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“His communication skills are second-to-none. He’s constantly building everyone up, trying to get the best out of each individual. He’s putting so much effort in himself, it’s really taken his level of professionalism to new heights.”
When the search began to replace the departing head coach of Canada’s highly-successful wheelchair curling team four years ago, the mention of a name from the past jogged Wendy Morgan’s memory.
“Mick (Lizmore) and I had crossed paths with each other years and years before, before we were even associated in a coaching capacity,’’ recalls Morgan, one of the country’s pre-eminent curling coaches and administrators for a long time. “I didn’t know him really well, mind you, but I did know him to be a very kind, empathetic person. I also knew him to be, as an athlete, as a curler, a real student of the game.
“He’s very intelligent, willing to accept feedback, input and - in a good way - he’s creative. That’s the other key piece I appreciated about him.
“That combination of things make him a solid individual and really effective coach.
“We already had a good rapport, and I just had a good vibe right away.”
When in 2020, the highly-successful Wayne Kiel decided to step aside from his head coaching post, Morgan, now on the hunt for a new, young talent to assume the role, heard Lizmore’s name come up in conversation.
“And immediately I was: ‘Yeah, let’s give this a try,’” she recalls.
“The first time he came out - he was living in Edmonton at the time, and we were training there - he was intrigued. He was immediately very engaged in the technical side of the para game. At the end of the weekend, he said: ‘I’ve written a few notes here …’ And I thought: ‘OK, we might’ve hooked him a little bit.’
“And we had.”
Lizmore eased into the main role, he and Kiel coaching together during Canada’s 2020 silver-medal run at the World Wheelchair Championships held in Wetzikon, Switzerland.
“I’d known Wendy, who at the time was the national co-ordinator, since I was 13 or so,’’ Lizmore recalls. “So, there was a lot of familiarity there. They were looking for some new perspectives and I jumped at the opportunity. I just thought it was a great fit for me.
“There was learning curve, for sure. But I actually felt that a lot of the stuff I’d worked on and developed as a coach over the previous 10 years had sort of set me up to do well, be prepared, to make a difference with the group quickly.
“I have so much respect and admiration for Wendy. For the nearly 20 years she basically built and supported the team. She’s someone who put care and compassion ahead of everything else with all athletes she’s worked with - she’s coached youth, Jennifer Jones’ team, the national wheelchair program for a number of years.
“She’s right at the top of my list for people I’ve not only looked up to as the model of a great coach but as mentor and someone to seek advice from.”
Lizmore has more than justified the faith placed in him, wholeheartedly embraced the challenge, continuing an enviable run of big-tournament results, steering Canada’s para team to a bronze medal at the 2022 Paralympic Games in Beijing along with a troika of silvers at the World Wheelchair Championships, the 2020 edition in Switzerland, and in 2023 at Richmond, B.C., followed by this year at Gangneung, South Korea.
No stranger to high-level curling as a competitor, while working towards a PhD in Sports Psychology at the University of Alberta, Lizmore was continuing a doctorate in curling acumen as part of the 2012 CIS/CCA Championship/2013 Winter Universiade rink skipped by Brendan Bottcher, while also coaching in the university’s curling program.
A familiarity with para sport aided in segueing into the new gig. After completing high school, Lizmore had volunteered with his hometown London Blizzard Para ice hockey team, travelling to tournaments, and even filling in as a player during the odd practice.
Mark Ideson has been skip of the Wheelchair Curling Team since 2018 and can’t say enough good things about Lizmore’s tactics and demeanour.
“We’ve certainly had some excellent coaches along the way, with Joe (Rea), Wendy and Wayne,’’ Ideson says, from his home in Parry Sound, Ont. “Then Mick came in. He’s such a natural leader. When he speaks, everyone listens but he took his time to know the program, know the processes, know the people, so he assimilated very well.
“Such an easy-going guy and so smart, it didn’t take him long to catch up.
Mick is such an excellent strategist. He loves the game of curling, and he was able to adapt his knowledge of the able-bodied game to the wheelchair curling strategies.”
In Lizmore’s coaching world, the teacher is also the student.
“We often think coaches are the ones there to teach and deliver,’’ he muses, “but I have to say I’ve probably have learned as much if not more from the athletes I’ve worked with than what they’ve learned from me.
“Sure, I bring a certain set of expertise on how a curling rock travels down the ice and the Xs and Os of strategy, but when it comes to navigating all-around-ness, respect and care for others and being an amazing leader, I have to thank the athletes for what they bring to the table.
“I think that’s one of the really cool things about this wheelchair curling group: They want to be there, spend time with each other, enjoy pursuing common goals and have this thirst for getting better.
“We talk a lot about pursuing the one percent gains out there in the world, and on the curling ice. In my mind, good coaches who make a positive difference with the athletes they work with all share … good intentions. They’re there for the right reasons.
“Coaches who have sustained success over time are there for the right reasons.”
Lizmore credits Own the Podium’s Pursuit Program, which put him in touch with Max Gartner, for aiding in his transition during a particularly difficult and uncertain time for everyone.
“I found it incredibly helpful to have a mentor who was really familiar with the sport system but who wasn’t necessarily inside the program I was a part of,’’ he says.
“It was amazing to have a sounding board, someone to run ideas by or to reflect with, especially given the experience he had. Especially during a time, Covid, when we were really isolated, inside your house. It was nice to have a personal connection to help shape our course forward.
“I was really thankful for the opportunity. For me, what’s really unique is that I still have not met (Max) in person. After Covid my wife and I moved to Ontario so we’re now across the country from one another but we still certainly manage to connect intermittently, check in and chat about things.”
The Para rock-throwers will be endeavouring to build on their admirable run of Paralympic success two years from now, in 2026, having medalled at five successive Games, when the next edition will be jointly hosted in Italy by Milan and Cortina D’ampezzo.
That medal streak, confesses Lizmore, isn’t something that’s taken lightly.
“We sure as heck were aware of it going into Beijing,’’ he laughs now.
“So, there’s pressure, sure. But let’s call it a beautiful burden.”
As preparations draw closer the knowledge that the right skipper will be steering the ship in the push to extend “the beautiful burden” and hopefully take home gold for a fourth time.
“Mick,’’ sums up skip Mark Ideson, “is such an incredible guy. Probably the best coach I’ve had in any sport.
“His communication skills are second-to-none. He’s constantly building everyone up, trying to get the best out of each individual. He’s putting so much effort in himself, it’s really taken his level of professionalism to new heights.”
Ideson pauses at the rather clichéd query about whether or not he could single out a personal favourite Mick moment.
“I can’t think of one offhand,’’ is the reply after a few moments of reflection, “But I can say this: Because of Mick, I smile. He’s just so happy to be on the ice. I can actually picture him right now in my head running full speed down the ice and jumping over the timing lasers to catch rocks.
“He literally loves curling and loves being out there with us. You can’t fake that.
“You can’t buy that.
“It’s magic.”
As praise goes, no coach could hope for higher.
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