Adopting a Constraints-Led Approach for Strength and Conditioning: Applications to Teaching the Olympic Lifts
While preparing athletes for their sports it is important to not only develop the physical tools required to satisfy the demands of their activities but to also consider how people are moving during training. In addition to improving maximum strength, conditioning, speed, and so on, the job of the strength coach is to also teach movement skills to their athletes. It’s been shown that interventions designed with a movement & fitness oriented approach increase fitness to a similar extent as programs focused solely on developing fitness, but also result in positive changes in movement behaviours that transfer to other activities [...]
Making a Difference in Prince Edward Island: Wyatt Inman
Canada is a wonderful country. Part of what makes it wonderful is the beautiful province of PEI. The CSCA is thrilled to share this interview with Wyatt Inman, an S&C coach who has been making a difference in PEI for over 20 years. CSCA - What is your current primary role? WI - I have been a faculty member of Holland College on Prince Edward Island since 1998. I began as a kinesiologist with the Atlantic Police Academy, and in 2000 I became the co-ordinator of the Sport and Leisure Management diploma program. My current primary role is teaching [...]
Programming Considerations for Return to Play Post COVID-19
It goes without saying that coaches (S&C, and otherwise) are dealing with a relatively unique challenge as we begin the process of returning to training after COVID-19. In a typical year for high performance athletes, 3-4 weeks may be near the upper end of a “transition” or active recovery period before returning to full-time training. In contrast, we are currently reaching approximately 19 weeks (as August begins) of limited or no sport-specific training. This is quite possibly the longest period that many high performance athletes have had “off” of their sport in years, or even their entire careers (we’ll ignore [...]
From Ontario to BC: Experiences Guided by My Mentors Made Me a Better Coach
My career has been inspired by experiences guided by mentors. My education is what qualifies me for my job, yet the knowledge from my formal education is not what makes me effective in my role. Although I do not consider myself to be amongst the best coaches in the country, my position allows me to collaborate with those who are. When learning from a great coach, I have observed a common trend in their actions and results: passionate selfless coaches make organizations and their athletes better. Coaches and teachers alike have had huge impacts on my life at various stages. [...]
A Rising Star in Nova Scotia: Erik Richard
CSCA - What is your current primary role? ER - I am currently the head strength & conditioning coach for Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. My role has grown from working with a few of the varsity teams to taking over full operations single handed and providing a program structure not seen before at SMU. I now run varsity programs and am entering a second year providing an internship for local students. I formerly worked as a strength & conditioning coach for the Canadian Sports Centre Atlantic. I am a CSCS and a CEP, and I am finishing [...]
Part 1 – Return to High Performance Sport: Progress and Suggestions in the Midst of COVID-19
The objectives of this article are to share the processes, challenges, and successes of reopening facilities dedicated to high performance sport in Canada. In so doing, specifics are shared related to one case study. Additionally, in being open and transparent, practices outlined here within may be appropriate and applicable, for facility owners and operators, during reopening phases in the public and private sectors. Each Canadian Provincial and Territorial government links, for specific guidance, are included at the end of this article. Note, the comment/blog reply posting feature is activated for this article. We encourage you to post your feedback, replies, [...]
Part 2 – Return to Training Guidelines for Collegiate Athletes Following the COVID-19 Shut Down
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a significant restructuring of the way in which Canadians work and live, with sporting activities worldwide being significantly impacted. Sport in most academic settings has been cancelled for the fall 2020 semester resulting in a 10 month withdrawal from most competitions, and in some cases, practice settings. As a result, there exists some uncertainty as to appropriate practices for maintaining athlete preparedness during the shutdown. It is important at this time to continue to support athletes in their development and to recognize the role that the S&C coach can play managing their wellness and [...]
A Survey in Support of Research
Dear Coaches, We are contacting you regarding a study being conducted by Brock University looking at opinions of power cleans versus trap bar jumps and percentage-based training versus velocity-based training in practice. We are interested in investigating opinions of strength and conditioning coaches on exercise selection to train strength-power and loading prescription patterns. This study will ask you a series of questions regarding your demographics, followed by 5 case-based questions. You will be asked questions about certifications you hold, membership associations, the country you work in, your level of education, your official title, how long you’ve been doing strength and [...]
How I Approach Kinesthetically-based Corrections with Online Coaching
In over 26 years as an S&C coach, I have at times found kinesthetically-based corrections, in particular, the use of my hands, to be effective in helping to correct movement patterns for kinesthetic learners. ”They say not to use your hands when you correct.” This was a quotation made by a coach in one of the workshops I teach, about a particular certification organization in North America. What a shame, was my initial reaction. However, given the impact, and the importance of, the Safe Sport Movement, it is clear that using touch as a coaching tool needs to be carefully [...]
