Athlete Development

This is very interesting stuff and people should be paying attention.

I would like to comment further but my hands are tied for the moment.

About all I can say is that important changes ARE being discussed and if you have an opinion you should get it out there NOW.

I was hoping the Lister would respond here. That way he could get his point across without abusive ignorant postings for a "response". Since CC changed their policy today, he is free to have a somewhat hassle free opinion on CC. I hope he responds here. I appreciate what he has written so far.

Since I am banned on Canadian Cyclist Forum by its Editors Rob and Tracy Jones I cannot see what Lister wrote there.

Nothing on this subject as of yet.

Since I started the thread so Lister could have a abuse free forum, I will follow up on yet another shameless cut&paste from the CC forum with Lister's response. I found it quite interesting...as expected:

Thanks Andy. There is a CCA project to write a new model that uses new knowledge of early windows of development in children in skill, aerobic power and strength, that were not mentioned in the earlier model.

This is an important initiative because most of these windows occur before CCA progams begin. So we either continue to do what we can with abilities developed before kids reach orgnaized cycling, or we have to think of ways to influence children's development.

My committee has not been invited to take part in the exercise, though I do paid work for two other sports in the same area, and implementing the model is the committee's mandate.

Re: delays due to my participation. I'm not sure why the anonymous poster is saying this. If it's because my committee suggested alternatives to several decisions (by staff now resigned ) regarding Sprockids, then I'm guilty as charged. I note that most of these decisons have been reversed by new COO Steve Lacelle.

In 2003 we suggested launching Sprockids as a CCA program in a major media market instead of as planned in Gibson's BC, a ferry ride from Vancouver. It was held in Gibson's, and one journalist from a small web site attended. No release was sent out. No national coverage was received.

In the same year, we suggested cheap, video-based online training for Sprockids leaders to avoid the bottleneck that live courses are. Instead it was offered for $175.

We suggested optional or cheap materials to keep the price of a Sprockids program down. Instead a compulsory package including a poster, stickers, socks, 4 bottles, a passport etc. at a cost of $35 per kid was ordered at considerable expense to the CCA.

We suggested a promotional effort to use the Athens Olympians as spokespeople for SprocKids . I wrote the proposals to media relations companies, as requested by the Director General, to help convince journalists across Canada to carry stories that would reach parents. A well-known company agreed to provide this service worth much more than our budget. The $5000 budget was cut without explanation.

In the last 3-6 months, the Sprockids online course has been offered free, a marketing plan including consumer advertising has been drafted, and the compulsory materials made optional, thanks to Steve Lacelle.

We have advocated finishing and launching the level 1 BMX coach education course for some time. Kris Westwood agreed this spring to help move this forward.

'Seems to me our actions are appropriate. If it's something else, I'd love to know.

Lister has worked hard in developing the younger kids, younger than I have any experiecne working with.

My no-nonense, do-your friggin' job approach doesn't work with little kids, hell it doesn't work with some big, soft, kids, just makes them cry.

I defer to Lister for most ideas on development for riders under 16 or 17.

Lisdter has worked hard to imporve things with project like Sprockids. He has had to do so wihtout much help in the past from the CCA. Things seem to be changing as the old guard is dumped or/and replaced.

I hope I will have a chance to develop and market nationally soem of the plans and project Lister has.

He and Leslley Tomlinson seem to be on the same page when it coems to much of this stuff.

I support them both in their efforts.

Eddie Arzouian said:

Lister has worked hard to imporve things with project like Sprockids. He has had to do so wihtout much help in the past from the CCA.

It's never quite this clear. Doug Detwiller is the genius behind the Sprockids concept, the self-esteem approach etc. Lesley Tomlinson and Alison Sydor and their friends among the pros helped implement it locally, and sell it to the CCA. Pierre Hutsebaut agreed to have it adopted by the CCA and applied for the Sport Canada funding. Pierre told our committee to help guide it, but as you have seen from the above examples, something went wrong for a while...well more than a while. I'm guessing that is what the anonymous poster on CC.com is referring to. 'Probably not worth dwelling on, since Steve Lacelle seems to agree with us now.

L