Current Activity - Peter Jensen
Currently, most of Peter's sports time is spent with the women's hockey team. He has worked extensively with the team since 2004 as the official team sport psychologist. At the most recent Olympic Games, Peter worked with the hockey team, as well as Jenn Heil and some other athletes. Listen to Peter's 'Report on Torino' podcast for more details on the 2006 Olympics.
In April 2008, Peter travelled with the team to Harbin, China, for the World Championships. The Canadian Press circulated a story featuring Peter's role on the team. The story was widely picked up by newspapers, online media, and radio, including The Globe and Mail, Winnipeg Free Press, Hamilton Spectator, (Nova Scotia) Chronicle Herald, Inside China Today, Daily South Asian Free Press.
The story was entitled "Wheels of women's hockey team greased behind the scenes," and highlighted the importance of the team's non-playing specialists in creating an environment where high perforamce is fully supported -- particularly when conditions are not ideal. As the article states:
"Travelling to and playing in the first women's world hockey championship in China meant navigating long travel days, drastically different time zones and a unique culture while trying to win a world title.
"'[Peter has] played a big role in helping us be able to make light of situations and some of the differences and not get so overwhelmed by some of the things,' assistant captain Becky Kellar said. 'He's very good at keeping things light.'
"Since 1984, Jensen has worked with athletes in several different sports over six Olympic Games. His work with the women's hockey team is particularly important this year, given the unfamiliar environment the team finds itself in here."
Peter also works with individual athletes in a variety of sports, and is involved with the Canadian Olympic Committee, and their Own The Podium program, which aims to put Canada 1st in the medal count at the 2010 Vancouver games.
Peter continues to be in demand as a commentator for his views on sport psychology. In spring 2008, for example, he was a guest on CBC's Metro Morning and was interviewed by Jane Hawtin to discuss why the Toronto Maple Leaf's had a suddent surge of winning after a dismal season. You can listen to the interview by visiting the Metro Morning site at www.cbc.ca/metromorning/2008/03/march_14_2008.html. But it's not all hockey. In February he was quoted extensively in a Globe and Mail article in the sports section titled "Leadership: Lessons from the Football Field: Gridiron grits: the 'perfect' coach." Peter provided insight into why "managers off the field could take a page from [New England Patriots' coach] Bill Belichick's playbook."
Updates on Peter's work in sport are routinely found in his podcasts, which come as part of our online newsletter. You can subscribe to our newsletter here, and check out older issues here, including Peter's podcasts.
Current Activity - Others
This year, development of our trainers as a group focused on exploring three very different areas:
- a storytelling workshop facilitated by a professional actor and storytelling coach
- a national track and field team training session
- our annual professional exchange
Conveying the Message through Storytelling
Two of the factors that work together to result in the success of our workshops are the connection our trainers make with the attendees and with the delivery of practical content participants can use. Stories are a powerful way to help us do this, so a major focus for our development plan this year was to improve the storytelling ability of each of our trainers. In February everyone gathered in Toronto for a two-day Story Theatre Workshop. The focus of this workshop was on the delivery of a story each trainer had prepared ahead of time. Workshop exercises involved connecting to emotions, using vocal speed and tone and bodies -- not just words -- to help tell the story. The workshop activities quickly moved us out of our comfort zone, trying new techniques and, most importantly, giving us a chance to be on the receiving end of coaching. It was a rigorous two days as we worked on incorporating the principles and techniques of acting and comedy. In the end we enjoyed many laughs and found a new power and richness for our stories.
Watching Great Coaches Coach
The trainers also had a chance to watch some of Canada's national track and field coaches work with their athletes. Coaches Karl Georgevski, Zoltan Propovski and Andy Higgins took time to answer our many questions and told some wonderful, colourful stories that demonstrated many of the skills we teach in our workshops. These coaches are masters at their craft, and it was interesting for us to see the level of awareness they bring to their skills. For example, when Andy was speaking with one of us he spoke in metaphors, painted all kind of pictures, spoke quickly and went in many directions. But, when he walked over to speak to one of the athletes to discuss performance, his body language changed, he appeared to become more focused and more alert. He slowed down and become more deliberate. When he spoke, he used very specific, smaller sound bites, often accompanied by physical demonstrations. Every bit of information delivered was followed by a check for understanding, either by observation or by asking questions. Watching these coaches in action brought each of us energy, insights and new stories and examples for our workshops.
Coaching the Coaches
The Professional Exchange is an annual event we hold where all our TAIS coaches come together to coach each other. At this event, held in April this year, we shared ideas, experiences and reviewed some of what we consider to be the best books of the year. We tested ourselves on the tools we use and drew upon one another’s expertise.
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Peggy Baumgartner, a long-time team member, assisted Peter Jensen when the new coaching team for woman's hockey was put in place. Peggy used the TAIS assessment tool with each of the coaches to help them better understand how they could leverage what they brought to the team and work most effectively together as a result.
Garry Watanabe has been working with the Canadian national archery team, prepping them to compete in the Beijing Olympics. One of Garry's challenges was in determining how to deliver meaningful training to the athletes, who are spread around the country and train individually. Garry solved the problem by using the latest technology to hold a series of lectures via conference call enhanced by online software the athletes and coaches could use to follow along, ask questions and complete exercises. The focus of the training was to create a framework and common language for mental preparation, which the coaches and athletes will implement as they train. Since none of the athletes have been to an Olympics before they all will be facing one specific challenge: how to handle the big moment without being overcome by distractions. "My goal was to give them a tool for a challenge they've never faced in their careers, says Garry, "and to be a resource for them if they need me."
Karyn Garossino, a past Olympian and Canadian figure skating champion, coached national level skaters for 13 years. She is currently giving her energy and expertise to the grassroots sports programs her two children are involved in. Karyn recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Calgary Olympic Games with her Olympian colleagues, which has inspired her to turn her casual running and yoga regimen into marathon training. As a mental fitness trainer, Karyn believes that "preparing for a marathon is a great way for me to challenge myself and stay connected more deeply to the kinds of challenges my clients face."
Jill Proud recently completed the first training weekend for her Level 1 coaches certification in rowing. As president and coach at her local rowing club Jill is excited about the upcoming season -- with the addition of a racing double to the club fleet.
The most critical aspect of my Olympic success was my work with Peter
- Tracy Wilson, Olympic medalist