The entirety of all that Carol Huynh has ever accomplished in her life made her an ideal choice for the role of Assistant Chef de Mission for Team Canada at the upcoming 2016 Olympic Summer Games in Rio. That the two-time Olympic medalist in wrestling, and CSI Calgary Next Generation coach, was handpicked for the job astonished Huynh, “I was surprised, bigtime surprised! I heard through the grapevine last fall that it might happen, but when the call came in October I was still surprised. It boggles my mind that they chose me.”

Sometimes small changes can make a big difference. For the Canadian men’s water polo team the change was simple – move two of ten weekly sessions from their usual training centre, to the CSI Calgary. It wasn’t until this strategy shift in the fall, along with a recent coaching change and collaboration with staff at the CSI Calgary, that the team’s eyes were opened to the benefits of the institute’s setting and services.

The impact on the team was dramatic. Long-time veteran and goaltender Robin Randall describes what changed for the team, “At our main venue there weren’t a lot of athletes around and we were a bit isolated, but at CSI Calgary we were able to interact with the other athletes and get to know them. It created a sense of Team Canada for us, in that we are all Team Canada”.

According to the team’s strength coach, Jeff Osadec, this modest change led to a palpable shift in team culture. “It changed the way they trained, they were now in an environment where they were surrounded by their peers from different sports and became a part of the CSI Calgary system and family.”

CSI Calgary staff worked closely with the team’s coaches and managers. Osadec’s focus was working on the basics. He says, “because water polo is a skill-based sport where there isn’t a lot of transfer from the gym to the pool, the emphasis was on getting the athletes fit, strong and able to recover.” It wasn’t long before everyone noticed a difference. Randall confirms that, “the work we did with Jeff helped give us more confidence in our strength, which translated to the pool in many ways, like having more stability on defence.”

A new training sequence was worked into the program by physiologist Dr. David Smith, and nutritionist Kelly Drager helped the men reach their needs of 5000-7000 calories a day. John Conway, an attacker, says “the level of expertise and professionalism in all sporting areas across CSI Calgary has given our team the tools we need to compete at an elite level.”

At the recent Olympic qualifying tournament in Trieste, Italy, the team fell devastatingly short of earning their ticket to Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Olympics. Despite posting a comeback tie against Hungary in the preliminary stages – an unprecedented result that drew praise from other teams – a loss against Spain in the quarterfinals closed the book on this Olympic cycle. Conway sums up the disappointment that is still sinking in, “The difference in qualifying was one goal. As much of a heartbreak as that is, it can still be seen as a huge positive as we are within inches of qualifying for the Olympics.”

Even still, there is a bright outlook for the future. “This team is the best we’ve ever fielded” says Randall. “We’ve never had a team of this quality before; it’s the greatest group of guys ever.” Adds Conway, “Our group has known for a while that we could do great things. Canada has been, and will continue to be, a top contending team in the sport of water polo.”

Canadian Sport Institute Calgary: @csicalgary
Written by Kristina Groves: @kngrover
Photo by Dave Holland: @csicalgaryphoto

Fixed gear. Banked turns. No brakes. High speed. Sound crazy? For two-time World Track Cycling Championship medalist, Allison Beveridge, the rush of the track is hard to beat. Her favourite part is going fast. “The thrill of riding the track never really wears off no matter how many times you’re on it or how old you get.” Young, fledgling cyclist, Ryder Knoll, 11, shares the same thrill. Of the first occasion he tried the track, he says, “It was really fun and a little scary because I had never tried it before. I was scared that I might crash.”

Both Beveridge and Knoll have had the opportunity to hone their skills at the Calgary Velodrome. Beveridge says, “Local tracks allow individuals to start training and gain racing experience from a young age. The tactical and technical skills I learned when I was younger have proved to be a big asset to me over the years.”

Recently however, the Calgary Bicycle Track League (CBTL) has struggled to find qualified staff to run its programs. To help fill this void, CSI Calgary cycling coach Phil Abbott spearheaded a unique and innovative collaboration between the CSI Calgary and the CBTL.

Today, the CSI Calgary provides a pool of staff to run the track and CBTL programming. The goal is to put high quality coaches in place to ensure effective program delivery and athlete development, and to increase participation in the sport. Adds Abbott, “One of the key things necessary to effectively develop track cyclists is for the velodrome to be functioning to its capacity and that’s what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Program manager, former national team speed skater, Phil Riopel, wears many hats around the track – equal parts coach, race director and maintenance crew. He describes the experience of a young girl who came to try the track last summer, “At first, she was scared and intimidated. She started on the apron (flat infield), then very slowly went up onto the track. After half an hour or so I looked away for maybe two minutes, and next thing I see is this girl up on the rail at the top of the track, coming down the bank. She had a huge smile on her face and yelled, ‘This is awesome!’”

The next step is encouraging new riders to return and learn the sport. For Knoll, the hardest part is stopping as there are no brakes on a track bike. But he’s working hard on that and other things like, “strategy, getting fitter and learning a lot of new skills”, precisely the kinds of things Abbott is looking for. “We can’t assume that talented 19 year-old cyclists will just show up on our doorstep. We said, let’s look deep down at the athlete development model and see what we can do. We don’t want to leave anything to chance.”

Knoll’s father, Mark, himself a former speed skater and Olympian, is enthusiastic about his son’s new sport. “We thought it would be a great thing to try and for him to develop his skills on a bike. He has really taken a shine to the sport, and likes the chance to meet new friends and race his awesome bike when he can.”

Thanks to this new and symbiotic relationship between the CSI Calgary and CBTL, there is now a place and opportunity for young riders like Ryder to develop alongside some of the best track cyclists in the world, like Allison Beveridge. And what advice does he have for new riders? “I would tell them to try it the first chance they get because it is really, really fun.”

Canadian Sport Institute Calgary: @csicalgary
Written by Kristina Groves: @kngrover
Photo by Dave Holland: @csicalgaryphoto

The Canadian Long Track Speed Skating Team is doing extraordinary things, both on and off the ice. Recently wrapping up a breakthrough season for many athletes, the team has found a formula for success.

Canadian Sport Institute Calgary Mental Performance Consultant Derek Robinson has been a catalyst for the new team culture. Among a number of new ideas, Robinson implemented a new team custom which has athletes sign the Canadian flag when they qualify for a racing team. The athletes then have a second signing ceremony if they win an international medal.

Robinson, who works with teams including Speed Skating Canada, Alpine Canada and Hockey Canada says, “One of the great things about the CSI Calgary is how they foster personal development. The CSI Calgary encourages its staff to work with established industry leaders, coaches, and support staff. I have learned more about the psychology of performance from working with people who truly understand what it takes to win the right way than I ever did in graduate school.”

What prompted Robinson to create this unique tradition? He believes, “The psychology of performance is about the team culture. In reality, to compete against the best in the world under pressure you must be a team. You cannot do it by yourself. The challenge is how do we become a unified team? It starts with knowing the values that drive our culture and the foundation of what we are about and how we do things. The Canadian flag is signed by members of this team because there is deep personal meaning for our athletes to compete for Canada. It is the identity of the team that matters.”

One of Speed Skating Canada’s new stars, Heather McLean, took the world by storm this season winning four World Cup medals. Of the flag signing ritual, she says, “It's such a unique and Canadian tradition! I am inspired by the flag ceremony because I am so focused on my own races during the competition that I lose track of the bigger picture and the flag signing always brings it back. I love to observe and learn from other elite athletes and hearing what they have to say about their performances is really inspiring.”

As the team’s custom proves, talk is trivial unless it is backed by a strong belief and daily embodiment of the ideals. Robinson emphasizes, “Unless you are in the room with these people, you can not really appreciate what these words are saying, let alone the passion and emotional experience of the athlete who signs the flag.”

Canadian Sport Institute Calgary: @csicalgary
Written by Brittany Schussler: @BSchussler
Photo by Dave Holland: @csicalgaryphoto