What is Making Stridz Athlete Development?
Making Stridz Athlete Development is the newest sport science company in Edmonton, Alberta. Making Stridz is dedicated to improving the growth and development of athletes of all ages and skill levels. Through the use of Dartfish Video Analysis Software athletes are able to use visual feedback as a method of improving their technique. Making Stridz also does game play analysis for a variety of sports allowing coaches to see an entire game broken down into smaller components.
 Click here to download Dartviewer. This will allow you to access the Dartfish project which has been produced for you by Making Stridz Athlete Development.
Click here to view a sample project created by Making Stridz Athlete Development for the Hockey Canada Skills Academy Conference
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News
Many clients and athletes come out of physiotherapy/chiropractic care with the idea that they will be able to return back to their "normal" training programs without the need for modifications. In some cases this may be true, but in the majority of cases this statement is probably false. How can you be sure that you are 100% safe to return back to your activity or training program following an injury? One of the best ways to ensure that you are ready to enter back into your training program is to have a baseline measure which you can go back to in order to determine whether you are back to your "pre-injury baseline values".
The sporting world has been following this protocol for concussions for quite sometime with their SCAT-2 (Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 2) which is used by Athletic Therapists at the start of the season. This tool is beneficial as it allows the therapist to see if the athlete is able to replicate a similar score prior to allowing the athlete to enter back into the game. But how can we apply this to the way our body moves following a musculoskeletal injury. The simple answer is to have a baseline score which we can compare the athlete to prior to allowing them to return back to their activity or training session. Seems too easy to be true but is this possible....
An excellent tool which has been developed by Physiotherapists Grey Cook and Lee Burton (as well as several other colleagues) is the Functional Movement System (FMS). This screening system allows you to address the "quality of movement in the client by providing them with a numerical score on seven different functional movements". One of the great features of this screening process is that it allows the therapist/trainer/coach an opportunity to quantify each movement and therefore create a baseline numerical score for each client. From this baseline score, the trainer can develop a customizable training program to "address the weakest link in the client’s movement" but also re-screen the client throughout the program, following a break in training or after an injury in order to determine where the client is at from a movement perspective. For example, if the client is compensating around the injured body part, the FMS will highlight this compensation and likely result in a lower score than what was achieved pre-injury. As a result, there are likely modifications which the client should be doing in their program in order to eliminate this compensatory movement pattern and therefore bring them back to the quality of movement which was present prior to the injury If you have not had the opportunity to have an FMS, please contact us to learn more about the service and locations where you can have the FMS completed.
Brian Shackel, MSc
The concept of an "integrated support team" has been used in many professions in the past including both the healthcare and sports systems. However, now more than ever, this term has brought the healthcare and sports systems even closer together. An "integrated support team" is a group of experts in their respective professional fields who are brought together to work with an athlete or group of athletes and their coaches. More specifically, this could include a Sports Physician, Physiotherapist, Chiropractor, Strength and Conditioning Coach, Biomechanist, Dietician, Sport Psychologist, Exercise Physiologist, etc. Working as a collaborative group, this team of experts helps to develop this athlete by providing input on their individual area of expertise. So why has this approach become so popular over the last 3-4 years...
The main reason is probably due to the sporting industry becoming far more competitive than it ever has been in the past and the increased attention to detail by both coaches and athletes. As a result, service providers in the sporting industry have become more prevalent and play a more important role in the development of successful athletes. What approach was taken prior to the forming of the integrated support team....
Previously, coaches were required to be the experts in all facets of the athletes training program which in turn may have decreased the coach’s ability to simply coach the athlete. However, with this new approach, the coach has many resources which he can draw on to determine what is best for the athlete and as a group, these "experts" can help move athletes further down the developmental continuum.
If you have any questions regarding integrated support teams or are looking for any members to join your team, please contact us to learn more about our services and extensive list of resources which we can share with you.
Brian Shackel, MSc
In this article put out by the NSCA it discusses the Biomechanics of the Squat. One of the more common questions which clients and athletes have regarding their squatting technique is how low is too low. This article helps to address some of these concerns, but with most exercises it is more important to focus on the quality of the whole movement then it is to worry about one specific aspect. Please read the article for more information:
http://www.nsca-lift.org/HotTopic/download/Squat%20Depth.pdf
Each individual athlete or client might have a different end range of motion during their squat, but permitting they have adequate hip functioning, are able to control their hips, knee and ankles in the sagittal plane and can keep their chest upright during the squat, then the athlete should strive for a full range of motion with their squat getting to parallel and even deeper if the movement quality is still present. If you train through a complete range of motion, this will help you to build and develop strength throughout the full range.
Brian Shackel, MSc
Happy New Years to everyone from Making Stridz Athlete Development. If you have set a New Year’s Resolution which involves getting into better shape and starting a new exercise program then you are not alone. According to the webMD article below about 1 in every 3 people choose weight loss as their New Year’s Resolution.
http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/new-years-resolution-get-fit
Well if your goal is to start into a new exercise program it is extremely important to start into the program knowing where you currently stand and start by setting SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time Orientated). One of the best ways to begin a new exercise program is to have a Functional Movement Screen performed by a certified professional in order to identify areas of weakness, tightness and other compensations. If you start into a program with underlying issues, the likelihood of injury increases significantly and so does the likelihood of dropping out of the program. It is possible to have a New Year’s Resolution that lasts past February 1st!! Contact us to learn more about booking a Functional Movement Screen and best of luck with your fitness (and sports) goals for 2012.
Regards,
Brian Shackel, MSc
Looking for christmas gift ideas for the sports enthusiast in your family. Contact us to learn about our christmas specials!
Brian Shackel, MSc
Owner - Making Stridz Athlete Development
Check out this video of Phil Kessell taking a snap shot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1HUUJxZtJU&feature=related
By using a stick which has the proper stiffness for your strength and skill level, you can increase the flex in the stick. This increased flex will allow for more stored energy in the shaft of the stick which will then translate into an increase in force being applied to the puck. With more force being applied to the puck, the puck will experience a greater change in acceleration and therefore the player will have a harder shot. This is what I call making a hockey stick work for you! To find out if you are using the right hockey stick for your strength and skill level, contact us to have a shooting analysis done using our high speed video camera.
Thanks,
Brian Shackel, MSc
I had the opportunity to attend a demonstration with Bauer Hockey today at the Greater St. Albert Sports Academy. For those of you in the market for new equipment, Bauer Hockey is leading the way with technology and innovation. Here is a link to their new APX composite hockey stick which I had the opportunity to shoot with today.
http://www.bauer.com/blog/index.cfm/2011/10/5/VAPOR-APX-Stick
Brian Shackel, MSc
Owner - Making Stridz Athlete Development
This past week I had the opportunity to visit the guys at Base Hockey as they were in Edmonton with their mobile analysis. For those of you who have not heard about this company it is definetly worth checking out.
http://www.basehockey.ca/
The guys at Base Hockey will put you through a custom fitting using high speed video to adjust the stiffness of the shaft as well as the lie, rocker and curve of the blade in order to create a custom stick for you. On top of that, you will receive the fully customizable one piece composite stick at factory direct pricing which easily offsets the cost of the initial fitting process. Shooting with a stick built for your individual shooting technique can make a huge difference on your velocity and accuracy.
Thanks,
Brian Shackel, MSc
Over the last 6-8 months, I have come across a wide variety of athletes from a wide variety of sports but have noticed a common trend amongst their movement. If you watch your athletes closely during their movement, note the position of their knee relative to their hip and ankle when they land from a jump, lunge to reach a ball or simply get into an athletic ready position. One of the key features you need to be looking at is whether or not the athlete is able to stabilize their knee during these motions. The most common motion which occurs at the knee during these movements is medial rotation of the knee or a collapse of the knee towards the inside. This movement increases the athlete's risk of injury significantly as it adds additional strain to the structures within the knee joint. But what is the exact cause of this collapse? There are two schools of thought on what exactly is causing this motion at the knee and in most cases it is possible that both of these factors are playing a role. The first school of thought is that the athlete has weak hip stabilizers (specifically glute med) which causes a collapse of the opposite hip and subsequently the stabilizing knee. The second school of thought is that this motion occurs due to pronation (or collapse) of the foot which causes the stabilizing knee to collapse. So whose fault is it anyways? The answer to this question depends significantly on who you talk to and what their personal philosophy is. Post on our facebook wall or tweet @MakingStridz if you have any thoughts on this topic...
Brian Shackel, MSc
Owner - Making Stridz Athlete Development
Are you a runner dealing with shin splints. Here is a brief Q and A session with the fitness experts at Core Performance on ways to deal with recurring shin splits.
http://www.coreperformance.com/daily/recovery/q-a-prevent-shin-splints.html
If you have questions regarding these exercises or are not sure what the cause of the injury is, contact us and we can set up an initial assessment to address these concerns.
Brian Shackel, MSc
More...
Marc McCoy
Current Team: Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League
Season Highlights: Marc had 37 points in 30 regular season games last season with the South Side Athletic Club AAA Midget Team as well as 6 points in 5 games during the playoffs.
Career Highlights:
* Marc was called up during the Red Deer Rebels playoff drive upon the completion of his 2011 AAA Midget Season.
* Marc netted a hat trick in the Rebels second exhibition game of the 2011-12 season including the overtime winner.
"It was the see and feel of the corrective exercises in conjunction with the skating video that made such a difference. I appreciate all your help Brian, and again, he couldn't have done it without you."
Jerry - Parent
"I feel so much stronger and more stable on my skates. Such a huge change in my skating stride from where I was at this time last season."
Marc - WHL Hockey Player
"Being able to see exactly how the athlete is moving is extremely beneficial in the development of a treatment plan for my patients."
Dr. Tyler - Chiropractor
"Brian Shackel, and Making Stridz Athlete Development, has been a tremendous resource for me. As a long-distance runner and cyclist, as well as avid strength and conditioning guy, I had some nagging form-related issues and muscle imbalances that that were beginning to threaten my ability to stay as active as I would like. I connected with Making Stridz because I want to perform at my best and avoid getting injured, and I want to do both of those things for a very long time. The Functional Movement Screen and Brian's insightful feedback have made an immediate difference in my movement form, and I can already see how my work with Brian will continue to improve my efficiency and injury-proofedness. All that, and he's a really nice guy to boot! Thanks, Brian."
Dan - Runner/Cyclist
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