TES Hynes, SOD Program Director — “On behalf of Alpine Ontario Alpin (AOA) and the Southern Ontario Division (SOD), I am extremely pleased to announce the coaching line up for the 2019-2020 Southern Ontario Division Ski Team (SODST) and beyond. Please join me in welcoming Jacques Reid as the Head Coach, Jenn Warren as the Women’s head coach, and Bebe Zoricic as the Men’s Head Coach. It is anticipated that an additional assistant coach or coaches may be hired once we review the final numbers of the team.
Jacques has been coaching for over 20 years at all levels including at the FIS level with the NCO FIS Program in Ottawa and with the Ontario Ski Team from 2003 to 2006. Jacques joins the SODST after working at Craigleith for the past six years, most recently as the U14-16 Extended Program Head Coach. Jacques is also one of only four coaches in Ontario with his Performance Level Facilitator credentials.
Jenn is originally from Montreal and is a member of the Craigleith Ski Club where she has been coaching with the OCUP/Extended program athletes for 12 years. For the past two years, Jenn has worked on special projects with the SODST. Jenn was awarded the Alpine Canada Alpin coach of the year in 2018 and is well regarded by athletes throughout the Escarpment as their most loved coach. Jenn has two kids who have moved through the alpine ski racing system and are now at Queen’s University.
Bebe has worked with the SODST for the past two seasons. He is originally from Sarajevo (where he raced nationally) and has been coaching since 1988 at the U14, U16 and FIS level. Bebe is a graduate of the National Coaching Institute program with his Level 4 credentials. Bebe, of course, is best known as the founder of the Nik Zoricic Foundation and is responsible for the Thursday night NZ training along with safety netting seen throughout Canada keeping alpine racers safe. Bebe and his wife and grown daughter are based in Toronto and Collingwood.
Jacques comments, “I know I speak for Jenn and Bebe when I say this is so exciting for all of us! We’ve all worked together before and have a great deal of respect for each other and our respective coaching styles. I consider Bebe one of the best in in the business in terms of getting to know an athlete and figuring out how to motivate them to work harder. I also think Jenn is one of the best in terms of holistic coaching – she understands the athlete-coach relationship and how to develop self-confidence in the athletes. They are both such talented coaches and aligned with the Ontario Ski Team we are confident we can give these athletes the best possible program and have a ton of fun along the way.”
In addition to today’s coaching news, the SODST is excited to announce a structural shift in the alignment between the women’s program and the Ontario Ski Team. This will take place both in the preparation period and in the winter months as well (race schedule depending). We feel that an enhanced collaborative approach is required which will provide a more dynamic and positive athlete-centric environment for all the athletes.
In hiring these three coaches AOA and the SOD are confident that a strong team is in place to ensure the SODST meets its long-term goal to increase Southern Ontario Division’s (SOD) presence on the Provincial and National Ski Teams. Along with this goal, the coaches will be focused on preparing these athletes for potential athletic scholarships.
Congratulations to these three outstanding coaches and welcome to the Team! ~ TES
TES Hynes,
SOD Program Director
tes@alpineontario.local
Learn more: www.sodskiteam.ca