Davidson jumps from women’s hockey to Own The Podium
CALGARY — Melody Davidson says she’s received a few text messages telling her “I didn’t see this coming.”
After more than a quarter century as a coach, manager and mentor in women’s hockey domestically and internationally, Davidson is taking her skills to summer sport with Own The Podium.
Davidson was the chief architect of Canada’s back-to-back Olympic gold medals in women’s hockey in 2006 and 2010 as head coach and manager.
She shifted out of coaching, but continued to manage the national squad that claimed gold again in 2014, and silver in 2018.
OTP is bringing the 57-year-old from Oyen, Alta., on board as a summer-sport high-performance adviser.
“I just feel right now I’ve got more to give,” Davidson told the Canadian Press on Friday.
“This is a tremendous opportunity. Going to be a steep learning curve for sure. I feel like it will be great to re-energize me.”
Own The Podium provides technical expertise to national sport organizations.
OTP also makes funding recommendations directing $70 million annually in Sport Canada money to winter and summer Olympic and Paralympic sport based on medal potential.
Davidson has worked with Hockey Canada over 28 years, first as a volunteer and contract coach before becoming a fulltime employee in 2005.
She’s involved in men’s hockey, too, as a consultant for the Western Hockey League’s Winnipeg Ice, and was previously an assistant coach in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
Davidson stepped back from managing the national women’s program in 2018.
She continued as head scout while mentoring Gina Kingsbury, a woman she coached to a pair of Olympic gold medals and who took over for her director of national women’s teams.
Davidson felt ready to do something different. The COVID-19 pandemic that shut down hockey and travel in March gave her time to take stock.
OTP had openings on its summer-sport, high-performance staff this year. David Mirota left for the Canadian Olympic Committee and Jean-Philippe Lavoie headed to Wheelchair Rugby Canada.