New Role with British Triathlon

The news of my new role as Head Coach with British Triathlon has been out for a couple weeks now. I've wrapped up my duties with Triathlon Canada and am now preparing for the move from Victoria BC to Loughborough UK. Lots of things to get organized but very much looking forward to getting started on the ground in March.

I'm excited to be working with a world class team of performance staff at British Triathlon, including Performance Director Heather Williams, Performance Manager Mark Pearce, Head Coach Talent Development Ben Bright, and Performance Development Manager Simon Mills. I'm also looking forward to backing some exceptional athletes in the Podium and Academy Squads, from the veterans like Tim Don, to the young talents like Hollie Avil.

Here is a bit from the BTF release:

After a world wide search to find a leading international coach with a proven track record of success, Canadian Joel Filliol has been appointed as the new Head Coach and will provide support to athletes and coaches identified in the Olympic Podium and Academy Squads to convert them into medal winners.

Filliol is one of the world’s most experienced and successful triathlon individuals having been involved in the sport since 1989, both as an athlete and a coach. He has worked for Triathlon Canada since the 2002 Commonwealth Games and was their Senior High Performance Coach during the 2008 Olympiad. He was also the personal coach of 2008 Beijing Olympic Games silver medallist Simon Whitfield.

Joe Filliol commented:
“I am so excited to be taking on the new head coach role with British Triathlon. Heather Williams and her team have done an outstanding job building the foundation for future international success, and I look forward to leading the coaches and athletes toward delivering medals for Team GB. My first few months will be spent observing, talking with coaches and athletes, and developing the plan to get the right results in 2012.

“The standard of International Triathlon has never been higher and is continually improving. Winning medals at London 2012 will be tougher than at any previous Games. However there is no greater incentive than a home Games, it is up to our team to meet that challenge and ensure British athletes enjoy a hugely successful London 2012.”

Thanks Canada

Thanks Canada, its been a great trip.

I'm moving on from Triathlon Canada effective February 9th. It wasn't an easy decision to take as I have enjoyed great support in Canada, but its the right time for me to make a change and take on an exciting new leadership role.

The three years I've been in the role of Senior High Performance Coach at the National Triathlon Centre in Victoria, and the years before that in development roles have been an invaluable experience. I am enormously proud of the continued success of the NTC as a centre for international excellence, and particularly proud of the achievement of our Olympic goal with the silver medal for Canada in Beijing, both as Olympic Team Coach and working with Simon Whitfield as his personal coach since 2005.

It's been an honor and a privilege to have worked with everyone at Triathlon Canada, from Tom Patrick, Alan Trivet, Stephen Holmes, and Larry McMahon, to all of the coaching community, from Barrie, Craig, Patrick, Gary, Phil, and Benoit, and many many more athletes, coaches, volunteers and staff. I have appreciated their support, and trust to make the tough decisions and take a risk to demand excellence in attitude and practice.

Most of all, thanks to all the athletes I was fortunate enough to work with along the way, from our "BAMF" squad in Victoria with Simon, Kyle, Jordan, Lauren, Andrew, Colin, Dano, Paul, Kirsten, and Brent, to the other National and Development athletes representing Canada around the world. I will remember all the fun times, and know you all will keep going with the 'trial of miles, and miles of trials'. Remember, if in doubt, keep it 'organic', and go with "Steadystrongsolidgiveitagoseehowyoufeelstartfastandbuild" :-)

Canada is in great hands with the newly appointed High Performance Director Kurt Innes and is situated in its best position ever coming out of Beijing and into London 2012. I wish the best for the Canadian team and hope to continue to see them all at the races in the future.

So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish

Joel

Photo of the Day from Maui

Race Start, originally uploaded by jfilliol1.

Race start of the Polar Bear Fin Swim. Andrew McCartney and Sarah Groff were victorious.

Maui Photo of the Day

Maui Group Shot 1, originally uploaded by jfilliol1.

Photo of the Day from Maui

Andrew is a surfer, originally uploaded by jfilliol1.

Andrew from the coffee shop does Maui

Photo of the Day from Maui

Group start, originally uploaded by jfilliol1.

From Saturday's ride up Baldwin, with some 2 minute efforts.

Photo of the Day from Maui

Andrew, originally uploaded by jfilliol1.

3hrs + ride today finishing with some 2 min'ers up baldwin climb. Andrew won the polka dot jersey today with his climbing efforts - nice job Andrew!

Maui Group Pic

Maui Group Shot, originally uploaded by jfilliol1.

(L-R) Kyle Jones, Jordan Rapp, Adam van Koeverden, Andrew McCartney, Jeff Symonds, Lauren Groves and Sarah Groff

Article: Sports Science is NOT evidence based - and it can’t be

I came across this article on the sports coaching brain site - an great resource for some thought provoking articles. The following quote from the article summed up what coaching is to me, and why the art of coaching is something special:

"evaluate the research, look at the data then use your experience, instinct and intuition to make an intelligent, calculated judgement call."

This article contrasts to the recently increased prominence of sports scientists in the high performance sporting community. Taking a more sophisticated and structured approach to preparing athletes is an important evolution in elite sport, however coaches continue to drive the process of improving sport performance and their experience, instinct and intuition will continue to play the lead role in world leading athlete preparation.
As the article suggests, while sports science can aid athlete preparation and performance, its not as simple as "evidence based" vs "belief based" as some would suggest.

The challenge for coaches is to make sports science work for us, and that the bottom line is that its purpose is to improve performance today.

The Boot camp starts soon

Looking forward to starting 2009 with our first camp in Maui, Hawaii next week and doing some 'team building'exercises.