BMX Camps Update
April 7, 2004 – With the announcement that BMX will be included in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the CCA is more committed than ever to fully integrating BMX into its national team programs. The first steps have already been taken in 2004: several athletes will be funded to compete at the world championships; BMX athletes are now eligible to receive financial support from Sport Canada's Athlete Assistance Program (also known as carding); and BMX is being integrated into the programs of our national cycling centres.
With that in mind, it is crucial that Canadian BMX athletes are given the tools they need to perform to their full potential. Our national cycling centre coaches are experts in the physiological and mental training of athletes according to the demands of their sport, but we need to know exactly what those demands are in BMX in order to move ahead. At the same time, the top Canadian BMX athletes and coaches have a wealth of technical knowledge that can only be gained from years of competition.
Our goal is to combine the best of both worlds by bringing BMX athletes and coaches together with national cycling centre coaches to share their expertise. In 2004, we will do this through two training camps, one in
Airdrie, Alberta and the other in Bromont, Quebec. These short
camps will give us the opportunity to build a foundation of knowledge that, we hope, will help Canada become a world leader in BMX development. The Airdrie camp will be held from June 31 to July 2, immediately prior to the Western Canada Cup event in the same town. Olympic Oval National Cycling Centre coach Tanya Dubnicoff will lead the camp, with the
assistance of John Cools of the Airdrie BMX Club and sports physiologist
Dr. Conan Cooper of the Oval. The athletes will learn the fundamentals of training, explore areas they can improve and get technical tips and pointers from the experts. They will also undergo physiological testing, which will allow our coaches to begin gathering the data they need to better understand BMX.
The CCA is strongly encouraging all athletes planning to compete in the BMX
World Championships in Valkenswaard to attend the camp. Enrollment is
limited so please apply as early as possible. The deadline for registration is June 23, and there is no cost to the participants.
Information on the second camp, which will be held around the time of the
National Championships in Iberville, Aug. 28-29, will be available after
the Airdrie camp. For more information please contact Kris Westwood at the CCA office.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
