Inaugural seminar featuring keynote speaker Finn Gundersen presented by
Park City- based coalition for healthy and unified sports community
Park City, Utah (April 12, 2013) – With a focus on wellness and sport in Park City, newly formed Park City Sport and Wellness Coalition kicks off their community educational efforts with a special presentation by renowned high performance and sports education Finn Gundersen. Speaking on the topic “Parents As Coaches”, Finn will be presenting on Tuesday, April 30 at 6:30 pm at the Jim Santy Auditorium. The program is scheduled for an hour and admission is free.
The seminar will focus on the important role of a parent as a coach on the field or in the backyard. Finn’s philosophy is that the ultimate goal of sport participation is to help children grow as individuals of strong character and integrity. He sees the dual role of a parent – as both parent and coach – to be key to developing a child’s life skills while creating positive athletic experiences.
During the seminar, Finn plans to explore the many issues involving the dual role of parent/coach. He will present the latest research to help first time and veterans of this unique dynamic. The research also includes specifics on how children learn new skills, how to promote long-term athlete development and how to ensure young athletes return year after year. The seminar will provide attendees take-home information and resources such as online sources, recommended books and sport journals.
Following the presentation, Finn will moderate a professional athlete panel featuring Shannon Bahrke, Olympic silver medalist in moguls; Billy Demong, Olympic gold medalist in Nordic combined; Eric Heiden, Olympic gold medalist in speed skating; Miles Joseph, Olympian, former Major League Soccer team member and current Assistant Coach of Real Salt Lake; Mike Morgan, former Major League Baseball pitcher; and Derek Parra, Olympic gold medalist in speed skating.
Finn is the founder of Gundersen Consulting, and has worked with Major League Soccer (MLS) team Philadelphia Union including the Union Development Academy in association with the Youth Soccer Center (YSC) located in Wayne, PA. Finn is currently the Director of Sport Education at High Performance Sports, the research arm for the Philadelphia Union and YSC Sports.
Finn has traveled extensively, researching the best practices in global youth sports development, applying the findings to both youth development and coaches’ education. Attending conferences in Japan, Turkey, Europe, and throughout the United States, Finn’s background includes experience with the American College of Sports Medicine, National Soccer Coaches Association of America, European College of Sports Science, and the International Convention on Science, Education & Medicine in Sports, to name a few.
In the last three decades, Finn’s roles have also included USSA Director of Alpine and Sport Education, Deputy General Manager overseeing event management for Snowbasin’s venue during the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympic Games, Headmaster at Burke Mountain Academy, and U.S. Ski Team Women’s Alpine World Cup Coach.
Park City Sport and Wellness Coalition is in the planning stages for an on-going education seminar series scheduled for fall of this year. The series will feature notable authors, researchers and professionals within the health, wellness and sport industries. The group is in discussions with the likes of Carol Dweck, Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, author of the book “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” and Dan Coyle, contributing editor at Outside Magazine and author of New York Times bestseller “The Little Book of Talent: 52 Tips for Improving Your Skills.” Details on the speakers’ series will be available this summer.