In March 2020, Team BC partnered with Canadian Sport Institute Pacific (CSI Pacific) to create the Team BC Games Prep Program, an initiative to help the province’s best athletes prepare for the Canada Games. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the postponement of the Canada Summer Games to 2022, the program was put on hold to protect the health and well-being of our sport community. New for the 2022 Canada Summer Games, the revamped program will grant not only potential Team BC athletes but also gives coaches access to CSI Pacific’s suite of Athlete Coach Services, previously only available to targeted provincial and national team athletes and coaches. This exciting initiative is set to officially launch on July 5, 2021.
“The Canadian Sport Institute Pacific is extremely pleased to partner with Team BC to support Canada Games athletes and coaches,” said Dave Hill, CSI Pacific’s Director of System Enhancement. “While sport moves forward from the pandemic, the Canada Games offers a great opportunity to rebuild our country through sport by bringing communities together to celebrate excellence, culture, and Canadian resilience. CSI Pacific is honoured to be a part of this journey, which will help athletes and coaches move their dream to reality!”
The program aims to provide Team BC’s athletes and coaches with access to services and resources that will prepare them to compete at their best, as they move up the high performance pathway and represent the province at the national stage. Athletes and coaches long-listed by their respective Provincial Sport Organization (PSO) will receive pre-Games support similar to CSI Pacific’s Provincial Development level. While many athletes and coaches that compete at the Canada Games are already targeted and part of CSI Pacific’s program, the Games Prep Program reaches a greater number of athletes and coaches and provides them access to valuable services and resources they may not have been eligible for before. An additional resource included in the revamped program is the addition of a Performance Coordinator, within CSI Pacific, who will administer and coordinate this program, as well as providing enhanced performance planning and coach development support to PSOs.
“We are incredibly excited about this initiative and the partnership with CSI Pacific,” said Jarret Poitras, Team BC’s Operations Manager. "The intent of this initiative is to provide support services that will help prepare Team BC's athletes for what will likely be for many the highest level of competition in their young athletic careers. This year we are proud to support BC’s top coaches through this program by providing advanced coach development opportunities and performance planning which will in turn help prepare their teams and athletes for peak performances at the Canada Games. Athletes and coaches have been challenged and restricted throughout the pandemic, so we’re excited to launch this program and start to see them in action as they prepare for next summer’s Games.”
Provincial Sport Organizations will need to submit their long lists to Team BC between July 5th and October 31, 2021. Once the long lists are approved by CSI Pacific and Team BC, athletes will be able to contact their respective Regional Centre to register and begin accessing high performance benefits, programs, and services. The Games Prep Program is being implemented for the first time for the 2022 Canada Summer Games, but the plan is for this program to become a permanent fixture within the Team BC program for future Canada Games.
For more information on the suite of Athlete and Coach Services being provided to Team BC's athletes and athletes, click on the following link: http://www.csipacific.ca/athletes/benefits/
About Canadian Sport Institute Pacific
Offering world-class Olympic and Paralympic training environments in Vancouver, Whistler and Victoria, Canadian Sport Institute Pacific (www.csipacific.ca) is committed to Powering Performance. Inspiring Excellence. Working with national sport organizations and fuelled by our national and provincial partners such as Sport Canada, viaSport, Own the Podium, Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee and the Coaches Association of Canada, we are driven by our mantra to Collaborate. Serve. Innovate.
Our team of sport science, sport medicine, coaching & life services experts provide leading-edge programs and services to athletes and coaches to ensure they have every advantage to win medals for Canada. Learn more: www.csipacific.ca.
About Team BC
Team BC brings together the best athletes, coaches, managers, and mission staff to represent British Columbia at the Canada Summer and Winter Games. Team BC will send a delegation of 500 athletes, coaches, managers, and mission staff to represent British Columbia at the 2022 Canada Summer Games in Niagara, Ontario from August 6 – August 21. Visit www.teambc.org for the latest news and updates.
Media contact:
Noah Wheelock
General Manager, Operations & Communications
wheelock@csipacific.ca
C: 250-220-2534