April 23, 2016 – The Cross Country Canada Women’s Committee hosted a Coaches’ Cocktail again this year at the Haywood Ski Nationals. The Committee presented a seminar in Whitehorse on March 20, 2016, delivered by Dr. Vicki Harber, a renowned expert in coaching female athletes. Following in the footsteps of last years’ very successful event, the seminar was presented in the evening, with food a beverages to encourage a social, informal sharing environment. The event was very successful, attracting 83 female and male coaches and team leaders to the two-hour seminar.

Seminar on inspiring excellence in female athletes © CCC

Vicki is Professor Emeritus at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, from the Faculty of Physical Education & Recreation. She is a member of the Canadian Sport for Life Leadership team and is helping to advance physical literacy and long-term athlete development across Canada. She understands that improving the quality of sport and physical activity for all Canadians requires much more than content knowledge; it is essential to work collaboratively and build relationships grounded in trust and humility.

The session discussed key features of creating a positive training environment for female athletes and provided specific prevention strategies to develop and maintain the health of female athletes, thereby encouraging their participation in competitive sport. The session began with an overview of how athletics have developed for female athletes. Dr. Harber encouraged coaches to examine their own practices critically with an eye to improving their training and competition environments for female athletes.

Dr. Harber then moved into the primary issues or injuries that cause female athletes to leave sport. She categorized these as mechanical injuries, energetic injuries, and injuries of the heart. Mechanical injuries include those things typically thought of as injuries – physical issues which limit or end an athlete’s ability to participate in sport. Energetic injuries refer to issues arising out of inadequate energy intake. Injuries of the heart refer to issues arising from psychological impacts related to training and competition cultures that do not foster the acceptance and belonging of all athletes.

Dr. Harber provided some concrete tips coaches can employ to minimize the risk of all three types of injuries. She encouraged coaches to educate themselves further on these issues and pointed them to myriad online resources to help them. The session wrapped up with a handout of take home pointers for coaches. This information is now posted on the CCC website – please take a look!