2016 BMX PROGRAM WRITTEN BY KEN COOLS NATIONAL BMX COACH PLEASE NOTE: ALL PROGRAMMING IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

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2016

BMX

PROGRAM

WRITTEN BY KEN COOLS – NATIONAL BMX COACH

PLEASE NOTE: ALL PROGRAMMING IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

This document is to provide a review of the 2015 season and also give insight on National Team planning for the

upcoming BMX season. It is important to note that programming may change at any time due to financial

circumstances, staffing, changes to the international BMX calendar, etc.

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The season was full of ups and downs as any sports team competing at an international level can encounter. Going into the 3rd year of the quadrennial there was a heavy push to do what was needed to prepare for 2016 and qualify as many athletes as possible for the Games. The main objective of the year was to attend all the World Cup SX events, Canada Cup races and World Championships so that the athletes had the best possible opportunities to earn Olympic Qualification points for the 2016 Rio Olympics. The extensive traveling for all the camps and races took its toll over the year and this season will go down in the books as one of the toughest physically and mentally. These challenges have shaped the program moving forward and the lessons learned by the athletes will mould them for future

competitions.

Athletes and staff did what they needed with full conviction in order to be as prepared as possible for the season. In the labs, test results proved that athletes were continually getting stronger and faster and this was evident as most athletes all preformed personal bests on the times to the kink, first jump and time trial laps on the SX track in Abbotsford. At most World Cups the athletes had tremendous practices at the event but were unable to translate how well they were going into performances due to a number of reasons. Mechanicals, crashes and injuries played a large role in the non‐performances over the year; the final outcomes are not a reflection on the progress and development pathway the athletes are currently projecting.

As it stands on November 21, 2015, Canada will only qualify one male athlete to the Olympic Games in Rio through the Nations rankings point system. Women were not able to rank high enough in Nations rankings to earn a spot. Elite Men are ranked 9th and Elite Women 14th on November 21st 2015. There is a chance that women can earn a spot through World Championships with a very good finish (top 2 spots who are not qualified). With the current ranking the program will be:

A) Supporting Tory Nyhaug road to the Olympics

B) Change the race focus from SX to USABMX and Euro Cups in order to continue the development of athletes for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

It was evident this year that our athletes have worked extremely hard and have extended themselves as much as they could, resulting in better athletes. Test scores both on and off the bike confirm that each of the athletes have continued to improve their strength, power and speed as well as becoming more technically proficient on the bikes. This evidence is what will drive the direction of the program over the next few years as we now head into a “learning to win” stage of the development path, the engines are built and now it’s in the best interest of the athletes to be given opportunities to acquire the entire package.

The race season will have a focus of USABMX and UCI Euro Round races in order to increase the amount of races were success can be had on a consistent basis, which will lead to greater confidence and self‐ belief. These races will have a high component of multiple laps over a course of the weekend and thus give the most chances of learning opportunities.

Moving forward the athletes that Cycling Canada will support are those that have the potential to compete in Tokyo in 2020 and beyond. This group will be named the "Elite" group, those athletes who are currently competing at a World Cup level. New to the program this year will be the group of

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athletes that comes up underneath the National team and will be a feeder program to the Elite team, this group will be called the NextGen program and will focus on athletes who are 14‐17 and are just coming out of the provincial programs or are at the technical level needed to be in order to compete on a SX track. This program will have two coaches who are based on either ends of the country; Adam Muys in BC will be based out of the Abbotsford SX track and Brendan Arnold will be out East in Ontario based out of the Etobicoke SX track. Both of these coaches will work closely with the National Coach in order to develop a streamline system of talent development at this age class.

A strong highlight to the program is the new SX track in Etobicoke ON, which was the home of the 2015 PanAm games. The installment of an International SX track into Eastern Canada is an incredible addition to development of top athletes in Eastern Canada and will be the home of Canada Cups, National Camps, NextGen Camps and provincial training camps. This can only help lead to the success of the younger athletes in the country.

The current staff for the National team has now been working together for 3 years and is a strong component for the future success of the program. These members are as follows:

• Ken Cools – National Coach

• Adam Muys – Manager/Coach

• Kit Wong – Strength and Conditioning Coach

• Dr. Jennifer Turner – Chiropractor/Lead Medical

• Dr. Andre Lui – Team Doctor

• Roger Friesen – Sports Psychologist & Mental Performance specialist

• Joanna Irvine – Nutrition/Supplementation

• Matt Jensen – Sport Scientist

• Andrea Wooles – IST Manager

• Alex Iche – Sports therapist (Europe)

Even though the year did not go as planned and many missed opportunities were had, there were a number of positives throughout the year. The following are a few highlights from the 2015 season:

• Continued development of the High Performance team and establishing a High Performance Daily Training Environment (DTE) while shifting athlete’s attitudes and actions into the culture of performance.

• Working on our team Vision – To be the best in the world!

• Training and developing each athlete through sessions on the BMX track. Building bigger engines with the help of a good strength and conditioning program and the implementation of a

sprinting program that would increase the speed and acceleration of each athlete.

• Incorporating a strong nutritional and supplementation plan that will run parallel with training programs to achieve maximum outcomes in training.

• New SX track in Etobicoke ON

• Selection camp in March allowed all Canadian athletes to earn their spot on the team over a two‐week camp that also got the team ready for competition season.

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• A large contingent of Junior Elite athletes earning a spot on the team, reflecting the potential the National team currently has making a strong base of athletes for the future.

• Tory Nyhaug came back from a major injury to finish 7th in Argentina and placed 2nd in the final World Cup of the year in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

• Tory Nyhaug dominated the field at the PanAm Games taking the win in front of the home crowd.

• Alex Tougas finished as the top 17‐year‐old at all SX events and also top Junior Elite at some of these events as well. He was also the top 17‐year‐old in Junior Elite class in the World

Championships time trial event.

• Daina Tuchscherer finishing 12th in Sweden: this was the highest placing by a Canadian Elite Woman since 2008.

• Staff – we have a great team and it is felt that we have it together compared to other countries. Our remote staff fits into the routine seamlessly.

• A revamped Abbotsford BMX track has given the team another really good training track at home that is in line with the technical level that the athletes compete on in international events.

• Olds Indoor has given Alberta riders a place to train over the winter period.

2.0

High

Performance

Competitions

in

2015

Going into the third year of the Olympic quadrennial the focus shifted to World Cup SX events and Canada Cup events to ensure the best possible chances for athletes to earn Olympic Qualification points. The year was very travel intensive and the following competition schedule was had:

• March 7‐18 – Pre Season Camp in Rockhill South Carolina

• March 20‐22 – Continental Championships and UCI C1 – Rock Hill, SC, USA

• April 17‐19 – Manchester (GBR)

• May 8‐10 – Papendal (NED)

• June 13‐14 – Toronto Canada Cup (PanAm Test Event)

• June 27‐28 – Abbotsford Canada Cup

• July 9‐11– PanAm Games Toronto

• Canadian National Championships July 17‐19 – Drummondville QC

• 2015 UCI BMX World Championships July 20‐26 – Zolder (BEL)

• August 14‐16 – Engelholm (SWE)

• August 28‐30 – Calgary Canada Cup

• September 4‐6 – Santiago del Estero (ARG)

• September 25‐27 – Rockhill (USA)

• October 1‐3 – Rio Test Event (BRA)

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3.0 Camps

in

2015

National Team Selection Camp: At the end of 2014 Sport Canada recommended that the number of

athletes named to the national team should not reach greater than 10. At that time there was a larger number of athletes already on the team, and there was also a new contingent of younger riders looking at earning their own spot on the team. Considering the numbers of athletes on the radar, a selection camp was planned during the time of the warm weather pre‐season camp in Rock Hill, SC, USA.

The main objective of this camp was to get the athletes ready to race on a SX track and finalize the preparation for the upcoming season. Over the 15‐day camp the athletes were graded on the physical, psychological, tactical and technical components of BMX, as well as their profiles as high performance athletes. During this time the athletes spent many sessions with Roger Friesen (Sport Psychologist) off the track, training their brains as much as they trained their bodies. Specific track sessions were laid out and times were taken on sections of the track to help select the team. At the end of the camp the riders raced the Continental Championships and UCI race in Rock Hill, SC (March 20‐22, 2015). These results were taken into strong consideration in the selection of the team.

There were challenges during the camp as it rained for the first 10 days straight and track was un‐ rideable. Athletes in the house also picked up a virus that was prominent in the area at the time, making most people sick with a 24‐hour bug at some point. Despite the challenges, at the end of the camp the objectives were reached.

Athletes attending camp:

1. Tory Nyhaug 2. James Palmer 3. Jim Brown 4. Alex Tougas 5. Brandon Reid 6. Deven Kawa 7. Chris White 8. Calvin McRae 9. Gaby Malenfant 10. Alex Wright 11. Kiran Kawa 12. Justin Tuchscherer 13. Jared Ennis 14. Bobby Worth 15. Amelia Walsh 16. Daina Tuchscherer 17. Morgan McAdams 18. Eliane McAdams 19. Drew Mechielsen

*Names that are highlighted were chosen to be on National Team

Talent ID Camps: Over the year camps in BC, Alberta and Ontario were held by provincial coaches and

also by the National team coaches when they were available. There has been good communication through this coaching network and all up‐and‐coming talent in the country has been identified. This process is never ending and continued camps will be held in the future.

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4.0

HP

BMX

team

objectives

for

2016

As we reflect on what we learned over the past year and especially the last three years of the program, the support staff has narrowed down a few key goals that the programs is looking to deliver in. The objectives of the 2016 program will be:

• To review the program that was delivered in 2015. Continue to do what went well and make adjustments to the areas that need improving;

• To further establish our High Performance culture as a team;

• To develop athletes into top Elites through non‐SX races. These races will be USABMX and Euro Rounds;

• To develop a training base in California;

• To designate the World Championships in Colombia as the pinnacle event of the season outside the Olympic Games;

• To focus on learning to win

• To maximize the number of UCI points in order to qualify for World Championships (this event offers the most points towards the Olympic qualification);

• To ensure athletes are physically prepared and capable of performing on the international stage by placing the training focus on the October 2015‐March 2016 period, with a heavy block of training in the gym;

• To stay healthy and WIN RACES;

• To establish a strong NextGen Program with clear communication between the coaches who run the program, the athletes who may one day be in the program and the rest of the BMX

community.

The following is proposed competition calendar for the National team:

2016 BMX COMPETITION CALENDAR

Dates Event Location

Jan. 8‐10 Silver Dollar Nationals Las Vegas, NV Feb. 19‐21 Gator Nationals Oldsmar BMX Oldsmar, FL

April 1‐3 UEC BMX European Cup ‐Round 1&2 Zolder Belgium April 8‐10 Manchester World Cup SX Manchester, GBR

April 15‐17 Valkenswaard UCI C1 1‐DAY Valkenswaard, NED

April 22‐24 Ahnatal UCI C1 2‐DAY Ahnatal, GER April 29‐May 1 Kampen UCI C1 2‐DAY Kampen, NED May 6‐8 Papendal World Cup SX Papendal, NED May 14‐15 Abbotsford UCI C1 1‐DAY Abbotsford, BC May 23‐29 World Championships Medellin, COL June 17‐19 Great Salt Lake Nationals South Jordan, UT

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July 1‐3 Drummondville UCI C1 1‐DAY Drummondville, QC

July 9‐10 Toronto UCI C1 1‐DAY Toronto, ON July 15‐17 Las Vegas Nationals Las Vegas, NV Aug. 5‐7 Steel City Nationals UCI C1 Pittsburgh, PA Aug. 26‐28 Calgary UCI C1 CN Calgary, AB Sept. 23‐25 Rock Hill World Cup SX Rock Hill, SC

5.0

Camps

2016

The following is proposed camp schedule for 2016: January – March: House in Chula Vista

• Help organize a location where athletes can stay for periods of time.

• Run NextGen Program Camps

March 30 – May 9: Stay at Base in Europe

• Compete at Manchester and Papendal World Cups

• Compete at 4 Euro Cup weekends

• All events are within driving distance of Cycling Canada base in Belgium

May 17‐22: Abbotsford World Championship Prep Camp

• Selected team for Worlds will go through some intense track session before heading out to Colombia.

July 4‐8: Toronto Camp

• Train on the PanAm track while most of the athletes are there. All eastern‐based athletes who have been talent ID’d will be invited to this camp.

August 22‐24: Calgary Camp

• Alberta‐based camp on track leading up to National Championships. This will allow us to invite Devo athletes and Provincial team

November/December: Milton Camp with Track Team

• Fitness‐based camp that will begin off‐season training to build solid aerobic base

• Train with Track Team (Coaches/Athletes) to learn lessons from their culture

• Different stimulus to keep minds active and potential introducing future track stars

Abbotsford Camps – run a number of camps through the year were we bring in athletes from outside the DTE and have focused weeks on technical components

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6.0

Selection

Criteria

The selection criteria for BMX training camps and international projects and events will be posted online at http://www.cyclingcanada.ca/bmx/national‐team/program/

Note: Specific camp and application details will be made available closer to the start dates.

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Selection

for

2016

World

Championships

2016 World Championships – Medellin Colombia – May 23‐29, 2016

For Elite Men, Elite Women, Juniors Men and Junior Women, the maximum number of riders for each nation is determined on the basis of the UCI classification by nation on Dec. 31 of the preceding season. Each federation shall be permitted to enter two reserves in each category. The UCI ranking by nations for the World Championships is calculated by adding the points scored by the three best‐placed riders of each nation for men (Junior and Elite separate), and by the two best‐placed riders of each nation for women (Junior and Elite separate). In addition to the nations qualified through the UCI BMX Nations Ranking, the following riders will also be qualified for the Elite world championships:

• Top‐16 Men Elite in the UCI BMX Individual World Ranking on Dec. 31 of the preceding season.

• Top‐8 Women Elite in the UCI BMX Individual World Ranking on Dec. 31 of the preceding season.

These riders are automatically qualified for the world championships and cannot be replaced by another rider. The following points were updated on Oct. 24, 2014, and this is our projected quota:

Class Number of athletes Qualified

Elite Men 3

Elite Women 1

Junior Men 6

Junior Women 4

There will be a World Championships selection policy that will be coming out shortly. Not all spots will be filled in the junior classes, as focus needs to be put toward those with SX experience and the Elites who will be competing for Olympic qualifying.

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8.0

NextGen

Program

The BMX NextGen Program is designed for athletes aged 14‐17 who posses the ability or the potential to obtain the ability to be a top Canadian Elite rider in Canada with the hopes of competing on the

International stage in their development.

In 2015 a NextGen group (which was called a Junior Development Group JDP) was taken to World Championships in Zolder, Belgium, alongside the National team who all stayed at the Cycling Canada base in Tielt‐Winge Belgium. This trip was an introduction to High Performance for the young riders and overall the trip was a great success. A big season is planned for the NextGen athletes for the upcoming year. Highlights of the plan include:

• A pre‐season warm‐weather camp in the US to get ready for the competition season;

• Hosting six NextGen development camps in Canada;

• A team of four to six athletes will be selected to go to Colombia as part of the Canadian team for the World Championships (May 25‐29).

BMX development camps: In 2016 our goal is to host six development camps, three in the east at the

Pan Am Games track in Toronto and three in the west in Abbotsford. We have tentatively set dates of May 11‐13 in Abbotsford and July 7‐10 in Toronto. The rest of the dates will be posted in the early spring. These camps will be open to all athletes 14‐17 years of age. At the camps athletes will work on skills to help prepare them for racing on the SX track.

The 2017 team selections will be based on performances at the Canada Cup races and Devo camps that will run across the country. Qualified athletes will be invited to go to east and west Devo camps that will be held in the fall (locations to be announced). During these fall NextGen camps there will be six to eight athletes who will then be invited to join the 2017 warm‐weather camp in the US, which will be held in March, 2017.

Selection for the NextGen team for Worlds: During the warm‐weather Junior Development camp a

team of four to six athletes will be selected to the NextGen Worlds team that will compete at the 2016 World Championships. The athletes will then work with the Devo coach, in collaboration with their club coach, in the lead up to the BMX SX World Championships.

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Conclusion

The program is progressing in a positive manner. Tory Nyhaug is hungry and healthy going into 2016 and all signs point to a successful year for this young man. The other men on the team are all improving daily and with some things going their way; performances are just around the corner.

The women on the team are now getting into the Elite age range and the talent the young ladies bring has put the women’s side of the team in contention for some great performances moving forward. These are all motivating points that keep driving everyone involved towards being great and achieving goals that have been set out. The future looks promising.

2016 BMX PROGRAM WRITTEN BY KEN COOLS NATIONAL BMX COACH PLEASE NOTE: ALL PROGRAMMING IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

PROGRAM

WRITTEN BY KEN COOLS – NATIONAL BMX COACH

CONTENTS

Performance

3.0 Camps

Athletes attending camp:

objectives

2016 BMX COMPETITION CALENDAR

Dates Event Location

Camps

Selection

Selection

2016 World Championships – Medellin Colombia – May 23‐29, 2016

Class Number of athletes Qualified

NextGen

Conclusion