COACH NEWS!
There have been a number of changes on the BC coaching scene this year, including some new faces, as club athlete development programs continue to grow and more clubs offer full-time and/or part-time paid coach positions.
ERIC DE NYS
News from Nordiq Canada (Canmore, AB):
“Experienced cross-country ski coach, Eric de Nys, will return to Nordiq Canada to help develop Canada’s aspiring Olympic athletes into podium performers as the organizations new NextGen coach, the governing body for cross-country skiing in Canada announced on June 25th. De Nys, who was the Senior Development Team and Women’s World Cup coach on the National Ski Team from 2004-2014, will leave his head coach and program director position at Sovereign Lake Nordic Club (SLNC) that he has held over the last four years to take over Nordiq Canada’s Next Gen coaching reigns beginning August 13.”
Eric was also the head coach of the BC Development Squad program for Cross Country BC
Note: SLNC recently advertised for a full time paid coach to fill the position left by Eric. For more information visit: https://www.crosscountrybc.ca/head-coach-job-posting-sovereign-lake-nordic-club-vernon-bc
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JOB NOTIC
The Toby Creek Nordic Ski Club of Invermere recently advertised for a club head coach. This will be a part-time paid position.
For more information visit: https://www.crosscountrybc.ca/head-coach-job-posting-toby-creek-nordic-ski-club-invermere
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ANDREW CASEY
News from Sovereign Lake Nordic Club in Vernon:
“Sovereign Lake Nordic Club is excited to welcome Andrew Casey as our new Skill Development Program Lead. Andrew hails from Newfoundland and brings one of the biggest smiles to the stadium every week as a Bunnies Coach. With extensive experience from the club level to the National Team as a Ski Technician, Andrew and his family have been in the valley for a number of years and he is excited to take on this new position as the lead of our Bunnies, Jackrabbit, and Track Attack Programs.”
Note: this is a part-time paid position.
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ANDREW BRISBIN
Big news from Bulkley Valley Cross Country Ski Club in Smithers
"We are very excited to announce that we have hired Andrew Brisbin as our new full-time head coach. Andrew comes to us from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where he most recently worked as the Provincial Coach, and before that the High-Performance Coordinator. He grew up ski racing in Saskatoon, moved to Camrose, Alberta for university and more skiing, and then spent time racing out of Canmore before transitioning into coaching. Andrew has ski raced all over Canada from Newfoundland to the Yukon, and even made it to Smithers in 2007 for Westerns!
Andrew is looking forward to his move to Smithers and living in the mountains. When not skiing, he enjoys mountain biking, kayaking, or trail running with a good podcast and dreaming about the next backpacking or canoe trip adventure. Andrew will be starting with the club in early July. We are looking forward to the leadership and support a head coach will provide to our programs that we have been missing over the past two seasons."
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ZACH HILL
News from Revelstoke Nordic Ski Club:
"We are very excited to introduce you to our new Head Coach - Zach Hill! He joins us from Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation in Bend, Oregon where he has been coaching the past 4 years. Previously he coached for the Alaska Winter Stars Ski Club in Anchorage, Alaska and for the University of Nevada. Zach has a long history with cross-country skiing. He grew up ski racing in Alaska, and raced all over North America and Europe as a junior and college racer at the University of Denver. He also loves alpine skiing and trail running and is keen to explore the area with his wife Lisa and dog Kuma on bikes, feet and skis. He is thrilled to be part of such an engaged and passionate ski club and race team. Be sure to say hi if you spot Zach and the team training this summer."
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NICOLE PERRIN
Exciting news for Nelson Nordic Ski Club:
"Nelson Nordic Ski Club is pleased to announce that Nicole Perrin has joined our Club as our new Head Coach! We are excited for the enthusiasm, energy and experience that Nicole will bring to our Track Attack and Junior Racing programs, as well as for the expertise she will share with coaches in our skills development programs (or SDP, i.e., Jackrabbits & Bunnies), Masters and School Outreach programs. Nicole hails from Kimberley, BC, and raced on provincial level racing teams and at six national competitions. After retiring from racing, she coached in Kimberley, Golden and, most recently, Prince George, where she was the head coach for Caledonia Nordic Ski Club, working with both biathlon and cross-country athletes and overseeing their youth programs from SDP up to senior athletes, including some university athletes. Nicole is excited to be back to her roots in the Kootenays and living the Kootenay lifestyle with her dog Mowgli. She is passionate about bringing people together to enjoy their time on cross-country skis and enjoy sport for life and is excited to be working with our team at Nelson Nordic. Participants already registered in our Track Attack and Junior Racing programs can look forward to getting to know Nicole over the summer months as she begins leading training camps and programs for our Club athletes.
Welcome to Nelson Nordic, Nicole!"
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NICOLE GILMAN
Kimberley Nordic Head Coach Announcement:
"We are very excited to announce the hiring of Nikki Gilman as the new head coach at KNC! Nikki is joining us from Boise, Idaho where she coached competitive U.S juniors. Her coaching experience includes work with the U.S. ski team and U.S. paralympic organizations. Prior to coaching, she skied competitively on the NCAA circuit for The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota where she graduated with degrees in Exercise Physiology and Philosophy. In her free time, you will find her out on the trails running and mountain biking, most likely with her dog, Oati. In the winter, in addition to nordic skiing, she is an avid downhill and backcountry skier. She is looking forward to meeting everyone in person, so please say hello when you meet her on the trails!"
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SIMON LAMARCHE
In June of this year the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club hired Simon Lamarche as their new full-time club head coach. Simon is currently an NCCP Comp-Dev coach ‘in training’, and his background includes a Bachelor of Science in Human Kinetics from the University of Ottawa.
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