Anthony Parker - Junior Develoopment (jumps)
Blair Bateson - Provincial Development
Christine Laverty - National Development (middle/long distance)
Ed Moore - Junior Development
Hayleigh Bird - National Development (distance)
Janet Scott - Technical coach (long jump)
Jason Lindsay - National Development (sprints/middle distance)
Jill Salus - Technical Coach (power-speed, multi-events)
Juerg Meister - Provincial Development
Kim Cousins - Technical coach (high jump)
Lou Girardo - Technical coach (hurdles)
Michelle Bjolverud - Junior Development (throws)
Nikki Barlow - Cheetahs
Paula McKenzie - Technical coach (throws)
Paul Sze - Technical coach (throws)
Robin Barclay - Junior Development (on sabbatical)
Tara Dressler - Cheetahs
Christine Laverty - National Development (Middle/Long distance)
Athletics Alberta named Christine the Developmental Coach of the Year in both 2001 and 2006, and she was the recipient of the George Gemer Award for service to the sport of Athletics in 2000. Christine was the Distance Coach for the Senior Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India in 2010. In 2011 she will once again represent Canada at the Commonwealth Youth Games as the Lead Coach for the Athletics Team.
Christine Laverty’s track career began in 1969 where she raced competitively on the Quebec provincial team in events ranging from the 400m through to the Mile for over five years. Christine began coaching with CALTAF in 1999 as a junior development coach and later, in 2001 together with Jason Lindsay, began co-coaching the CALTAF middle/long distance group until 2010. Christine now coaches within the National Development Group with her main focus being the 800m and longer distances.
Christine’s track and field coaching experience and general sporting involvement is extensive. After over 16 years of coaching track and field, soccer, volleyball and basketball at a regional and High School level in Quebec and Ontario Christine moved to Alberta where she began concentrating on coaching track and field. She has held many athletic positions throughout her career including Track Meet Director for the Greater Montreal Interscholastic Athletic Association (1976-1987) and the Meet Director for the University of Calgary Invitational Jurassic Classic Gymnastics meet (1995- present). In the past six years Christine has held many coaching positions for both provincial and national track and field teams. In 1999 Christine started her relationship with the Royal Canadian Legion as the distance coach for the Alberta provincial team of that year. This was followed with her being named Head Coach for the same Alberta provincial team in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004. Through Athletics Alberta Christine has worked with a number of provincial teams including the Midget Dual team as coach (1999 - 2001), the senior Tri-Province team as distance coach (1999- 2001), the senior Espoir team as distance coach (2002 - 2003), the senior Espoir team as Head Coach (2004) and Western Canada Summer Games as Team Manager (1999). On a national team level, Christine was Team Canada’s distance coach for the World Youth Championships in Sherbrooke in2003 and the Czech Republic in 2007, the NACAC Championships in 2004, World Cross Country Championships in both 2005 in St. Etienne, France and 2006 in Fukuoka, Japan, World Junior Championships in Poland and the First Youth Commonwealth Games Team in 2008.
Christine holds a Level 4/5 National Coaching Certification in Athletics. She also has a BSC in Biology and Physical Education and a Bachelor of Education all from Concordia University, Montreal, PQ.
Christine loves working with young athletes and believes that sport offers every athlete an opportunity to perform and improve him or herself. Christine’s coaching philosophy also demonstrates her belief that an athlete’s only true opposition is themselves and that what an athlete puts into sport determines what the athlete will get out of it. These simple principles of sport carry over into the life skills of each and every athlete Christine works with.
Learn more about the National Development Program.
Blair Bateson - Provincial Development
Blair was a very successful speed athlete who competed for McGill University.
Blair joined CALTAF in 1999 as a middle distance runner under the coaching of Christine Laverty and was also coached by Jason Lindsay. He gradually shifted his focus to the shorter distances and competed primarily in the 200m and 400m for nine years with CALTAF and McGill University. In 2008, Blair started coaching with CALTAF’s Cheetah program, and switched to coaching the newly formed Provincial Development group in late 2010. Blair also helps to coach the runners in the Junior Development group.
Blair specialises in coaching runners, in both the sprint and distance events. He is currently working on his Competition-Development: Introduction coaching certification and holds a B. Comm in Finance & International Business from McGill University in Montreal.
Blair believes that success on the track comes from wholehearted commitment and a true love of running, combined with a systematic and scientific approach to training. He encourages all of his athletes to watch his favourite movie, Chariots of Fire, and to draw inspiration from the history of their sport. Blair’s experience as a CALTAF athlete has also taught him that track experiences can have a profoundly positive effect on other areas of life, and he hopes that his athletes will take as much away from their time in the sport as he has.
Learn more about the Provincial Development Program.
Ed has been a coach at Alberta Summer Games and at Legion Nationals.
In his 35+ years with the club Ed Moore has been an athlete, a coach, an official and a club executive member. We are delighted to welcome him back in a regular part-time coaching gig with our Junior Development group!
Ed started coaching with CALTAF in 1979, in the Garth Huck and Dave Peyto years, and has worked with athletes running distances from 60m to 10K, hurdlers, jumpers and even the occasional thrower. He has NCCP certification at Level 2 in all four event areas. He has served on team staff assignments at the Alberta Summer Games and the National Legion Camp. He has helped organize countless Calgary track meets, including not only the biggest ones but the smallest ones too. At most meets recently, since computerization came to the sport, Ed has been the glue that holds the photo-timing and results systems together. Simply put, he’s a fixture on the Calgary track scene.
Coaching Philosophy:
“I truly believe that track and field is the greatest sport on earth. It’s full of challenges - nowhere else will you find the diversity and the depth that you find in Athletics. There is certainly something here for everyone. Working with the younger athletes in the club is extra special because I get a chance to help these kids (and their parents!) discover for themselves the power of sport. To me success is not measured by just who wins the race, it is also measured by who tries the hardest and who performs to the best of their ability. Track and field lends itself to the pursuit of personal goals better than any other sport. That’s why it’s so great; in our club everyone can be a winner!”
Learn more about the Junior Development Program.
Jason Lindsay - National Development (Sprints/Middle Distance)
Jason was named Development Coach of the Year in 2006 by Athletics Alberta.
His first national team assignment came at the NACAC Cross Country Championships in Cape Canaveral, Florida in March of 2009.
Jason was the distance team coach at the 2005 Canada Summer Games in Regina, SK.
Jason Lindsay’s running career started with Calgary Track West in 1983 where he was an active middle distance runner in events ranging from 400m to 3000m Steeple Chase and 400m Hurdles. He began coaching in 1994 with Calgary Track West and moved to CALTAF in the fall of 1999.
In his fifteen plus years as a coach he has been a successful junior development and middle distances coach. Through his program Jason has had the good fortune and opportunity to work with some of the finest people. From 2001 to 2010, he and Christine Laverty co-coached the CALTAF Distance group. Together, they helped athletes achieve their goals, encouraged and fostered their pursuit of excellence while maintaining a strong foundation in academics.
Jason is a fully certified (N.C.C.P. Level 3) sprints, hurdles and distance coach. Additionally, he has a B.Sc. in Geography and a Masters of Teaching Degree from the University of Calgary and is employed with Calgary Arts Academy Society where is he is the Athletic Director.
Jason’s coaching career provided opportunities beyond the CALTAF ranks. He was team and head coach for the 1995, 1997 and 1999 Alberta Summer Games and was Team Alberta coach to the National Youth Championships in 1996, 1998 and 1999. Jason was also named as distance coach to the Western Canada Summer Games in 1999 and 2003. In 2008 he was a personal coach at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships and the FISU Cross Country Championships. Last summer, Jason was the head coach of the Team Alberta Western Canadian Midget/Youth Championships.
In addition Jason is a dedicated member of the track and field community taking his commitment well beyond the role of coach. Locally, he created the #1 Athletics Series in Western Canada – the New Balance Athletics Series. He co-founded in 1997 the Youth Athletics League – an introductory track and field league for youth. He was the Meet Director for the Provincial Cross Country Championships in 1998 to 2000 and also 2007. He served as Vice-President and President of the Calgary Track Council from 1996 to 2001. Provincially, Jason was a Member-At-Large of the Board of Directors for Athletics Alberta from 1997 to 2001 and since then has been their Vice-President of Programs. In 2000, he was the Meet Director for the National Youth Championships.
Jason believes that through balance, consistency, patience and hard work, personal growth is possible in all aspects of life.
“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit. -Aristotle”
Learn more about the National Development Program.
Juerg Meister - Provincial Development
Juerg has developed his coaching skills in Switzerland and brings a focus of combined events to his coaching.
Juerg has coached track and field for about 30 years, starting to coach some athletes in his club in Europe while still was competing himself. He specialized in hurdles (short & long) as well as 400m, but competed at least once a year in a multi event (decathlon) and this is where his philosophy in coaching comes from: versatility makes and supports a specialist.
After moving to Canada he became involved in coaching his son’s soccer team until he started coaching with CALTAF in 2010.
He coaches the Provincial Development group putting a lot of emphasis on developing the skills of young athletes. His hope is that each and every athlete has fun and takes pride in his/her accomplishments whenever they compete and reach a new personal best.
Learn more about the Provincial Development Program.
Kim Cousins - Technical coach (high jump)
Kim is an accomplished coach who went with the Canadian Bobsled Team as the power speed coach at the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake.
Kim was also named as Head Coach for the Canada Summer Games team 2005.
Kim is an NCCP Level 4/5 in power speed. She has coached with Caltaf since 2000 and was a throws athlete with the club before that. Kim has a wealth of coaching experience including:
Head coach for CALTAF for 6 years.
Head Coach of the Western Canada Summer Games Team
Multiple times as the Head Coach of Alberta Legion Team
Kim has coached on many national teams, including throws and jumps and combined events areas all over the world. She was coach at the Francophone Games in 2001, the Junior Pan Am Games, the Combined Events Challenge in Glasgow and many more. Kim has coached athletes to 6 medals from international team Canada experiences for throws, jumps and combined events and to over 20 National Championship medals in Combined events, throws and jumps. In addition she has coached more than 40 Provincial Championship medallists in all power speed event areas.
“What makes me most proud in my coaching record to date is that every athlete that I have worked with has achieved personal bests. No matter the level (provincial, national, or international) all athletes have the ability to work hard and get better.”
“It is about the journey in track and field. If you work hard you will achieve your goals.”
Lou Girardo - Technical coach (hurdles)
Lou is an experienced and very successful hurdler who brings a wealth of technical expertise to the sport.
Lou has a wealth of experience in track and field beginning with his 14 years experience as an athlete in the Combined Events, most significantly the 400m hurdles. Lou began coaching with Caltaf in the fall of 2007 as a member of the Junior Development coaching staff and is now a technical coach for hurdles.
Lou has his Level 1 NCCP certification and works to build a strong technical base in the sprint and hurdle events for the Junior Development athletes to work from both now and in the future.
Having learned much in his years as an athlete, Lou is eager to pass on as much as he can to this new generation of young athletes.
Nikki has been the driving force behind the skill development and success of Caltaf’s Cheetah’s program.
Nikki joined CALTAF as an athlete in 2003 and has been competing ever since. She started to coach the Cheetahs in 2006. Currently she has taken a Run, Jump Throw course and is planning to pursue her Level 1 coaching in the near future .
At this time she is still training with CALTAF National Development and pursuing her Bachelor of Nursing at the University of Calgary.
Learn more about the Cheetahs Program.
Paul Sze - Technical coach (throws)
As Head Coach for E.P. Scarlett, Paul’s Track and Field teams have won the Team aggregate City Championships each year.
Paul Sze was a club and college athlete (specialising in javelin) in the UK where he completed a degree in Physical Education at DeMontfort University.
His track and field coaching experience begun in a Middle school (Junior High) near London, England as a Head Coach of Track and Field where he organised sports days for the whole school and coached young athletes. From there he moved to Canada in 2005 where he took over the role of Head Coach at Dr EP Scarlett from Stuart Holton. During the 2008/2009 season he was involved on the High School Track and Field Provincial Organising Committee. In summer of 2009 he was involved in the Legion Camp hosted in Calgary as a Javelin throws Specialist. More recently Paul has joined Caltaf as a specialist throws coach.
Paul says “Since I first began coaching, it has been a pleasure to coach athletes, help them realise their potential and to give back to a sport that has given me so much.”
Robin Barclay - Junior Development (on sabbatical)
Robin was named the 2008 Alberta Junior Development Coach of the Year at the Athletics Alberta Awards Ceremony, which was held in Edmonton on 17th January 2009.
Robin Barclay first competed in track and field in high school back in the late 1960s, in events ranging from sprints and middle distance to high jump. In addition, she competed in many other high school sports including basketball, volleyball and badminton. In university, in the 1970s, she switched focus and competed for the Trent University fencing team. Upon graduation, she returned to her first love, running, and has been running now for over 30 years.
Robin’s daughter, Laura, competed for CALTAF for six years, first in the Junior Development Group and then with Christine and Jason in middle and long distance. This has given Robin a good appreciation of a CALTAF parent’s perspective.
Robin enjoys sharing her passion for track and field with young athletes. Her focus is on teaching the fundamentals of the sport, while encouraging good work ethic and sportsmanship. She offers her athletes much positive reinforcement for effort and attitude, and stresses the idea that success involves much more than just where an athlete places in a race.
Robin joined CALTAF as a Junior Development Coach in January, 2006, and attends each of the group’s three weekly training sessions. She holds a level 1 National Coaching Certificate in Track and Field.
Learn more about the Junior Development Program.
Tara is a two time National medalist in the 3k Steeple Chase.
Tara Dressler joined CALTAF in 1997 and has trained with Jason and Christine ever since.. She attended a Division One university in North Carolina, with a full ride track and field scholarship. She trains knowing that “the truth is that there is nothing noble in being superior to someone else, the only real nobility is in being superior to your former self.” She tries everyday to never ask her athletes do something that she’s not willing to do herself that day.
“It doesn’t matter whether you’re a lion or gazelle - when the sun comes up, you’d better be running.”
Learn more about the Cheetahs Program.
