Category Archives: Columns
From the Trainer’s Room: Olympic insights – Living in the loop
February 11th, 2022The Olympic sites and villages have been affected heavily by COVID. The sites are in a loop, which is essentially a series of bubbles connected by strict and official transportation. Each site is enclosed and the only way in or out is by private bus or car. I am staying in a hotel about 15…
From the Trainer’s Room: Olympic insights – How did I get here?
February 11th, 2022So how did I end up at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China? I ask myself the same question all the time. I started helping with U.S. Figure Skating a few years ago assisting with camp and covering competitions. During this time, I worked together with the U.S. Figure Skating medical staff helping wherever…
From the Trainer’s Room: Long-term athletic development all about following specific guidelines for maximum benefits
February 4th, 2022The implementation of long-term athletic development (LTAD) aims to improve health, physical activity, and performance of all youth. USA Hockey refers to long-term athletic development as the ADM (American Development Model), while Hockey Canada uses the mantra Long Term Player Development. It is important to understand that long-term athletic development is not a rigid model…
From the Trainer’s Room: Physical, mental effects of early sport specialization
January 26th, 2022As many young athletes near the end of their season, they will be faced with different options on what to do during the offseason. Some athletes will choose to take this time to prepare for the next season while others will continue to play their sport as a part of a different club or organization….
Aurora native Jones part of Avalanche sled trio named to 2022 Paralympic Sled Hockey Team
January 25th, 2022USA Hockey has announced the 17-player roster for the 2022 Paralympic Sled Hockey Team that will compete at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing, China from March 4-14. The group features 11 players who have represented Team USA previously on the Paralympic stage as well as six athletes making their Paralympic debuts. Among the…
Compete Sports Performance & Rehab’s Phillips named figure skating athletic trainer for Czech Republic Olympic Team
January 20th, 2022Compete Sports Performance and Rehab, a leading sports performance, personal training, and sports injury rehab center in Orange County, has announced that owner Chris Phillips has been named to the Czech Republic Olympic Team as the athletic trainer for figure skaters headed to Beijing. In addition, six of the Compete athletes that have been training at the…
From the Trainer’s Room: Using virtual reality as a training platform
January 12th, 2022As I have watched the game of hockey has evolve over the course of my career, I, too, have had to evolve as well. There are all kinds of new methodologies and platforms to train hockey athletes that were never available just a couple of years ago. NHL franchises have gone out and sought out…
From the Trainer’s Room: Dealing with groin injuries in hockey
January 7th, 2022Groin strains are common injuries in the game of ice hockey. Previous reports in the NHL have shown than up to 10 percent of all injuries sustained have been due to strains of the groin or adductor muscle group. In today’s NHL, it is a little tougher to note since these injuries are now classified…
From the Trainer’s Room: Utilizing foot speed to your advantage on the ice
December 29th, 2021Quickness and foot speed are two major criteria that truly separate the better players from the rest of the pack when it comes to skating. The players who possess quickness and foot speed outshine their opponents at all levels of play. So what do you think “foot speed” means? Many coaches talk about “foot speed”…
From the Trainer’s Room: Keeping fit during the holidays
December 23rd, 2021During this time of year, we find that life becomes even more hectic with holiday shopping, parties, and gatherings with family. All of these activities can disrupt our exercise habits and lead to a health decline that can include increased body weight and decreased fitness. At this busy time of year, it is still super…