Interviews ARTICLES

You know, we had to complete a Decathlon as part of passing my undergraduate degree.

In this article, CSCA Advisory Team Member Carla Robbins shares about her connection, and the details of her first interview, with track coach Les Gramantik in this three part series. Introduction In 2010, three years after I moved to Calgary, and while completing my undergraduate degree at the University of Calgary, I moved in with someone named Rachael McIntosh. Rachael was a Canadian National team heptathlete at the time, who had just moved to Calgary to train with a new coach. This was after changing her sport pathway and letting go of her scholarship at the University of Pittsburgh [...]

Hayley Legg PhD, CSCS,*D, ASCC Hayley is the Clinical and Sport Scientist at Craven SPORT services, Saskatchewan, supporting the S&C and Physiotherapy teams. Additionally, Hayley is a Senior Lecturer at St. Mary’s University in London, contributing to the distance learning Strength & Conditioning Science Master’s program. Prior to this, she contributed to the undergraduate Sport Science and Strength & Conditioning Science degree programs for a decade. She completed her PhD at the University of Saskatchewan, focusing on upper body strength capacity in an aging population. Hayley has been an accredited strength and conditioning coach since 2008, works with a wide range [...]

Interview conducted by Travis Dorsey on behalf of the CSCA CSCA: Why did you start your journey of becoming a strength and conditioning coach? Was there anyone influential in your life to guide you? BA: I started my journey of becoming a strength and conditioning coach when working as an athletic therapy student intern at Dalhousie. Many of our athletes’ injuries were stemming from chronic overuse, poor exposure to gradual loading, and a need for simple scalable strength progressions. Soon after my athletic therapy intern experience, I first started working in a Sports Medicine Clinic in Toronto called the Sports [...]

In December of 2019, I was approached by Mark Smith (Head Coach) and Scott Willgress (Head Strength & Conditioning Coach), asking if I would be interested in travelling south of the border for eight weeks to help train the Canadian Women’s Olympic Softball Team leading up to the 2020 Olympic Games. I had known Scott and Mark for a few years prior to this and have always followed their team, so when they asked me to join, it was a huge honour. For those who are not aware, Softball made its return to the Olympics for the first time since [...]

Through our partnership with lululemon, we are grateful for Global Ambassador Manoj Dias' time in sharing his skill with us surrounding the CSCA Conference. As we live through the challenges of 2020 and 2021, there has hardly been a time in our lives when a focus on being mindful and mental health was so important. As S&C coaches we often focus on physiological adaptations, while being fully aware of the importance of psychological health. If you are fortunate, you work with a transdisciplinary team that includes a psychologist, psychiatrist, mental performance consultant and/or a mindfulness specialist such as Manoj. Meet [...]

Kris Robertson began his professional athletic career in 2013 by being drafted 11th overall by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League (CFL) draft. Unfortunately, his career was cut short as a result of a knee injury. After a period working as an Assistant S&C Coach with the Toronto Argonauts in the CFL, Kris began at the Canadian Sport Centre Ontario working with Rugby Canada. Kris is responsible for the physical development of the Senior Women’s National 15’s, as well as the Women’s Rugby Canada Development Academy.    In this interview Kris answers four questions and shares his insights into how [...]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cSh0dLeIBI 38 year veteran S&C Coach Peter Renzetti chatting to the players Before you read this article, please note that the comment section is activated. Share your comments afterwards! How appropriate that I took the time to write this article over the Thanksgiving weekend. As I reflect on some of the questions before me it is a perfect time for me to be so grateful as I look back on 38 years as a strength & conditioning coach. I can proudly look back as somewhat of a OG in the field and more importantly I am awed and grateful for [...]

Introduction and interview by CSCA Founding Director and current CSCA Advisory Team member Darren Steeves:  You know you are getting “older” when you are interviewing a veteran in the field that you trained many moons ago. Coach Slaunwhite was an athlete I got to watch and work with early in my career at Dalhousie University. He was an athlete above the rest. The one who took everything serious and left no stone unturned when it came to his own development. When other athletes were using alcohol on Saturday night or going out for some fast food he declined as it took away [...]

This interview with Jon is an excellent example of selflessly contributing to the field by agreeing to make this submission while in the middle of the competitive season, a time we all understand can be stressful and time restrictive. Thank you Jon! CSCA: What was the key to you securing a job with the Whitecaps (did being a player help increase your odds of getting the job)?  JP: To answer this question, I will give you the background of how I got into the position I am currently in. I started at the Academy level in 2011, where I was brought [...]