Few have what it takes to be a high-performance athlete. Besides natural giftedness in a given sport, countless hours a week must be spent training, travelling across the world and competing – and what about school? How do top-notch athletes find the time to study, write exams and complete projects on top of all they need to do to succeed in their sports? For many of these athletes, the CBE’s National Sport School (NSS) is the answer, and for good reason - it has been perfecting the art of teaching our athletic elite since 1994. And what they are doing works; all you have to do is ask the students.

“Winning a gold medal was a very special and exciting moment as was the discovery that I had been accepted to Harvard University,” says Jennifer Botterill, two-time Olympic gold medalist in hockey. “The National Sport School played an integral role in my development as a student and an athlete.”

On paper the NSS has an impressive track record as well. It has reached capacity at 150 students training in 23 Olympic sports, and has achieved this by virtually word-of-mouth alone. Its reputation for excellence has made NSS a desirable choice for Olympic athletes such as gymnast Kyle Shewfelt and diver Blyth Hartley among many others.

What’s more, this year the school has four students competing in the 2010 Olympic Games: ski jumpers Mackenzie Boyd-Clowes, Trevor Morrice and Eric Mitchell; and luger Tristan Walker. In addition, 17 NSS alumni will be competing in Vancouver, while ight current student-athletes were torchbearers in the Torch Relay, and a number of them will be forerunners – a significant achievement in the sporting world – in events such as luge, alpine skiing, ski jumping and biathlon.

So how does NSS help high-performance athletes achieve success in school and sport? It all started after a study done by CODA (Calgary Olympic Development Association) showed that 50% of high school aged high-performance athletes were struggling to keep up with both academics and athletics, and would drop out of one or the other. 

“For our students balancing school and sport is like trying to maintain two full-time jobs,” says Principal Cam Hodgson. “Our school was designed so the kids could still pursue sport and schooling, and achieve excellence in both arenas.”

NSS accommodates these students by offering a flexible, supportive and personalized learning environment that works around their various athletic commitments; recognizing that students will be away competing or training a lot of the time. Being surrounded by other high-performance athletes who understand each other and the camaraderie that is built through that understanding are key to the school’s success.

“Imagine you suffered a career-ending crash on Sunday, and had to write a major exam on Monday,” Hodgson explains. “In a regular school setting it would be difficult for peers to fully understand how that would feel. But at NSS, all the students know what it’s like to suffer a devastating injury or the thrill of winning a competition. They are all extremely supportive of one another.”

The school is staffed with a team that understands the tremendous time commitments and demands these students face. For example, a sports psychology course was designed specifically for NSS students to help them deal with the immense pressures that come with being a high-performance athlete. The course focuses on topics such as goal setting, visualization, seeking balance and managing stress. The course was designed by the school’s sport psychologist who developed it based on her understanding of students’ needs.  Students also learn in distributed learning environments, which are designed to enhance, extend and enrich their learning. Through online learning technologies, the athletes are connected to courses, teachers and support networks they need at anytime, and from anywhere.

This environment of support and community isn’t just reserved for students either; it also extends to the athletes’ families, who play a very important role in their children’s education.

“In this school all the athletes and educators understand the difficulty of balancing education and sport. Everyone understands the severity of an injury, the feelings of pride with victory or loathing with defeat,” says Brent Morrice, father of Vancouver Olympian and current NSS student, Trevor Morrice. “It is an environment that encourages high level athletics and works with students and families to ensure the continuance of education. These top level athletes, who in some cases are away more than 50% of the time, need understanding - and thankfully they receive it from the teachers and staff of the National Sport School.”

As the Vancouver Olympics approach, the whole school community is excited and eager to cheer on their classmates, but unlike most of us who join in the spirit of sport when another year of Olympic Games rolls around; these students continually demonstrate what’s at the heart of competition. Whether they’re competing in the Olympics themselves, following a gruelling training schedule, completing a group assignment or cheering in front of a television screen, NSS students know what success looks like thanks to the caring and devoted staff and families who make up this inspiring community.

For more information on the National Sport School, visit their website http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b830/