April 13, 2014 (Canmore, Alberta) – Eric de Nys, former Cross Country Canada National Ski Team coach will be leading the newly formed WinSport Junior Ski Team program based in Canmore, Alberta.

A ten-year veteran of Canada’s national team coaching and technical staff, de Nys has led athletes at three Olympic Games, including Chandra Crawford who won a gold medal in Torino in 2006. A graduate of the National Coaching Institute after competing for Canada on its development squad, and at the 1994 World Junior Ski Championships, de Nys spent the last two seasons working as the National Ski Team’s women’s coach.

“Eric has played a critical role in developing many of Canada’s top skiers,” said Davin MacIntosh. “He is a proven performer, and his leadership of the WinSport Junior team will ensure that there is alignment and collaboration with national team programming – this represents a significant advantage for the future success of our program. Eric will bring a wealth of experience to the athletes at WinSport’s Junior Ski Team.”

The WinSport Junior Cross Country Ski Team is a year-round program for older junior cross country skiers that have graduated from high school. The objective of the program is to provide top quality training and racing opportunities specific to athletes in this stage of development with the goal that these athletes will progress to a Cross Country Canada National Development Centre and the National Ski Team. The program is fully aligned with Cross Country Canada’s Long Term Athlete Development Program.

This program is delivered by WinSport. WinSport is a not-for-profit winter sport institute that operates winter sport programs and facilities including Canada Olympic Park and the Olympic Oval in Calgary, the Bill Warren Training Centre at the Canmore Nordic Centre and the Beckie Scott High Performance Centre on the Haig Glacier.

Bow Valley College is launching an innovative post-secondary education program based in Canmore specifically designed for athletes in the program. The program (referred to as “Hub of Learning”) is also available to other athletes training and living in the Bow Valley. All athletes are automatically enrolled in the Hub of Learning Program. Bow Valley College teaching staff will work with athletes on an individual basis to determine each athlete’s post-secondary education goals and to devise and support a plan to work towards those goals while living and training in Canmore. Support will include post-secondary education navigation, study skills, time management for distance learning, coordination of students attending postsecondary institutions in Calgary and coordination of students taking distance learning courses.

For further details please contact at Mike Norton at m.norton@winsport.ca
Program guidelines