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Alpine Canada plans ahead

Skier retention, World Cups among issues discussed While Canada’s top skiers faced off in Whistler during the Pontiac GMC Canadian Championships, the Alpine Canada Alpin board of directors sat down to discuss the future direction of the organiza

Skier retention, World Cups among issues discussed

While Canada’s top skiers faced off in Whistler during the Pontiac GMC Canadian Championships, the Alpine Canada Alpin board of directors sat down to discuss the future direction of the organization, clarifying its goals and objectives for the future.

The ACA hosts these meetings every four years, in sync with the Olympic quadrennial cycle. The plan will affect every program in Canada, for racers as young as five all the way up to our national team.

Within this new planning document, titled The Course Ahead, the board members identified five pillars around which the plan will be built: Excellence, Finance, Governance, Communication and Connectivity, and Participation.

Some of the ideas proposed in the plan include:

• Focusing special attention on the men’s team, identifying a core group of the most talented young racers and placing them under the direction of our world class coaches. The men’s speed program was discontinued after a poor showing at the Olympics this season, and four coaches were released.

• Increasing the retention rate from the Nancy Greene Ski League to the top, improving athlete fitness training, testing and monitoring, and ensuring athletes have easy access to a flexible education system.

• Implementing a true national system. The ACA will communicate directly with member, racer and their families, coaches, officials, clubs and volunteers throughout the country.

• Hosting more World Cup competitions in Canada.

• Change the business model from amateur sports to professional sports.

• Develop a western training centre.

• Maintain a strong presence in Ottawa.

• Under governance, the ACA recognizes the need for a single voice for all snow sports in Canada. The ACA will lead the process to address this change and revisit the Canadian Ski and Snowboard Association structure.

• Change the ACA board to address the needs of the new business model, because the current board structure is not adequate to do so.

• Improve communications and public relations to ensure all stakeholders are informed of the organization’s plans and progress.

• Increase participation in ski racing by working more closely with ski resort associations, ski resorts, the Canada Ski Council and the National Snow Industries Association.

The ACA is also looking for a new president after Kerry Moynihan was terminated from that position prior to the Canadian Championships.

"We’re looking for a dynamic leader who is passionate about ski racing and can make others feel the same way," says Renaud Beauchesne, the chairman of the ACA board. "We have a vision, an aggressive plan to regain our position as a leader in the amateur sports world, from an organizational and athletic point of view. The choice of a new president will be instrumental in putting that plan into action."