September 9, 2008 (Thunder Bay, ON) – Adam Kates is a former member of Canada’s junior, U23 and senior National teams and was the 2006 overall Canadian champion in the Open Men’s category. Recently, Kates accepted a coaching position with the Lakehead XC partnership in Thunder Bay, Ontario where he takes over the coaching duties for the Lakehead University Thunder Wolves and The Big Thunder Nordic Ski Club. This year, Kates was the inaugural winner of the Heinz Niederhauser memorial coaching award, in memory of the longtime coach who passed away while skiing in Duntroon, Ontario in the winter of 2008. We caught up with Kates as he settles into his new role as head coach.

First off congratulations on being the recipient of the inaugural Heinz Niederhauser award.
Adam Kates: Thanks.

You’ve received many awards throughout your career – does this award mean more having known Heinz and his impact on the sport of xc skiing?
AK: I wouldn’t necessarily say many but the Heinz Niederhauser award was definitely a great honor. Like many others who were close to him, Heinz was one of my favourite people on the circuit. Not only has the sport of cross-country skiing in Canada lost a great part of its community but we have all lost a great person and a great friend. While most of the awards that I have won end up in a shoe box in my parent’s basement, this is one that I will always keep and cherish for a long time to come.

This spring you were named the Head Coach at your alma mater, Lakehead University. How has it been returning to Thunder Bay?
AK: It’s funny as I keep leaving Thunder Bay, and yet always seem to end up back here. I have lived here on and off since 1999 and have experienced the best of the city and the amazing ski community here. The fact that a city of just over 100,000 people boasts four ski centers, two local clubs, a University Varsity team as well as a National Team Development Centre proves that cross-country skiing is a pretty big deal in Northwestern Ontario. It is great to be a part of a city and a community that share my passion for the sport.

You were a National ski team athlete for a number of years – what did you learn from that experience that you can bring to your new job?
AK: How much time and space do you have? My years as an elite ski racer were great. I learned a lot about myself, saw parts of the world that I probably would never have had the opportunity to see, and met many of the people with whom I am closest to today, including my girlfriend and most of my best friends. If I have one regret it’s that I did not reach my full potential due to mistakes with training and the approach I took to my life as a skier. I was always an intense, results-focused athlete and did not take enough time to stop and realize what an amazing life experience being an elite athlete was.

I think that the main ideal that I try to instill in any athlete that I coach is that enjoyment of the process is as important as the end result. If you are fortunate enough to be a ski racer, especially at a high level, treat every day as if you are living on borrowed time. Elite athletes are privileged to experience an amazing lifestyle, however it is not a career that can last forever. If you get the chance to live that privileged lifestyle you should make the most of every second, because once the ride ends and the park closes… it’s time to get a real job!

Of the many coaches you’ve had is there one in particular that shaped you as an athlete?
AK: Helen Lindfors, my first coach – no doubt about it. Great lady, amazing technician and one of the best support systems I have ever had access to, and all on a purely volunteer basis! I give her most of the credit for the results that I achieved throughout my career as a racer and hope to be as valuable a resource to my athletes as she was to me.

Care to share any of your coaching philosophies with skitrax.com readers?
AK: Wax On Wax Off! I think that this line from the classic 1980’s movie The Karate Kid says it all. I believe in Waxing On… training hard and putting everything you have into every workout. I believe in taking racing seriously and with the principal that if you are going to slack off, then a couch with a carton of ice cream is the place for you, not my training session. I strongly believe that to be a great cross-country skier one must be mentally tough, physically talented, focused on achieving one’s goals, and willing to sacrifice other aspects of one’s life in order to be the best.

I also believe in Waxing Off… having the foresight to step away from life as a racer and being able to enjoy other, equally meaningful, aspects of life. I believe that when it’s time to rest it is not only time to recover physically from training but time to get away from being an athlete and regenerate mentally. I feel strongly that the best skiers in the world are serious but relaxed, passionate but balanced, dedicated but well rounded, intense and yet easy going. In essence they are the perfect combination of the desire to win with the maturity to understand that results are not the only things that define who they are.

You have an Ontario Teachers College certificate – so is coaching, a combination of your passion for skiing and teaching, your dream job ?
AK: The more I coach the more I am glad that I took this job. I am also on the Occasional Teacher list for the Lakehead District School Board so it will be a busy year for sure, however I am looking forward to continuing to be involved with young people, whether it be in the classroom or on the trails. As for coaching being my dream job, if the truth be told I’d probably switch with Tom Brady (quarterback for the New England Patriots) if the opportunity presented itself, but this gig is a pretty close second.

Many coaches source the Norwegians and other Euro nations for coaching knowledge. With the recent success North American athletes on the World Cup, are we on the right track and do you believe we can look to our own system now?
AK: I think that, historically the Europeans, in particular the Scandinavians, have had more success due as much to greater participation numbers rather than to better coaching. Not to take anything away from foreign coaches and the results that their athletes achieve but I am confident that there are enough great coaches across North America to propel our athletes to the level that they need to be at to compete amongst the best in the world. The results speak for themselves.

The North American women’s contingent of Randall and Crawford won three of four skate sprints on the World Cup last year. The men with Newell, Koos and Kershaw are showing that they amongst the best sprinters in the world on a consistent basis, and year after year North American juniors and U23 racers are able to compete with the best juniors from around the world. To the best of my knowledge, the programs that these athletes follow are mostly the work of North American coaches, proving that we can do things our way and still be amongst the best in the world. Who knows, in a few years maybe Canadian and American coaches will be the ones in high demand.

Adam, thanks for your time.
AK: My pleasure.