team Canada winning 3 stages and 2 additional podiums. A month later at Junior Worlds, Riley finished the Scratch race in 4th.
Riley shares his ideologies on school balance, the training and social benefits of the Canadian Sport School, an individual’s “happy place” and the personal gains found from selflessness training.
Anastasia is passionate about storytelling, capturing moments and generously sharing her expertise with creatives and business owners as a partner, collaborator and mentor.
As an entrepreneur’s daughter, she’s often felt that business was in her blood and she feels lucky to have waded through a lot of creative confusion early in her career. Anastasia credits her decision to be the photographer she wanted to be, not the photographer she thought she had to be, with defining her authentic photography style and providing so much personal and professional fulfillment.
Later in her career, building a network of people with shared values and interests and being relentlessly loyal, generous and curios opened up a new passion in her for mentoring women. In 2016, she launched two new women-centered businesses.
In reflecting on your profession over the last 2 years of incredible growth, the same thought kept coming back; the thought that she could link the exact path of people and moments that moved her ahead in her career and life to actual experiences or meaningful conversations. Anastasia knew she wanted to pass that on. She wanted to talk and connect, inspire and encourage. With Anastasia Creative, she helps businesses create authentic content and tell fearless stories to connect them with the people who will appreciate their work the most. Talking about branding and values with anyone who will listen, is what inspires her the most.
It’s likely you know at least one person who speaks in hashtags and live posts everything from their training to meal prep. It’s less common to find people actively using social media as a tool to boost their productivity, deepen their creativity, and enhance their careers.
Whether you spend all your time on social media, or avoid it altogether, you may be overlooking an effective tool to plan for success and connect with your community.
This workshop is designed to give you the tools to put Instagram to work for you whether you are a pro user or just need it broken down into simple steps.
We will cover everything from crafting your Instagram bio, to clarifying your visual values, and appealing to your prospective target market…. That is… after defining them.
YOUR INFLUENCE WILL SOAR WHEN THE FIRST PERSON YOU INFLUENCE IS YOU.
This session will focus on putting it all together when it matters … performance on demand. Mental performance strategies and concepts for tapering, travel, managing ‘threats’ to performance, and executing the competition plan will be addressed so to allow for ‘success by design’.
This session will allow the athlete to refine the topics presented in the 2nd workshop (Establishing the Mental Performance Building Blocks). Establishing competition plans & objectives, combined with increasing specificity, complexity, and adversity in training will be explored in relation to helping the athlete refine their mental performance routines and abilities.
This session will help the athlete identify the mental performance building blocks and create the blueprint to set the tone and course for the season to allow for ‘success by design’. Strategies around self-awareness, motivation, lifestyle management, injury & health management, focused & purposeful training, developing mental performance routines, and characteristics of excellence will be explored.
This session will explore the challenges and strategies that athletes can face when moving into the off season, including reduced training loads, changes to daily routines, lack of structure & accountability, and involvement in other life / social activities. Strategies around debriefing and decision-making to maximize the benefit of the transition phase with health, wellness, and performance as part of the framework.
Bruce has worked as a mental performance consultant in a variety of contexts for over 20 years. Sport, Health & Injury Rehabilitation, Education, & Business.
Sport: Bruce has worked with teams and athletes ranging from Olympic / National to Provincial / Regional, and down to grass-roots local youth sport participants. Through this he has enjoyed being part of the fabric of success at all levels, and being a part of Team Canada at a variety of major events, including the Olympics, Paralympics, Commonwealth Games, Pan American Games, and numerous World Championships and other international events.
With over 450 medal performances at international events by athletes he has supported, Bruce has an excellent background in helping athletes and teams excel and achieve optimal performance. Areas of focus include mental preparation routines, mental resiliency, team dynamics, injury management (mental performance perspective), performing under pressure, performance consistency, high-performance lifestyle routines, and athlete wellness.
One of the best ways to learn in sport is to hear the stories and lessons from the athletes that came before. Brittany Waters represented Canada over a ten year career on both the women’s rugby 15’s team and the 7’s team, bringing home world cup silver medals in each world cup event.
Join us this July 26th at 6pm to hear anecdotes and personal points of view from an athlete that went as far as she could go in her sport. Brittany is now taking her experience as an athlete and transferring her skills into becoming a very successful coach for the University of Victoria; also hear how her experience as an athlete has helped to shape her coaching philosophies and what she looks for in her current athletes.
Do not miss this chance to learn from a very real experience!
Brittany Waters is the head coach of the University of Victoria (UVIC) Women’s Rugby Program. Brittany recently retired from the National Senior Women’s Team this past September after a ten year career with the program. Brittany has competed in five World Cups, including the 2013 7s World Cup and 2014 XVs World Cup where Canada earned silver medals.
Brittany first started playing rugby at UVIC in 2005 and played out her five years of eligibility there. She returned to UVIC in 2012 as an assistant coach while training with the centralized 7s program. In 2015 Brittany took over as head coach and has since helped lead the team in winning two CanWest Championships and a National 7s Championship.
Coaching at UVIC and playing rugby at the National level simultaneously for over three years has provided Brittany with a greater understanding of the athlete/coach dynamic. This experience has provided her a unique look at both the athlete and coach perspective, and has helped her to become a better athlete and coach.
With increased stress on the body comes the risk of illness and possibly injury. This session will focus on ways nutrition can help protect you and help with your recovery from injury or illness.
This session will outline dietary strategies for athletes to help them match their increased training demands. The focus will look at adjusting carbohydrate, protein and antioxidant rich foods to maximize energy availability and training adaptations to support health and performance. Although this session will focus on food first solutions, discussion will look at situations where a tested sport supplement may be necessary
This session will explore the challenges that athletes can face when moving into the off season, when training load is significantly reduced. Nutrition strategies addressed will include periodizing nutrition, optimizing satiety, mindful eating practices, and recognizing hunger cues. Recommendations from this session can also be used during taper periods before competition.
Ashley is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Specialists in Sport Dietetics, with a degree in Nutrition & Dietetics from Acadia University, and a Masters in Exercise and Sport Science from the University of Sydney, Australia. Over the past several years Ashley has been working at the Canadian Sport Institute in Victoria, working closely with the National Men’s and Women’s Rugby 7’s team as well as with Triathlon Canada and within the National Mountain Bike program through Cycling Canada.
Beyond the performance support she provides athletes, Ashley is dedicated to their short- and long-term health. While immersed in rugby, she took a keen interest in the role of nutrition on brain health and concussion recovery. She has developed post-concussion recovery protocols for both rugby players along with other high risk athletes. Ashley is currently involved in a research project alongside Texas Christian University examining the role of DHA in sub-concussion injury risk in elite men’s and women’s rugby players.
Born in Vancouver, Canada, Sean Hayes was a competitive ski racer in his early teens. He brought his love of sports to the streets, where he picked up a skateboard and landed his first sponsor at 16. Sean traveled the world competing and doing demonstrations, as well being featured in many magazine interviews and cover shots. His keen interest in sports led him to enroll in the Sports Science program at Douglas College while recovering from a surgery. During this time he also took on the role Team Manager for DC Shoes (canada).
An amazing opportunity was given to Sean when he was given the opportunity work for Plan B Skateboards, and he took his experience to California to manage the worlds most elite team of professional skateboarders. He worked with athletes such as Ryan Sheckler, Paul Rodriguez, Colin McKay and many more. His role expanded as he took more responsibilities, executing athlete, and brand marketing initiatives internationally.
In 2010 Sean left his role as Team Manager to focus on his ever growing passion for high-performance coaching. Since then the athletes he’s worked with have won X-Games gold medals (Ryan Sheckler), Dew Tour Championships (Ryan Decenzo), and broke the Guinness World Record for the highest ollie (Aldrin Garcia).
His experience with elite athletes, global marketing strategies, and a social media savvy complemented his transition into the literary world, where he wrote his first book Five Weeks in the Amazon, following a successful Kickstarter campaign.
Sean can now be found spending his time between British Columbia and California, coaching Canada’s top professional skateboarders as they pursue their dreams to be the best skateboarders they can be.
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.”
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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.
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.
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.