September 17, 2003 (Calgary, AB) – With an expanded focus on achieving both academic and athletic excellence, coaches, Olympians and Canadian sport leaders gathered with young athletes on Wednesday, September 17, 2003 to celebrate the official opening of the new National Sport School.

The unique and innovative school, newly relocated into more modern facilities at Ernest Manning High School in Calgary, uses technology to offer web-based learning and an adaptable year-round education schedule to accommodate the demanding training regime of future summer and winter Olympians.

The official opening of the school comes four months after CODA and the Calgary Board of Education renewed a five-year partnership agreement that will see an expansion in programs, and the potential to grow the school from its current enrollment of 96 to meeting the educational needs of 200 high-performance athletes from Grades 9 through 12.

“Without the National Sport School, education suffers and many of Canada's top young athletes would be unable to finish high school while competing,” said Deidra Dionne of Red Deer, Alta., a graduate of the school, who won a bronze medal in freestyle aerials at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. “The school was vital in teaching me time management skills and balancing my training with full-time education successfully. These skills will help me in my sport, but more importantly in my life after skiing.”

Dionne helped open the school while traveling through Calgary en route from her first World Cup competition of the season in Australia, to a high-performance training camp in Lake Placid, NY.

The National Sport School combines the latest in technology with a supportive individualized program to meet the needs of young high-performance athletes who spend most of their time training and competing in different locations around the world. Initially formed eight years ago, the school has consistently graduated student-athletes from across the country that are ranked amongst the top academic performers in the province.

“Effective, innovative education programs for Canada's athletes is core to CODA's plan to develop the country's first Canadian Centre of Sport Excellence,” said John Mills, president, CODA. “The National Sport School, with year-round operation, teacher-based programming, and web-based learning is core to our vision.”

“This school is another example of the Calgary Board of Education providing quality education within a customized, flexible environment,” said Gordon Dirks, chairman, Calgary Board of Education. “We are committed to developing athletes as top students and national role models for youth.”

In addition to officially opening the new facility, CODA's Sport Committee Chairman, Jack MacDonald, announced that Richard Pressé would serve as the first principal in the school's history. Working with Matt Christison, principal of Ernest Manning High School and Cathy Faber, system principal, learning services, Pressé will focus his efforts on growing the program and developing a critical mass of high-performance student-athletes from across the country.

“This school is unique in Canada and supports learning for students training in many summer and winter sports,” said Pressé, the newly recruited principal who moved from Midland, Ont. this summer. “Our goal is to help support developing high-performance athletes achieve excellence academically while pursuing their dreams of Olympic gold.”

Student-athletes benefit from the same grants available to other public-school students in Alberta. The year-round schedule and individualized program requires additional resources, which are offset through additional program fees and CODA's financial support.

CODA is Canada's leader in developing Olympic winter sport excellence from the grassroots level to the country's best athletes. A not-for-profit organization, CODA financially supports national sport organizations, educational opportunities and subsidizes the operation of unique training and recreational facilities used by the nation's top athletes and the general public including: Canada Olympic Park; the Olympic Oval; the Ice House; Haig Glacier; and the Bill Warren Training Centre at the Canmore Nordic Centre. The country's largest private financial supporter of Olympic winter sport, CODA is working to create the nation's first Canadian Centre of Sport Excellence in southern Alberta where athletes can access world-leading advanced human and technical resources and training facilities. For more information on CODA, or the Canadian Centre of Sport Excellence, please contact www.ccose.com on the Internet.