June Updates

Welcome to the Head to Head June Newsletter!

May Highlights

We had 12 different Head to Head Olympian mentors lead 17 events in 10 cities across Canada this May!

Renewals, and registration for our 2018/2019 mentorship programs officially began, with a mix of schools, varsity programs and swim clubs being the first to secure their Olympian mentors. We have 6 Olympians from 5 different sports lined up to mentor these groups so far.

June Projects

We’re working closely with videographer Will Dickson to record our Olympian mentors as they share’ stories, athletic experiences, and life lessons; all of which are guided by the 2018/2019 Head to Head curriculum (detailed below)

Our main focus continues to be renewing, and registering schools and sports clubs for our year long mentorship packages for the upcoming school year.

Founder, Martha McCabe will be the keynote speaker at 3 separate Industrial Alliance events happening across Canada (Vancouver, Calgary and Winnipeg) speaking about resilience, perspective, and the parallels between sport and business.

5X Olympian and 4X Olympic gold medallist, Jayna Hefford, speaks about the importance of staying in the moment. Watch the video above to see how she, and Team Canada, got through 8 penalties in a row to go on and win the Olympic gold medal.

Being more focused on specific tasks, or ‘the next 30 seconds’, like Jayna mentions; instead of getting overwhelmed by distractions, a due date, or outcome, is sound advice for all of us!

Head to Head is continuing to build the Olympian mentor video content library. The stories, experiences, tips and perspectives from our athletes are incredible, and video is such a powerful way to connect with youth.

In each mentorship program, we aim to maintain the momentum built from the Olympian and youth/student interaction by using digital connections like videos. We have each Olympian speak to 5 topics from our curriculum (below), sharing personal experiences and stories.

Expanding to new provinces

Head to Head made its first appearance in Quebec with 2 different Olympic bronze medal winning swimmers. Sandrine Mainville led an event at the YMCA in Westmount while Katerine Savard led a swim clinic at the McGill Recreation Centre.

Katerine (pictured kneeling in the black swim cap at the front below) shared tips in the water on fast turns and spoke in the classroom about her journey to the Olympic podium; the highs and lows she experienced as well as the healthy habits that were vital to her success.

Katerine didn’t start out as a very fast swimmer and she always felt like many people around her didn’t believe that she would make it to the Olympic Games. Slowly but surely, step by step she got closer and closer to her dream. By 2012, Katerine had been on the national team for 2 years and she qualified for her first Olympic Games. 4 years later, after failing to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in her best event, the 100m butterfly, she managed to find herself a spot on the (eventual) Olympic medal winning relay team, by qualifying for an event she had never trained for, the 200 metre freestyle.

A look ahead to Head to Head summer plans

Head to Head has brought on Olympic medallist Michelle Toro to help with some administration and operations work throughout the summer months.

Michelle will be leading swim clinics nationwide and helping to build out resources and content for the Head to Head curriculum for the 2018/2019 school year:

Head to Head 2018/ 2019 curriculum

A. Goal Setting

B. Managing Nerves

C. Healthy Habits: Nutrition, Sleep

D. Mindfulness

E. Time Management: balancing academic, athletic, social

F. Resilience

G. Accountability

H. Team Culture

I. Active Recovery; stretching, massage, foam rolling etc.

J. Performance; pressure, ideal performance state, performing in the moment, strategy

Image above: 2016 Olympic Medallist Michelle Toro

Olympian Led Summer Swim Clinic Details – www.headtohead.ca/clinics

MontrealThursday July 19th: 4:00PM – 7:15PM
McGill Athletics and Recreation Centre
In pool focus: Starts, Finishes, Relay Starts
In classroom focus: Managing NervesOttawa – clinic series

Friday July 20th: 10:30AM – 1:30PM
Nepean Sportsplex
In pool focus: Turns
In classroom focus: Team Culture

Saturday July 21st: 9:30AM – 12:30PM
Nepean Sportsplex
In pool focus: Starts
In classroom focus: Performance (pressure, strategy, ideal state)

Sunday July 22nd: 10:00AM – 1:00PM
Nepean Sportsplex
In pool focus: Finishes, Fly, Relay Starts
In classroom focus: Mindfulness & Time Management

Winnipeg

Late August – details TBC

CalgarySaturday July 28th: 9:00AM – 12:00PM
YMCA Eau Claire
In pool focus: Fly, Freestyle, Finishes
In classroom focus: Managing NervesToronto – clinic series

Friday August 17th: 9:00AM – 12:00PM
Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre
In pool focus: Turns
In classroom focus: Team Culture

Saturday August 18th: 9:00AM – 12:00PM
Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre
In pool focus: Starts
In classroom focus: Performance (pressure, strategy, ideal state)

Sunday August 19th: : 9:00AM – 12:00PM
Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre
In pool focus: Finishes, Fly, Relay Starts
In classroom focus: Mindfulness & Time Management

Learn About Clinic Details Here

Partners

Head to Head continues to seek new strategic partners to collaborate on content, community activations, and/or employee engagement, and who can help us deliver our Olympian led mentorship programs across Canada.

Sherrard Kuzz LLP is supporting Head to Head through financial sponsorship and legal expertise

3 Head to Head Olympian mentors, had the privilege of joining the Performance Coaching Inc team, and their partners at a recent dinner to speak about perspective, resilience and pressure; and the similarities between sport and the corporate world.

Head to Head Olympian mentors and CEO Dane Jensen of Performance Coaching Inc (Left to Right: Martha McCabe, Michelle Toro, Dane Jensen and Brittany MacLean)

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