Canadian Paralympic Committee Announces Mission Staff for London 2012 and Guadalajara 2011

"The Canadian Paralympic Committee, Chef de Mission Gaétan Tardif and Assistant Chef de Mission Elisabeth Walker-Young today announced the Mission Staff for the London 2012 Paralympic Games and the Guadalajara 2011 Parapan American Games - including top experts in their field and two prominent Paralympic medallists.
 ...
Assistant Chief Therapist - Maggie Kayes (Calgary, AB). Maggie is an athletic therapist and sales consultant for Dynasplint Canada. She was a Doping Control Station Manager for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and was a member of the Canadian Medical Team as an athletic therapist at the 2002, 2006 and 2008 Paralympic Games."

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CATA Conference - Banff 2011

The Canadian Athletic Therapists Association will be holding its annual conference in Banff  from May 25 to 28.  The conference features keynote speaker, Dr. Robert Cantu, who is one of the nation's top sports concussion specialists.  Dr. Cantu will speak on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and chronic traumatic encephalomyelopathy (CTEM).  Other topics that will be presented at the CATA conference include the following:

• No regrets! Key Lessons From the 2010 Olympics for Success in Business and Life, Richard Monette
• Knee Injuries: From the Ski Hill to the OR, Dr. Mark Heard
• Sport Specific Training Concepts and Core for the Para-athlete: A Sledge Hockey Focus, Tony Carbonette
• Assessment and Treatment of the Posterior Chain of the Lower Quadrant, Anne Hartley
• And much, much more!
  

Information about the conference can be found at http://conference.athletictherapy.org/.  You can also follow them on twitter for the most up to date news - @CATAconference.

Job Opportunity: Cirque du Soleil - Strength & Conditioning Specialist

Description

Regular position

 

Reporting to the IHQ Senior Head Coach, the Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Artist Training is responsible for the development of individualized and group strength and conditioning programs for artists in training at IHQ. He or she will also promote injury prevention, maintenance and performance enhancement to ensure the longevity of a career in performance and faster recovery times.

 

Primary duties and responsibilities:

  

The Strength and Conditioning Specialist will be required to:

• Coordinate with the Artist Training coaching team and the Performance Medicine team to assess physical training needs for individual artists and performance enhancement needs for acts being developed at IHQ;
• Develop, implement and monitor injury prevention or performance enhancement programs personalized for each individual artist in training at IHQ and specific to every act being developed at IHQ;
• Identify and report conditioning, de-conditioning and injury prevention trends to the Senior Head Coach;
• Objectively assess, measure, adjust and document all strength and conditioning programs implemented;
• Develop criteria based on the post-analysis report of each conditioning program to measure the program's effectiveness and determine whether the objectives were met;
• Assist the Director of Performance Medicine with the development of reintegration protocols for injured artists;
• Administer or assist in physical capacity assessments, in cooperation with the PMed and Artist Training coaching team;
• Cooperate with the Artist Training team and teach the coaches to ensure the continuity of the physical training program for new artists, from the training environment to the show;
• Assess innovative ways of using time and work with the existing artist schedules to integrate portions or all of the prescribed programs within the weekly working schedule;
• Promote an educational program that will help increase artists' awareness of different variables pertaining to the training program's methods, and encourage artists to be self-reliant when it comes to carrying out their physical fitness program;
• Use modern training methods (e.g. Pilates, resistance training, plyometrics), and design training methods that meet artists' needs.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have the following qualifications:

• Advanced certifications in the areas of strength and conditioning;
• Certification from the National Coaching Certification Program;
• University degree in physical therapy, athletic training/therapy, kinesiology, physical education or any other related field;
• Six to eight years' experience in coaching acrobatic core disciplines;
• Experience in care, prevention and rehabilitation, as well as in developing and implementing injury prevention, maintenance or performance enhancement programs with athletes or performers;
• Fluency in French and English;
• Working knowledge of MS Word and Excel;
• Ability to work as part of a team;
• Leadership;
• Self-reliance;
• Ability to work within an interdisciplinary team;
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Job: Production and Technical Support & Operations 

Primary Location: Montreal (Canada) 

Job Posting: 2011-Apr-04 

Unposting Date: 04 May 2011 23:59:00

See the job posting...

Job Opportunity: Cirque du Soleil - Athletic Therapist

Description

Please note: This is a posting for future Athletic Trainer/Physical Therapist openings in the following locations:  Orlando, FL; Las Vegas, NV & Asia (Macau & Tokyo).

Regular Position

This position reports Performance Medicine Supervisor.

• Apply preventive and curative treatments and rehabilitation for artists;
• Offer treatments and conditioning programs and ensure all practices meet requirements of federal, state and civil authorities;
• Offer only those treatments that he or she is legally qualified to dispense;
• Attend training periods, rehearsals and performances for the purpose of administering first aid and appropriate emergency measures in the event of an injury or event involving an artist or employee;
• Work in close cooperation with other members of the emergency team in case of injury or medical emergency;
• Participate in the decision-making process concerning changes made to training or performances in the event of injury or illness of an artist or any other event that might require changes;
• Maintain and update daily the medical file of each artist using the forms prescribed by Cirque du Soleil. Complete the forms required for filing insurance claims for injured or sick artists;
• When an artist seeks medical consultation outside of Cirque, the Therapist must ensure the transmission of information between the professionals concerned and the Company Manager, the Worker's Compensation Coordinator and the Artistic Coordinator, and collect and file all pertinent documents (prescriptions, x-rays, reports, etc.) resulting from this consultation;
• All other duties assigned by the Performance Medicine Supervisor.

 Qualifications

• Must have a Bachelor's Degree plus some graduate level studies;
• Must have a minimum of 4 years' experience;
• Must have working knowledge of MS Word and Excel;
• Must have experience with manual therapies, emergency care and massage;
• 3 years of clinical experience and experience with athletes, acrobats and/or dancers is highly preferred.

Job: Performance Medicine / Athlete Coaching 

Primary Location: Las Vegas (USA) 

Job Posting: 2011-Apr-26 

Unposting Date: 27 May 2011 02:59:00

See the job posting...

Lucic’s thoughtless moment means Game 7

"“I didn’t see [Lucic] coming from behind,” Spacek said. “At the last moment, I thought he’d hit me. I tried to protect myself a bit. I feel OK. I was talking to [athletic therapist Graham Rynbend] right away.”

Lucic picked his way around Spacek to take a brief seat in the penalty box before he was shown off the rink. But from the dressing room, he surely heard the roar of the crowd 71 seconds after he’d been banished."

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Canada falls in U-18 bronze tilt while US captures gold

"Canada suffered defeat in the bronze medal game while the United States scored a dramatic come-from-behind 4-3 overtime win over Sweden for the gold medal as the World U-18 Hockey Championships concluded over the weekend in Germany.

Daniel Catenacci and Nick Cousins from the Soo Greyhounds suited up for Team Canada while Hounds athletic therapist Chris Linder was also a member of the squad."

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Confidence carries IceDogs over Majors

"Majors head athletic therapist Ivan Bokanovic moved to Niagara with the IceDogs four years ago before returning to Mississauga two years ago to be closer to his Oakville home"

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Marcia Franklin explains the holistic approach of athletic therapy

"Athletic Therapist Marcia Franklin, from Quality Care Sports Injury and Rehab, explains the holistic approach to pain assessment"

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Centennial grad wins award at York U.

"Nobody at the York University athletic banquet held recently in Toronto should've been surprised when Kevin Montgomery and David Mayer were announced as finalists for the school's prestigious Charles Saundercook Memorial Trophy.

After all, the Belleville high school graduates were co-captains of the Lions men's cross-country and track teams.

In the final tally, it was Montgomery, a Centennial Secondary School grad, who took home the hardware but he saluted Mayer, formerly of Nicholson Catholic College, when he accepted the award.
...
"Under the direction of a new coach, Montgomery was instrumental in getting his teammates to buy into a new training program that led to success at the OUA championships. While running middle distance events for the track and field team, he has trained hard throughout his career and lowered his times in all distances — some by as much as 25 seconds.

"Montgomery has accomplished all of that in athletics while excelling in the classroom and studying in the athletic therapy program where he has been a therapist for many of York's varsity teams."

The three-time All-Canadian selection was York's male cross-country MVP last season and was named Student Therapist of the Year in 2009. Montgomery is set to graduate this spring and will attempt his national exams in June with hopes of becoming a certified athletic therapist."

No quit in these Spits

"Now it comes down to twoout-of-three, and the most important performer in the Windsor mix isn't a player, nor is it a member of the coaching staff.

It's athletic therapist Joey Garland, the man who makes sure the players stay in peak condition.

This series is no longer about talent. It's about will. It's about fitness. It's about proper diet and replenishing lost fluids. It's about conditioning.

It's about surviving as much as it is about winning.

"We play three-in-three during the season, but playoff hockey is that much more intense," Robertson said. "It's definitely going to be tough.

"We've just got to get our rest, get our nutrition. Joey Garland and the athletic staff, they do a good job of making sure we've got the right food in us.""

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Finding a cure

"That’s why Ontario’s athletic therapists need to stay on top of all types of treatment for their players, says Nipissing University’s athletic therapist, Brian “Doc” Duval. “I think that our association, in order to stay vital and stay needed, has to look at those alternative forms of treatment.”

At Ryerson University, head athletic therapist Jerome Camacho says athletes are originally treated using conventional medicine, but there are times when further treatment is sought."

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The missing ingredient to high performance

"Unfortunately for college athletes whose lives do not revolve around their sport like professional athletes, everyday hydration can take a backseat to other concerns. Steve Kopas, athletic therapist at Seneca College, says there is one simple thing college athletes can do to stay hydrated.

“At the beginning of the year they get a water bottle in their varsity packages,” Kopas notes. “I tell them they should carry that around with them all the time and just make it part of their routine. That way when they’re in class and they have their water bottle in their hand, it’s an easy reminder and they take little sips of water throughout the day versus trying to get them to drink x-amount of fluids before practice because you know that’s not going to happen with their schedule.”"

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A liquid ticket to the sideline

"Alison Chasczewski, athletic therapist at Durham College, says use of this adrenaline boosting liquid is most prominent in Hockey. “In dealing with our hockey players, specifically, you know, and they will say themselves that they drank too much. They will say that they had three Red Bulls before the game, and three more in-between periods.”

Chasczewski says the negative effects are sometimes immediately apparent. “They’ll come off the ice with the shakes, they’ll be puking after, and they have been warned, but it’s a matter of perception.”"

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Hockey Canada announces the rosters for the women's IIHF worlds and men's U18 IIHF worlds teams

"Hockey Canada announced Wednesday Canada’s National Women’s Team roster for the 2011 IIHF World Women’s Championship, scheduled for April 16-25 in Zurich and Winterthur, Switzerland. The team was selected following a selection camp at the MasterCard Centre in Toronto which ran from Saturday to Tuesday.  

Canada’s National Women’s Team will hold a camp from April 6-9 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, including two exhibition games against the United States at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube, before departing for Europe on April 9.

Canada opens the 2011 IIHF World Women’s Championship on April 16 against Switzerland, and will also face Kazakhstan and Finland in preliminary round play. The 2011 IIHF World Women’s Championship includes two groups of four teams, with the top three teams from each group advancing to the medal round, which starts on April 23."

Stefanie Moser, Athletic Therapist, Toronto, Ont. Read More...

 "Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Hockey League, announced Wednesday the 22 players that will comprise Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team at the 2011 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, set for April 14-24 in Crimmitschau and Dresden, Germany.

The roster is comprised of players born in 1993 or earlier whose teams are no longer competing in the CHL playoffs with their respective club teams. Many of Canada’s players named today will be among the top selections at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft in St. Paul, Minn., in June.

The team will gather in Toronto, Ont., on Wednesday, April 6 before flying to Europe on April 7. Team Canada has one on-ice session at the MasterCard Centre in Toronto, at noon ET on April 7, before departing to Germany.

Prior to the world championship, Canada will play three exhibition games: April 9 vs. the United States in Dresden, April 11 vs. Sweden in Crimmitschau and April 12 vs. Germany in Dresden.

The 2011 IIHF World Under-18 Championship opens for Canada on April 15 in Dresden when it takes on the Czech Republic. The Canadians will also face Finland, Sweden and Norway in the preliminary round."

Chris Linder, Therapist, Vancouver, B.C. Read More...

University of Calgary Kinemedics Athletic Therapy Scholarships award winners announced

The University of Calgary awarded the  Kinemedics Athletic Therapy Scholarships to Samara Tocher (clinical) and Kate Trippier (field).

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Heather Callahan, Fernie Athletic Therapy and Rehabilitation

"Mention the town of Fernie in the south-eastern corner of British Columbia, and many people think of skiing, hockey, snowboarding and many other winter activities that attract people to this popular spot. Those who visit and live here, including aspiring and professional athletes and just active-minded people have one thing in common: injuries go with the territory, and access to rehabilitative services is part of the game. Fernie resident Heather Callahan realized the market was perfect for the start of Fernie Athletic Therapy and Rehabilitation in the fall of 2006, as there was little available in the area in the form of treatment services for sports injuries.

Heather, a Certified Athletic Therapist, was looking for a change from the work she did with the local ski patrol which was mostly limited to quick assessments and treatments. Her background included working with recreational and elite athletes involved with hockey, track and field, alpine skiing, snowboarding, gymnastics, rugby, soccer and football, which helped her appreciate the biomechanics and physical demands of each sport. “Starting my own business was also the only way I could gain employment in the field I had invested my training and experience in, without limiting my growth or income-earning potential,” she says."

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Mac kicker makes recovery his goal

"A former Team World player at the Under-19 level against Team USA, Crapigna’s goal remains to be a professional kicker. He connected on 8-of-12 field goal attempts for Mac, including a 47-yarder. He also punted 49 times for a 33.4 average.

“I can improve,” he said. “I’m mainly focused on school and getting this leg back into working condition.”

Chris Puskas, a former trainer with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Toronto Argonauts for 17 years, recently took over head athletic therapist duties at McMaster. He’s been monitoring Crapigna’s recovery. Mac’s kicking coach and special teams assistant Dana Segin, however, has no doubt that Crapigna will be back in the lineup."

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