2023/24 Provincial Development Program
Overview
The Triathlon Ontario Provincial Development Program (“PDP”) consists of four main areas. The overriding objective of the Program is to support and prepare athletes and coaches for long term success in draft legal racing at the national and international levels.
The four areas the Program focusses on are as follows:
Racing Environment
Having a provincial series available for all demographics within the development pathway is critical for the development of tactical, technical and emotional skill sets necessary to be competitive in national and international racing. Ontario is one of three Provinces that has developed a provincial draft legal racing program. The ability to experience draft legal racing early and in “your own back yard” can not be over stated. Triathlon Ontario’s series is one of the most competitive and provides exceptional race experiences to developing athletes as young at 14.
The PDP oversees the running of and operations of the following relevant provincial competitions: Youth Cup Series, Junior Cup Series, Elite/U23 Series, Ontario Summer Games, Youth Club Championships, Draft Legal Provincial Championships and if applicable, Canada Summer Games.
Coach Education and Development
The Program actively supports and promotes the pursuit of professional certification and education through the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP). This is done by overseeing the execution and certification of the program in the province and assisting with accessing financial support through the Coaching Association of Ontario. As well as by working with individual coaches to offer mentoring opportunities and other professional development opportunities where possible.
Training Environment
There are two primary areas where the Program works to improve and enhance athlete’s opportunities for daily training environments.
1) Club Support – The Program has access to resources and services that not all current clubs do. The Program runs targeted, specific training and education opportunities that are open to any athlete and coach in the province to participate in at little to no financial cost. These opportunities include access to nutritional and mental strength seminars, experts in specific fields like swimming or running during camps or clinics, track certifications. The Program also provides training camps and training days throughout the Province that provide opportunities for athletes to train together in larger groups and be exposed to coaches with International coaching experience in multisport and single sport arenas.
2) Team Ontario – Team Ontario is a full service training program run by the province according to national and provincial training and development. Team Ontario operates within the Provincial Development Program to bring International Triathlon experienced coaching to athletes and mentor coaches across the province. Team Ontario provides a daily performance environment for athletes training out of it’s centres, in addition to providing programming support for athletes who do not have youth triathlon infrastructure in their community. The coaching staff is NCCP Competition Stream certified and provides planning, organizing and assessment of the camps and clinics operated through the PDP. These programs are based on the sports best practices and operated with support through our sport science partners.
Education and Event Support
The PDP is involved in a number of other areas that help supports athletes, parents and coaches. These areas include:
- Developing resource materials and a resources library accessible to anyone in the province located on the website.
- Oversee and standardize the draft legal certification process
- Provide direction and support to understand the Triathlon Canada’s policies such as the SMARTABASE system, and athlete information and tracking.
- Guide athletes on International racing accreditation including International Competition Card and Pre-Participation Exam. Both required by World Triathlon and Triathlon Canada to race outside Canada.
- Allocate provincial grant/funding, if available.
In 2023, Triathlon Ontario received provincial funding under the Quest for Gold program to be used for development programming support. As a result, Triathlon Ontario created an objective event support matrix. Funding support is available to Elite, U23 and Junior athletes under the following matrix.
Worlds – Top 15 $1,000, Selection $500
Continental Championships – Top 10 $750, Selection/Participation $300
Junior World Qualifier – Top 10 $750, Selection/Participation $300
North American Championships – Top 5 $500, Participation $200
Nationals – Top 3 $250
The Provincial Development Program (PDP) is built on an Athlete Development Model (ADM) based on analysis of the sport of triathlon along the full development pathway working with our partners to develop and implement a system that provides athlete’s with an understanding of the demands of the sport from community level to International level competition.
Since 2014, Triathlon Ontario’s Provincial Coach has worked closely with Triathlon Canada in many ways to ensure that Ontario athletes and Triathlon Ontario’s mandate is heard at the National level. The Provincial coach also sits on TC committees that are developing training and assessment policies for national programs and athlete development, currently he is leading the development of an Athlete Skills Matrix for Triathlon Canada’s updated Long Term Athlete Development Model. As one of only three Master Coach Developers in the country, he has certified numerous Provincial coaches through the National Coaching Certification Program.
Since 2009, Triathlon Ontario’s Provincial Coach has had over 25 International Coaching assignments through Triathlon Canada and Barbados Federation of Island Triathletes (BFIT) including World Championships, Pan AM Games and Regional Championships, World Cups and WTCS events. This experience has provided an exceptional understanding of the how the sport has evolved and how the technical, tactical and physical demands of the sport at the top levels of the sport do not always align with our Provincial level competition. It is this insight that guides the programs structure and delivery.
Athletes need to be prepared and to execute in one to two hour events in what has become an global sport, with the need to travel to three or four different parts of the world. Successful athletes need to be problem solvers and independent learners and need to be able to make informed choices in training as well as in life. For over 20 years Triathlon Ontario’s Provincial Coach has specialized in developing Youth/Junior and U23 programs with a single focus on the draft legal pathway, working with athletes who have stood on the podium at Provincial and National Championships, World Cups and World Championships.
2023/2024 Programming
October 7th Provincial Training Day #1
- A swim session featuring technical assessments and strength development, with a 200m baseline time trial
- A track session focusing on run strength and efficiency, introduction of plyometrics, foot speed and agility, balance and a gait analysis
- An orientation session of the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario (CSIO) facilities and services that will be provided to Triathlon Ontario through the recently announced partnership between Triathlon Ontario and CSIO through the Project Sport Initiative in which Triathlon Ontario was only two of 22 applications selected.
November 25th Provincial Training Day #2
- A swim session incorporating a 2 beat kick to improve catch and rotation and rhythmic Core engagement and streamlined body position using monofins, longer aerobic strength sets
- A track session focused on speed development (sprinting), technical exercises (posture, positioning, placement), agility and foot speed
- CSIO seminar discussing training load stress and recovery, energy systems and adaptation
January 13th Provincial Training Day #3
- A swim session
- A track session (both sessions will focus on balancing speed and efficiency
- CSIO seminar
February 3rd Provincial Training Day #4
- A swim technical swim session building on 200m swim and swim efficiency
- A track session focused on how to improve run efficiency by integrating form drills into your run form
- CSIO seminar understanding training zones and adaptation
March 30th Provincial Training Day #5
- Brick workouts – on the indoor track using stationary bikes and indoor track. It will include multiple short high intensity brick repeats.
- Swim – race simulation sets. Broken 400 – 600m sets with a focus on front end speed, back end speed and surges. Athletes will also practice pack swimming and in the pool.
- CSIO Seminar – How training each energy system alters your body
April 6th Provincial Swim Time Trial #1
- Athletes will be seeded in groups of three based on the swim time posted during the registration. Three athletes run at a time in race format, depending on number of total participants numbers per heat may vary. All time trials will be video taped and hand timed. Videos will be posted online so they can be linked to SMARTABASE if they are to be used for Triathlon Canada’s ratified time submission.
April 17th Provincial Training Day #6
May 25th Provincial Swim Time Trial #2
- Athletes will be seeded in groups of three based on the swim time posted during the registration. Three athletes run at a time in race format, depending on number of total participants numbers per heat may vary. All time trials will be video taped and hand timed. Videos will be posted online so they can be linked to SMARTABASE if they are to be used for Triathlon Canada’s ratified time submission.
Online Seminar Series
Focusing on nutrition and injury prevention and wellness. The seminars will be run by Registered Physiotherapist Allyson Moore and Registered Dietitian Debora Sloan
Schedule & Topics
Seminar #1: Fundamentals of Sport Nutrition (November 30th)
This seminar will cover main areas of concern for athletes as they increase training volume and intensity – areas such as nutrition periodization, caloric debt, nutrient timing, macro and micro nutrients, fueling training sessions, recovery nutrition and hydration considerations and guidelines.
Seminar #2: Overview of Injury Prevention for Triathletes (December 21st)
This seminar will cover empowering athletes with knowledge to prevent injuries & optimize their performance. Key topics will include: injury recognition & early intervention – understanding the potential warning signs of injuries and learning proactive measures to address them before they escalate. Developing an Action Plan – exploring different lifestyle considerations, technique, training decisions, and the role of strength and flexibility that will prevent injury and keep athletes training consistently.
Seminar #3: Sport and Performance Nutrition – Fueling and Recovery (January 25th)
This seminar will cover fueling and recovery”, specifically dealing with “REDS” (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport) and LEA (Low Energy Availability).
Seminar #4: Strength Training and Adjusting Training Around Injuries (February 29th)
Seminar #5: Sport Nutrition – Caloric Debt and Nutrient Dense Meals (March 21st)
Seminar #6: Strength & Mobility Exercises to Prevent injury for Triathletes (April 18th)
Drafting Clinics
2023-24 Team Ontario
Team Ontario is a full service training program run by the province according to national and provincial training and development. Team Ontario operates within the Provincial Development Program to bring International Triathlon experienced coaching to athletes and mentor coaches across the province. Team Ontario provides a daily performance environment for athletes training out of it’s centres, in addition to providing programming support for athletes who do not have youth triathlon infrastructure in their community.
The coaching staff is NCCP Competition Stream certified and provides planning, organizing and assessment of the camps and clinics operated through the PDP. These programs are based on the sports best practices and operated with support through our sport science partners.
Team Ontario is built on an Athlete Development Model based on analysis of the sport of triathlon along the full development pathway working with our partners to develop and implement a system that provides athlete’s with an understanding of the demands of the sport from community level to International level competition.
Since 2014, Triathlon Ontario’s Provincial Coach has worked closely with Triathlon Canada in many ways to ensure that Ontario athletes and Triathlon Ontario’s mandate is heard at the National level. The Provincial coach also sits on TC committees that are developing training and assessment policies for national programs and athlete development, currently he is leading the development of an Athlete Skills Matrix for Triathlon Canada’s updated Long Term Athlete Development Model. As one of only three Master Coach Developers in the country, he has certified numerous Provincial coaches through the National Coaching Certification Program.
Since 2009, Triathlon Ontario’s Provincial Coach has had over 25 International Coaching assignments through Triathlon Canada and Barbados Federation of Island Triathletes (BFIT) including World Championships, Pan AM Games and Regional Championships, World Cups and WTCS events. This experience has provided an exceptional understanding of the how the sport has evolved and how the technical, tactical and physical demands of the sport at the top levels of the sport do not always align with our Provincial level competition. It is this insight that guides the programs structure and delivery
Profile – Provincial Development Coach Greg Kealey
Full Team Ontario Services Document
Provincial Development Program Resources:
- Team Ontario Program
- Triathlon Ontario Drafting Certification Manual
- Profile – Provincial Development Coach Greg Kealey
- Article – Coach Greg Kealey on Provincial Development
- Article – Maturity, work ethic, self-belief: How Tristan Woodfine rebuilt his running form
- Drafting Certification Checklist
- Triathlon Ontario – Post Secondary Training Informed Choices
- 2023/24 PDP document
- Host Drafting Certification Requirements
Coach Mentorship Program:
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