The following document defines the procedures for athlete selection to the Wrestling NextGen Program – Calgary. All program selections are for the start of December 2017.

PROGRAM GOAL

The goal of the Wrestling NextGen Program is to support the implementation of Wrestling Canada Lutte’s (WCL) high performance development system at the NextGen level intended to ensure a progressive stream of athletes and coaches are being trained to standards required to win Olympic and World Championship medals. The program is provided in partnership between Wrestling Canada Lutte, Alberta Amateur Wrestling Association, Own the Podium and the Canadian Sport Institute Calgary.

COACHING STAFF

The 2017/18 program will be led by the NG Coach – Carol Huynh. Technical oversight will be provided by the WCL High Performance Centre – Calgary High Performance Coach and WCL’s High Performance Director, with support from Canadian Sport Institute staff (IST, planning, and administration) and High Performance Manager where required.

ATHLETE ELIGIBILITY

TRAINING GROUP DESCRIPTION

There are three pathways an athlete can take to be a part of the Wrestling NextGen program. Which pathway an athlete participates in will be determined by athlete performance, potential, and commitment, as well as program capacity. The three pathways are full-time, part-time and invited athletes. For all pathways, the coach will work in cooperation with the athlete’s personal coach. All athletes selected to participate in the Wrestling NextGen program will continue to represent their local / home club team.

I. Full-Time Athletes:

Athletes must reside within the Calgary area to be eligible to participate in the full-time Wrestling NextGen program. Full-time athletes will be eligible for educational seminars, regular weekly technical/tactical sessions with the Coach, sport science and sport medicine support as directed by the Coach. Athletes will be expected to take part in physical testing and monitoring as well as have an annual training plan.

II. Part-Time Athletes:

Part-time athletes must reside within the Calgary area to be eligible to participate in the Wrestling NextGen program. Part-time athletes will be eligible for educational seminars and technical/tactical sessions with the Coach. Athletes are expected to take part in physical testing and other monitoring and have an annual training plan.

III. Invited Athletes:

These athletes will train full-time within at their home club. They may take part in outreach programming – site visits, camps, online seminars and other modes of communication for monitoring and mentoring.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The following outlines the criteria for selection to the different pathways. Additional criteria can and may include, but is not limited to: athlete commitment, coach reference, work ethic, etc. The final decision to accept an athlete into the program will rest with the Wrestling NG Coach.

I. Full-Time Athletes:

Eligibility for full-time status in the program is based on athlete performance within the last 2 years, and on the following priority order:

1. T op 6 Senior
2. T op 3 Junior
3. T op 2 Cadet
4. Carded Athlete
5. Top 3 Canadian Placement at Domestic Carding Tournaments

II. Part-Time Athletes:

Athletes will be selected on the following priority order from performance benchmarks within the last 2 years:

1. Top 6 Senior
2. Top 6 Junior
3. Top 6 Cadet
4. Placement at domestic carding tournaments

III. Invited Athletes:

Athletes will be selected on the following priority order from performance benchmarks within the last 2 years:

1. T op 6 Senior
2. T op 3 Junior
3. T op 2 Cadet
4. Top 3 Canadian Placement at domestic carding tournaments

EXPECTATIONS OF TRAINING GROUP

1. All athletes are expected to take part in a WCL approved annual training plan completed in cooperation with the personal coach;
2. All athletes will be expected to take part in educational seminars provided by the CSI Calgary and mentorship from the NextGen coach;
3. All athletes are expected to take part in physical testing, monitoring, and mentoring within the bounds of ability, resources, and reasonable expectation;
4. All athletes and coaches are expected to be accountable to agreed upon training goals within the annual training plan;
5. All athletes and coaches are expected to be responsible for self-regulated outreach/communication (technical sessions, mentoring, monitoring, camp participation, etc.).

MAINTENANCE CRITERIA

Continued athlete participation in the Wrestling NextGen Program will be based on a tri-annual review process led by the NextGen NGIP Coach, and supported by the Integrated Support Team. The review will focus on expectations being met (see above), progression in the athlete’s gap analysis, and performance. Athlete reviews will take place in January (after Christmas break), April/May (after Canadian Championships), and again in Aug/Sept at the conclusion of the summer competitive season.

ATHLETE SUPPORT (Integrated Support Team)

The NextGen program has access to a very extensive Integrated Support Team (IST). As a member of the Wrestling NextGen program, athletes will have targeted access to this team of specialists. Targeted access is based on full-time/part-time stream, individual athlete needs assessments (gap analysis), performance progression, and an ongoing demonstration of athlete commitment to the program. Any travel funding will be determined by the NextGen Coach and allocated based on needs, attendance/participation in camps, seminars and other programming, and budgeting allocations.

APPLICATION AND ACCEPTANCE PROCESS

The application process is comprised of three parts:
1. Athlete Letter of Application and Form – https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NGCalAA;

2. Personal Coach Evaluation – https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NGCalCE;
3. Athlete YTP – 2018NG_Cal_YTP.

Please send all forms to Coach Carol Huynh at: [email protected] and High Performance Director Leigh Vierling at: [email protected].

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION IS NOVEMBER 17TH, 2017

All applications will be reviewed and athletes will be contacted on or before November 24th to discuss their acceptance to the Wrestling program.

Full-time athletes accepted into the program will be expected to participate in a camp covering team orientation, physical testing, and technical assessments December 7-10, 2017. The camp will be hosted in Calgary.