Mailing Address: P.O. Box 22062 
Sault Ste. Marie ON P6B 6H4
Street Address: 767 Landslide Road
soofinnishnordic.com
contactus@soofinnishnordic.com
SOO FINNISH NORDIC SKI CLUB
HEAD COACH JOB POSTING
Soo Finnish Nordic Ski Club (SFNSC) has a 70+ year history of providing both recreational and competitive cross country skiing in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. As a registered club of Nordiq Canada and Cross Country Ski Ontario, SFNSC consists of over 400 members who create opportunities to promote cross country skiing to people of all ages and abilities, including year-round youth programming, adult lessons, educational and social events. The Club collaborates and supports local partners and land owners to maintain winter recreation trails, and grooms 50 km of cross country ski trails, 14 km of snowshoe trails, and 9 km of fat bike trails with the help of our business, Hiawatha Highlands (HH). Income generated from the sales of trail passes, equipment rentals, private lessons, school opportunities, and community events employ over 20 seasonal staff members who deliver exceptional ski, snowshoe, and fat bike trail experiences. VisitSoo Finnish Nordic Ski ClubandHiawatha Highlandswebsites to learn more about our services, follow us on social media for news, and join us for some winter fun from November to April.
ABOUT THE POSITION
The successful candidate will be responsible for the planning and delivery of athlete training at the Ski Team level with volunteer coach and administrative support. The individual will also oversee the training of all club athletes and coaches, including the ski school program at Hiawatha Highlands.
The Head Coach will report directly to the SFNSC High Performance Committee, and work alongside the SFNSC Programs Committee and Hiawatha Highlands Operations Manager (business).
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Athlete Development
Coach skiers on the SFNSC Senior Ski Team (high school aged). Assist volunteer coaches with the Junior Ski Team (intermediate school aged). • Create annual and monthly training plans for Sr Team athletes, and set schedules for group training. • Deliver training sessions. Communicate clearly with athletes (and parents) regarding training plans and training sessions. • Provide technical feedback to Sr Team athletes through video analysis or other means. • Oversee strength and conditioning programming and training to Sr Team athletes. • Collaborate with athletes, parents, regional, and out-of-province clubs for on-snow and dryland training camps. Collaborate with volunteers to develop and oversee dryland training camps. Travel to Ontario Cups and regional/national events (NorAms, Easterns, Nationals) with the Sr Team during race season and oversee team coaching and wax support. Meet with athletes to review individual and team goals, health issues, equipment needs, and any other issues that need to be discussed. Monitor athlete performance progress. Collaborate with volunteer coaches and administration to create mentorship, leadership, and educational opportunities. Support team building activities. Coach Recruitment, Training and Development Act as a resource and collaborate with SFNSC's larger coaching team (staff at Hiawatha Highlands, volunteer coaches on the Junior Team, skill development program levels, adult lessons). • Collaborate with program administration to oversee recruitment and integration of feeder groups into Sr Team programming (e.g., high school athletes, skill development program skiers, post-secondary skiers). Event & Race Support Communicate clearly a seasonal race and event calendar with athletes, parents, and committees. • Provide athlete coaching and oversee wax support to Sr Team athletes. Provide leadership, pre-race preparation, and post-race debriefing to athletes and volunteer coaches. • Support local races and events on an as-needed basis. Administrative Collaborate with the Programs Committee to develop and evaluate coaching goals and program retention. Collaborate with committees to establish and monitor ski team budgets. Prepare a high-level summary of work completed each month for the High Performance Committee. • Develop and administer an athlete survey to help assess program delivery and to make improvements. • Attend meetings as required to report on activities and answer questions. Work with committees to update ski team information on soofinnishnordic.com. Personal Development Seek out and participate in Nordiq Canada, Cross Country Ski Ontario, and Northern Ontario District coaching opportunities. Stay current with technical developments in the sport. Maintain all required certifications (e.g., first aid). Embrace a continuous learning culture. EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS Required
National Coaching Certificate Program (NCCP) certification level of Learning to Train and be willing to work towards the Learning to Compete certification. Familiarity with Nordiq Canada’s Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) Model • Valid Ontario Class G Driver’s Licence (or equivalent) Experience in, and technical knowledge of, cross country skiing. Ability to assist in wax testing and selection. Ability to work as part of a dynamic team environment with athletes, parents, volunteer coaches, wax technicians, and committees. Legally eligible to work in Canada. Assets Completion of a college or university program in recreation, physical education, human kinetics, or similar, or extensive experience in cross country skiing programming. Basic First Aid and CPR training Exceptional planning, organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills. • Demonstrates leadership skills, the ability to lead and motivate athletes, staff and volunteers. • Skills in basic computer applications such as MSWord, Excel, and PowerPoint. Awareness or willingness to use technology to support coaching and communication. The successful candidate will be required to complete the following: current Nordiq Canada Coach License Coaching Association of Canada's Make Ethical Decisions (MED) Online Evaluation, Safe Sport module, Understanding the Rule of Two module, and Concussion Awareness module. Nordiq Canada screening requirements, including an E-PIC and Vulnerable Sector Check, a letter of character reference, and a driver’s abstract. WORKING CONDITIONS The position requires irregular working hours, including evenings and weekends. Travel is required in Canada and the United States.
Transportation to and from the ski trails (primary work location) must be provided by the employee. Required to regularly work outdoors enduring seasonal weather conditions.
TIMELINES
Start date to be negotiated. Initial contract will expire April 30, 2024. Our plan is for the position to develop into a full-time position for the 2024/2025 season.
ANNUAL SALARY
Remuneration will be commensurate with education and experience.
Salary will range from $3,500 to $4,250 monthly depending on qualifications.
TO APPLY
Submit cover letter and resume in PDF format tosfnpresident@gmail.comby Sunday, December 3, 2023 or until a suitable candidate is found.
Soo Finnish Nordic Ski Club Inc. is committed to creating an inclusive and diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.
