RMCC is committed to the Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) Coaching Philosophy, a framework designed to support athletes' development throughout their entire sporting journey. It is rooted in principles of human growth and development, focusing on ensuring that athletes receive age-appropriate training and competition opportunities. This philosophy emphasizes the importance of creating positive, inclusive, and supportive environments that foster lifelong participation in sport while also nurturing high-performance potential for those aiming for elite levels. All of our coaches and instructors are either NCCP or PMBIA certified, are committed to Safe Sport and have undergone vulnerable sector checks.

Head Coaching Team

  • Kevin Eaton- Youth All Mountain Program (AMP)

    Cycling and snowboarding drew Kevin to the Bow Valley from Nova Scotia in 1997 after completing his Recreation Management Diploma. Since then he has coached many adult & youth mountain bike programs in Banff and Canmore. Coaching for RMCC for the past 15 seasons. In addition to his mountain bike coaching experience, Kevin has 30 years experience coaching / instructing full-time in the ski & snowboard industry, including certifying some of Canada’s top snowboard instructors and is a member of the Canadian Snowboard Instructors Association hall of fame.

    Inspired by RMCC youth riders, he rekindled a passion for racing in 2014 and continues to race in Enduro events every year alongside the Athletes and Coaches of the AMP Enduro Program.
    “I love sharing the passion of riding bikes with riders of all ages and abilities.”

    PMBIA Level 4

    NCCP Certified #590879
    Safe Sport Trained
    Ready to Race! MTB Skills and Tactics
    Ready to Race! Training Basics
    Skills and Tactics Practical - BMX

  • Dean Thompson - Youth Revolution

    At a young age Dean started racing 4X and DH in Ontario accumulating multiple U18 overall titles, podiums, and a provincial championship. He later took a hiatus from mountain biking while attending college and in 2014 he moved to the Bow Valley. In 2017 he attended a showing of the film “The Moment” which stoked the flames for a return to  mountain biking. From that day on the Bow Valley’s trail networks have been his playground!
    Before coaching mountain biking, Dean led multi day backcountry trips for the YMCA Camp Chief Hector’s leadership development programs. Later he spent more than six years working as a professional bike mechanic.
    He continues his training and education working towards furthering his PMBIA certifications and enrolling in different certificate courses in sport science.

    PMBIA Level 1

    PMBIA Level 2 Air

    PMBIA Kids Teaching Module

    NCCP Certified #6814653
    Safe Sport Training - Direct Athlete Contact
    NCCP Emergency Action Plan
    Cycling Foundations eLearning

  • James Kendal- Road

    James developed a love for cycling at a young age after leaving competitive swimming and started his racing journey in the Edmonton area when he was just thirteen. Cycling was freedom to explore endless roads in and around Edmonton but learning how to race and find a pathway to racing was cryptic at the time. James’s coaching philosophy is rooted in helping athletes reach their full potential and guide them on the pathway towards excellence and passion for a lifelong love of sport.

    Since joining RMCC in 2010, James has been an active club member and dedicated a number of years to various leadership positions such as President and Treasurer. Additionally, he serves as a cyclocross  race organizer. James’  contributions extend beyond our local community and served on the Alberta Bicycle Association (ABA) board of directors from 2015 to 2023 and now works as an Executive Director for the ABA. James has reached the Third and final tier of the NCCP coaching pathway and coaches the road devo program as well as several high performance athletes.

    NCCP Certified #5660344
    Safe Sport Trained
    Competitive Development Trained