Pacers Programming

Orientation Presentation by Coaching Team

September 10, 2015

Development Hour Program

Agenda
Development Hour Philosophy
People
Logistics

Training Programs
Coaches Expectations
Equipment

Safety
Technical Bulletins / Racing
Long Track
Pacers Events / Volunteering
Fundscrip

Pacers Development Hour Philosophy

# 1 priority is safety

#2 is fun

People
Celeste Bouma is club president
http://www.ottawapacers.ca/
Skater rep is Noah Bouma
Volunteer Coordinator is Julie Colbourne-Milne
Rocky Lamontagne is the club equipment manager
Gavin Thulien is a Pacers coach and runs ZT Sports

Coaches for Development Hour Skaters

Coaching Tuesday nights are:
Bob Mallard, Julie Colbourne-Milne, Celeste Bouma
Coaching Thursday nights are:
Marie-Jose Cardinal-Tremblay, Bob Mallard, Stephen
Anderson, Oliver Rogerson
LT coaches are:
Chris Cole, Nancy Mayer, Oliver Rogerson, Bob Mallard
Richard Young is Technical Director and acts as liaison

between coaches and board

Training Programs
Pacers operate 4 training groups every

Tues and Thurs

Development hour: 5:15-6:15
Intermediate hour: 6:15-7:35
Advanced: 7:45-9:05
Masters: 9:15-10:00

Development hour logistics

2-3 coaches on ice for each training session, supported by

2-3 parent volunteers and senior skaters

Parents please assist their skaters to be ready for a start
time of 5:15pm sharp on the ice
Parents must be at the rink during their childs session
The assistance of parents to help get the mats out on the
ice at the start of practice is strongly appreciated
Go-to parent

Training Programs: Development hour

The focus of development hour: ABCs of physical literacy
Agility, Balance and Coordination.
Skill development; not racing placement and time.

Based on Canadian Sport for Life Long Term Athlete

Development Program
FUNdamentals, progressing into Learn To Train
http://www.canadiansportforlife.ca/learn-about-canadian-sport-

life/ltad-stages

The program is designed to build skaters overall motor

skills, strength, endurance, flexibility and speed

through, drills, laps and games.

On-ice program
Posted on Pacers website & bulletin board.
Programs organized into 4 cycles focused on 4 targets
Basic skating technique
1st meet (Ottawa, Quinte)
Skill consolidation
Eastern Reg 4 (Gloucester)
LT technique
Ontario Prov LT
ST racing
Ontario ST finals

Coaches Expectations
Skaters are expected to:
Be on time, ready to skate, with their safety equipment;
Have fun;
Respect their peers and coaches;
Listen to the coaches;
Look where you are going;
No horseplay; no racing/chasing around the ice;
Skaters who persistently transgress against these

guidelines may be asked to sit out a drill or leave the ice

Coaches Expectations
We strongly prefer that skaters do not leaving the ice

during the practice. Disruptions affect the success of

the training programs
Exceptional circumstances: Coach must be notified
before any skater enters or leaves the ice during
practice
Parents please do not gesture to your kids on-ice.
Instead, get the coachs attention
Example: Safety issue if skater traverses the track to

speak to a parent while other skaters are doing laps

Equipment
Equipment is the skaters/parents responsibility
Equipment checked and sharpened before arriving at the rink.
Club sharpening jigs available for loan
Sharpening clinic will be organized
Blade care:
towel off, remove from socks when home
Skaters/parents encouraged to have their own essentials

kit (burr stone, extra laces, wrench, allen key).

Take heed of equipment regulations for meets!!!
Any questions? Just ask

Safety I
No skating until mats are in place

Equipment check is the first thing we do after

the mats are out

Helmet, shatterproof glasses, neck guard, cut proof

gloves, knee pads, hard shin guards, kevlar socks

Parents are responsible for ensuring that their child
is properly dressed before they enter the ice
Skaters not properly dressed are not allowed to
skate in the session

Parents must be at the rink during their childs

session

Safety II
Pacers has an emergency action plan
Posted in Rockys room

Coaches coordinate on-ice emergency response

in the event of an accident

Go-to parent is the first point of contact off
ice
First aid kit on ice and with go-to parent
Injured skater may not return to the ice until
cleared to do so by the coach

Technical Bulletin / Racing

4 Racing Streams:
Mini meets (club-based) (2-3x)
Regional ST (Ottawa is East) (5 meets)
Provincial ST
LT
Top ranked skaters 11+, may opt go to Provincial Series.

Others race Regional Series

Opportunity to attend season-end Provincial
Championships (A, B, and C)
Registration forms for races from OSSA site
due ~2-3 weeks before event to Rocky
http://ontariospeedskating.ca/news/

Long Track
Ice availability Ottawa (Jan end Feb.), Ste. Foy

(Nov March), Lake Placid (mid-Dec early March)

Long Track camps in Ste. Foy (early November) and
Ottawa (early January).
Anyone can attend LT practice January February
(Days/times TBA).
Skaters are encouraged to do both especially when
ST is only 1x/ week in January.
Long Track is a great chance to improve endurance
and work on technique.

Advancement Criteria
The Pacers coaching staff periodically reviews skater

improvement and may offer/recommend advancement to

the next skating group.
The advancement criteria are:
Space availability
Speedskating technical ability
Maturity / coachability
Attention to social dynamics and peer groups within the club
Speed

Timetable for discussions

Once preliminary club season registration complete
After first cycle of competitive meets, ~Oct
Late season

Meets for Development Hour

Skaters - General
Meet
Eastern Reg 1
Eastern Reg 2
Eastern Reg 3
Eastern Reg 4
Eastern Reg 5
Prov B and C

Regional
Date
October-03-15
October-17-15
November-14-15
Sun 13/12/2015
February-13-16
Mar 12-13, 2016

Location
Ottawa
Quinte
Kingston
Gloucester
St Lawrence
Milton

Long Track
Meet
Date
Location
Quebec Camp Nov 13-15, 2015 Quebec
Ottawa Camp Jan 1-3, 2016
Ont Prov
Jan 16-17, 2016
Can Age Class Feb 6-7, 2016

Ottawa
Ottawa
Quebec

Events hosted by Pacers

Mini Meets
Ottawa Eastern Regional #1;
Oct 3, Sensplex
Long track camp:
Jan 1-3, Brewer Oval
Ontario Long Track Championship;
Jan 16-17, Brewer Oval

Volunteer Roles
The Ottawa Pacers is a volunteer-based organization.
We expect members to volunteer some of their time.
Were also looking for volunteers for our upcoming meet
timers, judges, kitchen help, no experience necessary

Security Liaison
Oval set up, maintenance, supervision
All parents are expected to sign-up as a go-to parent
Additional on-ice helpers
You can come on either speed skates or hockey skates.

Fundscrip
Fundscrip: an easy way to earn money on your everyday purchases!
Buy gift cards from dozens of vendors (e.g., Shell, Esso, Petro Canada,
Loblaws, Sobey's, Metro, Food Basics, Home Depot, Walmart,
Shoppers Drug Mart, Canadian tire, Starbucks, Swiss Chalet, Outback
Steakhouse, Cineplex, Indigo, etc., most major retailers are
represented)
earn anywhere from 2-10% back on your purchase
use the earnings towards next year's Pacers fees, or cash out at the

end of the season

Create a Fundscrip account using the code on the Pacers website

Technical Bulletin / Racing

Thursday Sept 18:
Information session on 'What to expect at a speed
skating meet?' at 5:45pm

http://ontariospeedskating.ca/news/

Pacers Coaching Staff Philosophy

Skaters join the Pacers for a variety of reasons such as

fitness, competition, parental pressure, friends, fun.

All skaters deserve equal respect and attention

regardless of ability or goals. As coaches we must

support each skater with the ultimate goal of instilling
a lifelong love of sport.
While we will support and celebrate our most

accomplished skaters it is not the ultimate priority of

the coaching staff to put children on the podium.