Why We Exist

WinSport inspires human potential through the spirit of sport. We provide opportunities for Canadians to lead healthy, active lives by providing world-class facilities and programming for people of all ages and abilities. We deliver our mission through a model that embodies helping people discover, develop and excel in sport.

 

The Discover part introduces people to sport; the Develop portion helps young athletes make the transition to become high performance athletes and Excel involves helping athletes of the highest caliber train to reach the podium.

Tracy and Allen registered their son and daughter into several of our programs over the last couple of years as a way to introduce them to sport while also allowing them to gain life-long skills. After seeing the positive changes in their two children, the family felt compelled to write the following letter.

I am writing to you regarding your summer camp programs and your ski and snowboard lessons. This letter should have come last season, but nevertheless, I feel even more compelled to write this after my children’s experience this year at their summer camps. My kids have participated in many activities and programs at WinSport over the past few years.

They’ve taken skating lessons and ski/snowboard lessons and during the summer months and participated in your mountain bike camps, sport & adventure camps and a hockey camp. Every single camp has been exceptional! My kids come home tired (which is a good thing) and happy. They talk about all the exciting things they’ve done throughout the day and how great all of their instructors/leaders have been. My children have had so many leaders and instructors at WinSport that have made such an impact on their love of sport and their desire to try new things. My son cannot wait for winter to come so he can do another snowboard lesson! My daughter is sad that her summer camp is over and can’t wait until next summer! For this reason, I must mention some of the amazing staff you have employed.

My daughter, Paige, had amazing bike camp instructors over the past two years who had such an impact on Paige. Paige’s confidence soared and the instructor was so much fun for the girls in her group. Paige also had a wonderful caring leader in her Sport & Adventure camp this year – her name is Alicia.

My daughter told me today that the worst part about her camp ending was leaving Alicia! This speaks volumes! Carson was my son’s snowboard instructor last year. Zach, my son, took level 1 and 2 preschool snowboard lessons. Now, he can’t get enough of it! He still often talks about Carson and hopes that he gets him this season for level 3. Carson was an amazing role model for my son. He instilled such a love of the sport and we couldn’t thank him enough! This summer, Zach had a wonderful biking camp leader who was so patient and caring. He built up Zach’s confidence and because of that, my son now also has a love for biking.

I just wanted to let you know that we are so happy with your facility, programs and staff. You have a first class facility and we absolutely enjoy every moment experiencing it. I want to thank your staff that my children had an amazing time this summer and that they can’t wait to come back and take part in many other programs.

What We Do

The dictionary defines perseverance as steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. Our team at WinSport helps people pick themselves up after they fall or helps build their confidence after they finish in fourth place – all so they learn to persevere. This allows them to gain mastery, improve confidence and establish enduring friendships through sport. It also allows them to simply enjoy the benefits of the changing seasons and amazing geography that surrounds us. We believe in being better than yesterday.

It started for us in the early 1960s. The community gathered on our small hill to strap on planks of wood to learn how to ski and take advantage of the Rocky Mountains in our own backyard. Even back then, among the falls and tumbles, you could hear the laughter and the distinctive slap of a high five when the young and young at heart got up on their skis for the first time or mastered their parallel turns. The willingness to get up and try again is what defines us as Calgarians. As the hill started to grow up, a group of leaders passionate about sport got together with the ambition to put our hill on the world stage by bidding to host the Winter Olympic Games. After a few failed attempts, these leaders dusted themselves off and eventually won the bid to welcome the world to our small ski hill in 1988. These Games were filled with stories of challenge and perseverance, such as Eddie the Eagle soaring to new heights or the fledgling Jamaican bobsleigh team, who after flipping their sled in the Kreisel, persevered to the finish line to cap off an amazing run at their first ever Winter Olympic Games.

These stories of pushing to be better, despite not hitting the podium yet achieving so much, galvanized our purpose here at WinSport. We are here to help people activate and reach their potential through the spirit of sport. Since that time, our organization and our campus have grown. Through continued investment and our push to be better, we are focused on developing the whole person. This does not simply mean mastering sport – it means simultaneously building the mental, physical and social skills of our participants. Through our experience, there is lot to be learned from trying something new – failing and trying again, or achieving a personal best. We have introduced people to sport across our campus and have provided the guidance and abilities to push them to their personal podiums across the globe. Many see it as a ski lesson, skate lesson or a week of summer camp. We see it as an opportunity to instil valuable life skills to enable people to have a positive impact on their family, friends and the community as a whole. At WinSport, we believe we are here to teach others how they can be better than yesterday.

A Year in Review – In 2015, WinSport:

• introduced more than 30,000 people to sport through ski and snowboard lessons, summer camps, mountain bike camps and hockey, ringette and learn to skate camps (including visits by more than 20,000 school kids from 150 different schools);
• was able to secure one of the top chefs in Western Canada, with the addition of Liana Robberecht as the organization’s new executive chef; and
• continued to be a key driver for physical literacy in the sport community through our Active Lives department.

How We Do It

As an Olympic venue that operates year round, we are able to offer an eclectic array of activities, programming, camps and lessons in which 1.2 million Calgarians participate in each year. We deliver our purpose of inspiring human potential through the spirit of sport through a Discover, Develop and Excel model.

DISCOVER: We introduce Calgarians and Canadians to mountain sports, winter sports and outdoor activities.

• We teach more than 30,000 people to ski and snowboard annually
• We welcome 20,000 school children from across greater Calgary to discover sport
• Each summer we welcome 5,000 campers to our campus.

We promote a healthy active lifestyle and build skills that allow them to succeed in sport and life

DEVELOP: We help develop the whole person through addressing cognitive, social/emotional and physical development. People become smarter and more innovative through the training and technical skills they receive, which makes them proficient in sport and life.

• Our development and next generation teams consist of more than 20 teams and more than 1,000 athletes. Our goal is to develop athletes and coaches for Canada’s national teams.
• We have pioneered athletic development, which is rooted in the Long Term Athletic Development model for athletes of all ages and stages.
• Through a collaboration with the Calgary Board of Education, WinSport is home of the National Sport School where 160 of the next generation of high performance athletes train and receive a quality public education at the same time.

EXCEL: We own and operate facilities that attract high-performance athletes to train and compete.

• Developed a training facility for Canadian high performance athletes that offers an integrated support model, which includes a premier training facility, world-class sport medicine clinic and a sport performance laboratory.
• We host 2-4 World cup events annually across multiple disciplines. More than any other single venue in the world.

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Winter hill activities

• Skiing and snowboarding on Calgary’s only ski hill.
• Ski and snowboard lessons and camps
• Acura Tube Park
• Public bobsleigh rides

Summer hill activities

• Lift-assisted mountain biking with easy to advanced terrain
• Summer bobsleigh rides
• Zipline (one of North America’s fastest)
• Skyline Luge
• Mini-golf

In addition to operating Canada Olympic Park, WinSport also operates the Bill Warren Training Centre, Canmore Nordic Centre, and the Beckie Scott High Performance Training Centre, at the Haig Glacier.

Camps and programs

WinSport’s award winning camps build athleticism and a foundation of fundamental movement skills by providing children with intentional and exceptional instruction. Camps range from day to multi-week programs in mountain biking, sport and adventure, hockey and ringette.

WinSport Academy

The WinSport Academy helps athletes reach their athletic potential in winter sport and prepares emerging 13-18 year olds for potential spots on Canada’s National teams. The Academy has more than 500 athletes between our Mountain, Nordic, and Cycling divisions.

WinSport Academy, formerly known as the COP club teams, established itself as a leading community of professionals dedicated to athlete development and performance. Our passionate instructors instill a positive outlook on training and competition, while developing a life-long love and respect for sport in its entirety.

Performance Training Centre

The Performance Training Centre (PTC) provides a state-of-the-art facility for Calgarians to train in. It features personal training, yoga and group circuit training sessions.

What You Can Do

Donate:  As a not-for-profit organization that does not receive any government funding for its operations, WinSport relies heavily on support from our community. By making a donation, you play an important role in enabling WinSport to develop and implement its programs and services.

WinSport is here to help people activate and reach their potential through the spirit of sport and with your help, we can teach others how they can be better than yesterday. Thank you for helping us to sustain our vital position within our community. We truly appreciate your interest in becoming a donor.

Volunteer:  Volunteers are valued members of the WinSport team, providing essential support to various departments and activities. As a volunteer, you’ll help to promote sport, develop Canadian athletes and to introduce children to active living. If you have a passion for sport, leadership or community, we are looking for you! All season long there’s an opportunity to build your skills, experience while giving to a great cause.

We have numerous volunteers positions all year long in various departments including our arenas, ski and snowboard school, mountain bike lessons, administration and guest services. For more information, visit: Join our Team and Volunteer!