The Calgary Flames are well prepared for their upcoming season, thanks in part to their work with members of the Canadian Sport Institute Calgary. The Flames began their 2014 training camp at the WinSport Performance Training Centre at Canada Olympic Park on September 11, 2014. Assessments commenced with annual medicals and fitness testing using the Canadian Sport Institute Calgary's world-leading sport science and sport medicine teams. On ice workouts began the following day, drawing public crowds anxious to assess the team's potential for the 2014-15 season.
The players had all systems firing during their fitness testing, where intense competition combined with good camaraderie could be heard throughout the building. The Flames' support staff have continued their testing largely because of their long-standing relationship with the Canadian Sport Institute's Sport Science Director Dr. David Smith, which has enabled the team to amass years' worth of physiological testing data. The data allows for veteran Flames players to monitor their physiological improvements over time, as well as helping the coaching staff determine the fitness and strength of new players.
Ryan Van Asten, strength and conditioning coach for the Calgary Flames noted that the players and staff of the Flames organization are appreciative of the facilities, saying, "The Canadian Sport Institute is truly state of the art. It is a place an athlete can go to meet all of their physical preparation needs including performance testing/monitoring, physical fitness, recovery, nutrition, and rehabilitation. We are fortunate to have this world leading institute right in our own backyard." Van Asten's sentiment resonates with many of Canada's best sports federations, which has resulted in the Flames becoming just one of many elite sports teams that does their training and testing at the new facility. Similar testing protocols are utilized amongst many of the country's best amateur athletes including members of the Canadian Wrestling, Bobsleigh, Skeleton, Alpine, Luge, and Speed Skating teams.
In addition to the benefits provided in the sport science realm, coaches and team staff were able to use Winsport's complex to its full advantage by meeting in conference rooms overlooking the ice rinks while the players used off the ice facilities. Over the course of September, the players could be seen throughout the Centre doing weightlifting sessions, shuttle runs, bike workouts, and yoga classes.
The Flames' organization has also taken advantage of the Canadian Sport Institute Calgary's world-leading biomechanical analysis team, led by Pro Stergiou. During their past season, the team's support staff members worked with the biomechanical team to determine the amount of force placed at the ankle joint using state-of-the-art sensors, cameras, and techniques, to gather information and help bring players back from injury in a safe and expedient manner.
The Calgary Flames begin the regular season on October 8 with a home opener against the Vancouver Canucks. Be there to witness the final product of the team's astounding off-season efforts.
Stay in the loop!
Canadian Sport Institute Calgary: @csicalgary
Writen by Brittany Schussler: @bschussler
WinSport: www.winsport.ca
Excitement is building in this pre-Olympic season as athletes, coaches and members of the CSI Calgary Integrated Support Teams travel to PyeongChang, Korea to explore and compete for the first time in the new venues. Olympic test events are being held in anticipation of the Games, which start in just over 300 days.
Canadian winter World Cup and World Championship results to date this season have been very strong. Last week after 505 events, Canada is currently in the top three nations for both total medals and total gold medals.
Throughout the PyeongChang Olympic test events, history is being made. In addition to other stellar Canadian performances, Calgary’s Sam Edney became the first Canadian male to reach a Luge podium in the men’s singles events outside of Canada, winning Bronze in February’s Viessmann Luge World Cup. Coming off a series of injuries, three-time Olympian Edney took the last year off to recover, build back his strength and focus on school.
A CSI Calgary supported athlete, Edney is a 15-year veteran of the National Luge Team. “I had a really good, solid week of training so I had a lot of confidence knowing the majority of the guys were having issues on the track,” added Edney. “I might be the old dog on Tour, but I think that is to my advantage when we get to a new track where it takes the experience, and the volume of runs I have on the tracks around the world, to help pick up new things for a new track.
Tim Farstad, Executive Director of Luge Canada says that this season heading into Korea, Canada’s Luge team athletes are proving to be strong and motivated. “The Team is hungry after getting three fourth place and one fifth place finishes in Sochi. They’ve been working hard for three years now to move into the medal spots in the next Olympic Games. As we’ve seen this season, each one of these athletes has medal potential.”
Jeremiah Barnert, CSI Calgary Strength and Conditioning coach, has been a member of the Luge support team since 2009, accompanying them in the 2010 and 2014 Olympic Games. “Sam’s success was really exciting,” says Barnert. “He came back strong after taking a year off.” Barnert goes on to explain that he is on the road with the Luge team for 10 – 14 weeks a year. With a small team, and two of four support staff from CSI Calgary, it’s a tight-knit family. “The family feel is what makes our team strong.”
Having recently spent two weeks in PyeongChang, Barnert confirmed that the new Olympic venue is in good shape, the people are great and everything is well organized
Olympic test events give athletes the opportunity to get familiar with the new venues, officials the ability to fine-tune large international events, and volunteers coming from across the world have the opportunity to give feedback.
By the end of March, Canadian athletes will have competed in PyeongChang at:
FIS World Cup Snowboard (big air)
ISU World Cup Short Track event
Alpine FEC & President Cup
FIS Cross Country World Cup
FIS Nordic Combined World Cup
World Single Distance Championships (speed skating)
FIS Freestyle World Cup
FIS Snowboard World Cup
FIS Ski Jumping World Cup
Four Continents Figure Skating Championships
World Junior Curling Championships
FIL Luge World Cup
IBU Biathlon World Cup
FIS Alpine World Cup
IBSF World Cup of Bobsleigh and Skeleton
Canada expects to send its largest team ever to an Olympic Winter games with an estimated 240 athletes joining more than 6000 competitors from up to 95 countries. Immediately following are the 12th Paralympic Winter Games with athletes from 45 countries, six sports with 80 medal events.
For more information on PyeongChang 2018, check out the official website: https://www.olympic.org/pyeongchang-2018
Canadian Sport Institute Calgary: @csicalgary
Written by Lisa Thomson
Photo by Dave Holland: @csicalgaryphoto
08/03/17
Les Canadiens devront surveiller un groupe d’athlètes prometteurs lors des semaines à venir : l’équipe des Jeux olympiques de la jeunesse (JOJ) d’hiver de 2016. L’équipe est déjà en route pour le village des athlètes à Lillehammer, en Norvège, où ils disputeront les épreuves du 12 au 21 février.
L’Institut canadien du sport de Calgary (ICS Calgary) sera bien représenté aux JOJ. Eric Mitchell, ancien sauteur à skis de l’ICS ayant participé aux Jeux olympiques de Vancouver en 2010, a été nommé jeune ambassadeur des Jeux. À titre de jeune ambassadeur, le rôle d’Eric est d’incarner les valeurs olympiques tout en inspirant les athlètes à tirer le maximum de leur expérience aux Jeux.
Brooke Apshkrum, lugeuse issue du programme Prochaine génération, fait aussi partie de la délégation aux JOJ. Brooke s’entraîne actuellement à Winterburg, en Allemagne, avec Mike Lane, entraîneur de musculation et de conditionnement physique. Brooke est l’une des neuf athlètes originaires d’Alberta qui participent aux JOJ. M. Lane a déclaré : « Je suis vraiment content pour Brooke et le reste de notre équipe de luge, qui pourront appliquer les compétences apprises cet été lors de la préparation à cet événement. La culture d’excellence développée à l’ICS Calgary grâce à l’entraînement hors glace a sans aucun doute aussi influencé l’approche de Brooke lors de ses entraînements sur glace. Je suis fier d’elle et j’ai hâte de voir où cette expérience la mènera dans le futur. »
La liste des représentants de l’ICS Calgary aux JOJ s’allonge avec la nomination de Lucas McGurk, récent finissant du programme de diplôme avancé en entraînement (DAE), au poste d’entraîneur-chef de biathlon. Ancien fondeur, M. McGurk a pris sa retraite de la compétition en 2010. Il a approfondi ses connaissances par des cours théoriques multisports donnés dans le cadre du Programme national de certification des entraîneurs et a poursuivi son apprentissage avec le DAE. Même s’il s’agira de ses premiers Jeux d’envergure, M. McGurk a été retenu comme entraîneur-chef après un processus de sélection, à sa joie : « Détenir le DAE m’a permis de me démarquer des autres candidats. C’est une occasion rêvée. »
Quant à son expérience relative au programme du DAE, M. McGurk a trouvé qu’il lui convenait parfaitement et s'est décrit comme étant « toujours en quête de nouvelles connaissances et de nouvelles façons de faire. Ça a marqué le début de mon parcours évident comme entraîneur. J’ai eu l’immense chance de rencontrer plusieurs entraîneurs de haut niveau de divers sports, et nos échanges ont fait germer beaucoup d’idées. Les autres élèves entraîneurs étaient fantastiques. On apprend des professeurs, mais on apprend aussi des pairs. »
Des directeurs, des entraîneurs et des athlètes représentent l’ICS Calgary en Norvège. N’oubliez pas d’encourager nos jeunes athlètes canadiens alors qu’ils se mesurent au reste du monde lors des Jeux olympiques de la Jeunesse! Assurez-vous de visiter le site http://www.lillehammer2016.com pour des résultats mis à jour.
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Rappel d'application
La prochaine session du DAE de l’ICS Calgary commencera en avril 2016. Nous acceptons les inscriptions jusqu’au 15 février. Pour vous inscrire, visitez le www.csialberta.ca/fr/diplome-d-entraineur-avance ou communiquez avec le directeur du programme, Jason Sjostrom (Cette adresse courriel est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.).
Institut canadien du sport de Calgary : @csicalgary
Rédigé par Brittany Schussler: @BSchussler
Photo de Dave Holland: @CSICalgaryPhoto
