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Writer's pictureKevin Shields

Dropout! Where Can We Keep Athletes Playing?

Early sports dropout or quitting is an issue across sports. Much research and effort have been applied to understanding sports dropout in youth athletes—ages 12 to 15 years—and various solutions and interventions are attempting to maintain youth in physical activity and sports. In addition to youth sports dropout, there are two later periods in which we see a significant drop in participation. These periods are after high school and following university or college. In recent years, several athletes have taken to announcing their retirement from sport at the end of the competitive season. Frequently, these are young athletes in their early twenties.

Certainly, individuals have varied and personal reasons for this early retirement from sport. These reasons can include the financial cost of training and competing, lack of support, high commitment of time, focus on education or work, family commitments, and a space/place to train and compete as a young adult and others.


Varsity Sports

I am a cross-country ski coach at an Ontario University. University ski teams in Ontario, and Canada, are seeing a growing interest in varsity skiing. Last year, a graduating skier from our team noted in her first Ontario University Ski Championships that there were 25 racers. In 2024, there were 50! The field doubled in her time at university!! This is a good sign that we are retaining more skiers in the sport—at least into university skiing. However, to continue this trend of increased numbers of varsity skiers in Canada, we must value the varsity experience and the athlete development opportunities offered through Canadian University sports programs. With more support, these programs can build capacities in coaching, training, and racing opportunities, keeping our young athletes active in sports. (If there is a team you would like to support, feel free to comment on this post or email me.)


Late Fall Glory Gatineau Park, Image XC Ottawa Instagram


XC Ottawa (Senior and Masters Skiing)

In 2023, we approached two of the XC Ottawa Ski Team's founding members with a proposal to restart their club. XC Ottawa began in the early 2000s with athletes who had graduated from university and wanted to continue racing and competing at a national level. Their initiative offered other university graduates a training team, coaching and race support. Over nearly twenty years, this team has had a consistent presence and impact on national and regional races in Ottawa-Gatineau. Our partnership agreement was to revitalize the club to provide the space for older athletes to stay engaged in their sport. The 2020s version has a broader scope—with senior and masters skiers and multi-sport athletes—and we are creating a training and competing space for athletes following their youth sports experience or a varsity career. Hopefully, this will keep people active in their early adult lives—Keeping them playing!


Fall in Gatineau Park, XC Ottawa’s Playground, Image: XC Ottawa Instagram


 

Other adult ski groups we are aware of

  • Are Ottawa-Gatineau: Natural Fitness Labs Club

  • And Calgary, The Space Dogs


Do you have a senior team in your community or region? If you do, please let us know. We would love to learn more about programs that sustain people’s engagement in competitive/ rec-competitive skiing (or other sports). Comment below. Thanks.


Canadian University Ski Teams

  • U of Laval, Québec, QC

  • U of Ottawa, ON

  • Carleton U, (Ottawa, ON)

  • Queen’s U (Kington, ON)

  • Nipissing U (North Bay, ON)

  • Laurentian U (Sudbury, ON)

  • Algoma U (Sault Ste Marie, ON)

  • Lakehead U (Thunder Bay, ON)

  • U of Guelph (ON)

  • U of Waterloo

  • MacMaster U (Hamilton)

  • U of Calgary (AB)

  • UBC (Vancouver, BC)

  • UNBC (Prince George, BC)


 

The First Lap Coaching:

Are you interested in sustaining athlete participation for individual and community health and sports development? We are rethinking how we design and deliver sports programs to build community and engage athletes.


Ready to elevate your club’s programs and make a lasting impact on your athletes? Click kevin@canadianwintersports.com to contact Kevin today and ask for a free consultation.


Let’s work together to create engaging and effective programs that foster athlete growth and commitment and sustain participation.



All the best,


Kevin


Kevin Shields

Master of Coaching, University of Alberta

BEd, Nipissing University

BSc (Kinesiology), University of Waterloo







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