Citing a desire to spend more time with his family, Cross Country Canada head coach Justin Wadsworth has stepped down from his job.
The coach made the announcement immediately following the end of Ski Tour Canada in Canmore. He will finish his work at Cross Country Ski Nationals in Whitehorse, Yukon.
“Earlier this season, I felt I wanted to give my family more time. I can’t give that to them being on the road full time,” Wadsworth said.
Arguably the most successful head coach in the program’s history, Wadsworth took over head coaching duties in April 2010, and was at the helm when Alex Harvey and Devon Kershaw won a world championships gold medal in 2011.
Between 2011 and 2014, every member of the core world cup team landed on the podium, including Ivan Babikov, Len Valjas, Chandra Crawford, Dasha Gaiazova and Perianne Jones.
“Every member had a podium at that time. The whole team was in the red group for a while. In general, we were considered a great team by a lot of people. We were a great team with a great staff. That’s not to say there were no ups and downs, but we dealt with them well,” Wadsworth said.
Wadsworth was also in charge during the 2014 Olympics, which he calls the most disappointing time of his career. Although several Canadians were in podium shape, the team won no medals, and the team was surrounded by controversy. Leading into the Games, most of the women in the program decided to quit the sport or train on their own.
“Sochi was disappointing. We felt poised for hardware there, but we didn’t capitalize with skis … I thought we did everything we could to prepare, but when it came down to it, we didn’t have it. I think we will have another opportunity in Korea. We learned as a staff and are growing as a wax team,” Wadsworth said.
Juggling the demands of a young family with a high-pressure job with the national team is extremely demanding. Wadsworth spent 190 days on the road with the team, and more than 205 days on the road during Olympic years and said he wasn’t able to balance that type of commitment with a young family. He hasn’t ruled out a return to coaching, but after giving most of his life to the sport (Wadsworth was a U.S. Olympic skier) he needs to spend time with his family.
“Coaching is my passion. It’s been my life. I don’t want to say I’m retiring from coaching. The age of my kids, this needs to happen right now. I will never close the chapter – I love to ski coach,” Wadsworth said.
“Beckie and I have dedicated nearly our entire lives almost exclusively to the sport of cross-country skiing – both as athletes and in coaching – but I feel now it is time to take a break and concentrate my time on being a father and husband.
“Cross-country skiing is in our family blood, but at some point it is time to step away. I look forward to watching the team’s continued quest for the Olympic podium.”
Ski Tour Canada was the right time to leave, Wadsworth said.
“It’s nice to leave on a high note from Ski Tour Canada, which had great performances from the vets and younger athletes – it’s a milestone to leave on.
“What I remember is the camaraderie with the team. When you’re on the road with the team, they’re your second family. From wax techs to athletes, you’re with them all the time. There are not many things in life like that, especially for athletes,” Wadsworth said. “We really are a moving second family. There are so many things that go along with it. There are highs and lows, but the lows make the high points feel better.”
He feels the program is currently in great shape, and credits high performance director Thom Holland for maintaining a high standard throughout his tenure.
“I owe a lot to Thom Holland. He is the behind the scenes guy and he is my sage. When I’m pissed off, he is a good sounding board and he’s not afraid to tell me when I’m wrong about something. He is the one who gets blamed when something goes wrong, but his goal is always to better the sport in Canada,” Wadsworth said.
He also credits former team coach Dave Wood for putting a good training team in place, stressing Canmore has the right motivation in place.
“We have world leading experts on staff who we work closely with. It’s the system we’ve created in Canmore that has worked well and I think that’s something a new coach would appreciate. The new coach will do their own thing and have their own ideas, but will appreciate the system that is in place,” Wadsworth said.
“It’s a small country ski-wise, and we have produced a hell of a lot of excellent ski results. Not many can say that.”
Holland said the search for a new head coach will start immediately.
“He brought in a lot of fresh enthusiasm to the program. He’s a great organizer and detail person, and he has that fire – he knows what it takes to win. He’s been great to work with. We won’t find another Justin Wadsworth,” Holland said.
Wadsworth now plans to take his family on a two-week vacation in Oregon before looking into new projects. He hasn’t lined up a new job yet, but said for now he still enjoys coaching Jackrabbits with the Canmore Nordic Ski Club.
“I’m leaving the door open to coaching. I am closing the book on travelling and being committed 24/7 to the national team, because that’s what it takes to be a great coach,” Wadsworth said.
