Article reposted from Iroquois County’s Times Republic
Author: CARLA WATERS
A Watseka graduate is in Rio, working with athletes at the Paralympics. Karla Wessels, a 2003 graduate of Watseka Community High School, is the athletic trainer for the U.S. wheelchair basketball team.
Article reposted from ars technica
Author: CHRISTINE RO
Overheating is a problem for many athletes, but wheelchair athletes can face an even more extreme version of this challenge. Many of these athletes compete with spinal cord injuries and therefore “are unable to sweat and control their blood flow below the level of their lesion,” said Katy Griggs, who researches the thermoregulatory responses of wheelchair athletes. The ways that these Paralympians “can cool themselves by external sources are important,” she told Ars.
Due to these difficulties with thermal regulation, Team USA wheelchair rugby players (all but two of whom have spinal cord injuries) jokingly refer to themselves as “reptiles.” But their efforts to cool themselves during the 2016 Paralympic Games, beginning this week in Rio de Janeiro, are deadly serious.
Trainers generally pay close attention to athlete temperatures and the possibility of heat illness, but they have to be extra vigilant when it comes to wheelchair athletes because self-monitoring can be more difficult. For instance, wheelchair users can’t always see the color and amount of their own urine, making it more difficult to use it as a gauge to hydration. (And to be more alert to dehydration or overhydration, Team USA staff now use refractometers to measure the gravity in urine.)
Jim Murdock, the athletic trainer/medical coordinator for the US wheelchair rugby team, has tried just about every innovation around to keep his athletes cool. Ice vests have been one of the most effective cooling techniques for improving the performance of athletes with spinal cord injuries, but Murdock has found them to be of limited use for the rugby players he trains.
“The problem is the vests don’t fit them,” he explained to Ars. “[After all] each guy fits in their chair differently.” It would be labor-intensive to customize these types of garments for each athlete.
Another common strategy is localized cooling of body parts. It’s not always practical for wheelchair athletes to engage in whole-body water immersion (cryotherapy) as some able-bodied athletes do. Researchers have looked at immersing hands and feet into cold water or using cooling devices on specific body parts, though this may be more appropriate following exercise.
But again, this is a no-go for Team USA’s wheelchair rugby team. These athletes are typically wearing gloves or tape on their hands, and they can’t afford to let their hands go numb. It’s also cumbersome and time-consuming to remove shoes from feet that are typically tucked back in wheelchairs.
Trucking around an inflatable pool to use as a cooling tub can work—the Paralympic team has had to do it—but it’s also a pain. And that plan will be complicated in Rio by the fact that some athlete facilities lack ice machines, freezers, and air conditioning.
So what to do? Low-tech remedies are best at the moment. One mainstay for keeping rugby players cool is a cold beach towel, applied for 10–15 minutes during physical exertion. A spray bottle filled with cold water is another.
Still another is similarly no-frills: the humble slushie. “Everybody loves the slushies,” according to Murdock. Whether they’re made of Gatorade or something else, there is a strand of research that backs up the efficacy of this strategy. For example, this article in the journal Sports Medicinesuggesting that ice slurries may work to lower core temperatures and enhance performance through effects “on brain temperature, internal thermoreception, and sensory responses.”
The drive to optimize recovery and performance doesn’t mean that wheelchair athletes aren’t resilient and adaptable. But able-bodied athletes have plenty of resources, and comparatively little attention is paid to athletes with physical impairments. “There’s not a lot of things out there for athletes in wheelchairs,” Murdock noted. And among this small body of research, few studies take into account these athletes’ widely varied capacities and conditions.
Even if some of the cooling techniques haven’t changed much from when Murdock himself was an athlete, the monitoring today has to be sophisticated. Two members of the wheelchair rugby team representing the US in Rio have diabetes, and as Murdock noted, “huge thermal swings are not good for them.” So team trainers have implemented data collection systems to track the athletes’ status. This includes examining whether athletes with higher cardiovascular fitness levels are less prone to overheating.
The scientific evidence on how different cooling techniques affect core/skin temperature remains mixed. With so many variables—timing, duration, body part, temperature, device weight, type of activity, nature of impairment—doing research is complex, and previous studies on athletes with spinal cord injuries have tended to be small-scale. Translating findings from a research setting into practical application remains a hurdle.
Researchers, trainers, and athletes aren’t the only ones concerned about overheating; sporting bodies are aware of the issue as well. Eron Main, CEO of the International Wheelchair Rugby Federation, explained to Ars that a temperature of 66.2–71.6°F is required for matches.
“In fact, we typically require tournament organizers to ensure that there is a power supply at each bench so that teams can plug in fans,” he said. “A few teams have even brought small chest freezers to the bench to keep ice vests cold.”
Both on and off the field of play, athletes are allowed to wear cooling neck collars, vests, and other garments, as long as they match the uniform colors and don’t create a safety hazard.
Given the intensity of the sport first called “murderball,” let’s hope that temperatures aren’t an issue
in Rio.
Article reposted from Asian Journal
Author: Giselle “G” Töngi
IF you haven’t heard already, Filipino weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz represented the Philippines in her third straight Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, taking home the silver medal in the women’s 53-kg division. Her podium finish is the Philippines’ first medal since 1996 when boxer Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco bagged the silver medal in the Atlanta Olympic Games.
But she isn’t the only Filipina out there who brought us Olympic pride! Meet Larnie Boquiren, the head athletic trainer for the USA Women’s Water Polo team. The USA Women’s Water Polo team is currently ranked number 1 in the world after they dominated against Italy in the recent Olympic Games. The US is the first women’s water polo team to win two gold medals, defeating Italy, 12-5, for their second straight gold.
The many achievements of the US Women’s Water Polo team include:
– Gold medal at the 2014 FINA World Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia
– Gold medal at the 2014 FINA World League Super Final in Kunshan, China
– Gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England
– Gold medal at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico
– Gold medal at the 2010 FINA World Cup in Christchurch, New Zealand
– Gold medal at the 2010 FINA World League Super Final in La Jolla, CA
– Only women’s water polo nation to win three World Championships
– Gold medal at the 2009 FINA World Championships in Rome, Italy
– Gold medal at the 2009 FINA World League Super Final in Kirishi, Russia
– Silver medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China
– Silver medal at the 2008 FINA World League Super Final in Tenerife, Spain
– Only team in women’s water polo worldwide to win medals at the 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012 Olympic Games
– In 2005, became the country with the most overall medals in women’s water polo (FINA Junior and Senior events)
– Gold medal at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
– Gold medal at the 2007 World League Super Final in Montreal, Canada
– Gold medal at the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne, Australia
– Gold medal at the 2006 Holiday Cup in Los Alamitos, CA, sixth consecutive year
– Gold medal at the 2006 World League in Cosenza, Italy
– Silver medal at the 2005 World Championships in Montreal, Canada
– Gold medal at the 2005 Junior World Championships in Perth, Australia
– Bronze medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece
– Gold medal at the 2004 World League in Long Beach, CA
– Silver medal at the 2003 Junior World Championships in Calgary, Canada
– Gold medal at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic
– Gold medal at the 2003 World Championships in Barcelona, Spain
– Silver medal at 2002 World Cup in Perth, Australia
– Gold medal at the 2001 Junior World Championships in Perth, Australia
– Silver medal at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, the first Olympics to feature women’s water polo as an official sport
– Gold medal at the first-ever World Cup in 1979
As the sports medicine manager and head athletic trainer for USA Water Polo, Larnie Boquiren is in charge of evaluating and assessing injuries, designing and implementing treatment and rehabilitation plans, and providing injury prevention and recovery methods. She recently returned from the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil.
I am excited to have her on “Kababayan Today” soon to talk about her recent Olympic trip to Rio. Before that, she was kind enough to answer some questions for the Asian Journal.
G: How did you start getting into water polo?
Larnie: I started my service with USA Women’s Water Polo on October 2015 after serving five seasons as an athletic trainer with USA Volleyball teams. My colleagues at the USA Volleyball had approached me about my possible interest and I applied.
G: What was it about water polo that you enjoyed?
Larnie: What I’ve come to enjoy and respect about water polo is that it’s one of the hardest sports to ever be played. The level of fitness, physicality, aggressiveness, and blue-collar team approach [that] USA Women’s Water Polo plays is what drives me in my role as an athletic trainer.
G: What hard work went into the training for the Rio games?
Larnie: The team trained six days a week: on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Fridays at Los Alamitos Joint Training Base from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and then 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, we train from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Morning training involves a lot of swimming and leg sets, while the afternoon involves a lot more tactics. I’m present at all trainings and lifts and start my day at 6:30am and leave at 6:30pm. I provide treatments before, between and after training sessions, and am supported by our massage therapists, acupuncturists, our sports dieting, and sports performance coach. Our travel was extensive, and required a lot of preparation in bringing our athletic training room on the road. During travel, I serve as an extension of those the other providers that support the team.
G: What was the highlight of your trip to Rio?
Larnie: My highlight of my trip to Rio was jumping in to the Olympic Pool after the last second of the Gold Medal Match and meeting in the team in the middle for a huddle. We put our hands in and did our 1-2-3 USA cheer. I jumped in the pool with my clothes on including my shoes. I’ve never done that before, it’s was challenging and felt like I was going to drown at times. But I was surrounded by a group of women who play water polo that have people hanging on their necks trying to drown them. I was going to be okay. At one moment, I just had to float on my back and give thanks. The success of this team involved so much hard work, sacrifice, time of many people pulling in the same direction to achieve one goal and WE DID IT.
G: Can you describe how water polo is played?
Larnie: Water polo is a combination of soccer, basketball, and hockey. Soccer because there is a goalie. Basketball because there is an element of passing and shooting, aggressive defense, fast breaks/counter attacks. Hockey because it’s aggressive, and there are moments of power plays where a player is ejected and puts a team up with another player in the field.
G: How does it feel to be representing the USA even with your Filipino heritage?
Larnie: The feelings and emotions that stir up are one of gratitude. I’m so thankful that God has given me this opportunity go through this process and the journey to serve in my position. The experience is a gift to be shared with the potential to plant seeds and inspire. To represent the USA and my Filipino heritage is a reminder that I’m a part of something that is greater than myself. I’m reminded of my parents and their desire for the American Dream like so many other Filipino families that come to the states. The desire for opportunity, the importance of work ethic, and doing so with graciousness and service.
Article reposted from MidAmerica Nazerene University
Author: Carol Best
The U.S. Paralympic Swimming team is competing with 176 other countries in Rio de Janeiro and one of MNU’s professors is an important adjunct to the group. Chris Crawford, MNU assistant professor and director of the athletic training program, is their lead medical provider for the summer games.
The 4,500 athletes in the Paralympic Games will compete in 528 medal events in 22 sports, utilizing the same venues as the Olympic games, including Athlete’s Village. Crawford and another athletic trainer will work with 31 swimmers on the U.S. team. Currently 25 of the athletes are ranked in the top 10 in the world across 89 events.
Crawford has extensive experience with the team having served on the medical staff for the 2014 Pan Pacific Para-Swimming Championships in Pasadena, CA, as head athletic trainer for the 2015 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, and head athletic trainer for the 2015 ParaPan American Games in Toronto, Canada. He has volunteered with the US Olympic and Paralympic Committees since 2013. On the faculty of MNU since 2013, Crawford has 16 years of experience in athletic training for many sports and in all kinds of settings. He teaches classes in the athletic training, pre-physical therapy and pre-occupational therapy programs.
Chris Crawford demonstrates taping techniques for a shoulder injury during a class at MNU.
Crawford, the rest of the staff and athletes will be in Houston, Texas for training camp from August 26-September 1, then leave for Rio de Janeiro, September 2.
Article reposted from PilotTribune
Author: Craig Schultz
Storm Lake native, Aaron Brock, has been prepping for these past few weeks over the last 12 years. Brock is a certified athletic trainer for the U.S. Men’s Volleyball National Team, and has been in Rio for the last two weeks during the Olympics.
‘The last four years has been leading to this,” Brock said.
Brock became part of helping various U.S. teams in 2003 when he worked with the U.S. Water Polo team in the Pan American Games before also doing the 2004 Olympic Games. His name was brought up by the United States Olympic Committee soon thereafter as a possible candidate to work with the U.S. Men’s Volleyball program.
“It was a very exciting chance to take that job,” he stated.
In 2008, Brock was there in Bejing as the U.S. men took the gold medal. Then in 2009, he became the Director of Sports Medicine and Performance for the men’s and women’s teams. This entails having to lead a group of other professionals in the medical field to ensure that the athletes are in the best condition they can be.
In Rio though, Brock’s main focus has been helping with any possible injury to the players through the games. The road to Rio has been a four year journey for the team and himself.
“This is a real special thing. It’s special because of the time I’ve spent with the players and the coaches to get to this point,” he said.
“It’s fun to be here,” he added.
The final push for the U.S. Men’s Volleyball team has begun after making it past pool play which was a bit of a struggle, according to Brock. “This isn’t like some of the other sports here in Rio. We are in for the long haul. Gymnastics only go for like a day, we go from start to finish,” he said.
Before Brock became the Director of Sports Medicine and Performance, he was a four sport athlete for Storm Lake High School, playing football, basketball, track and baseball. “Those days were some of the days I look back at fondly,” he stated.
Brock also found himself having to move to California after getting the position for the U.S. Men’s Volleyball program. However, he never felt uncomfortable as running into fellow native Iowans has been a little commonplace for Brock.
“I’ll be at the beach and have a Hawkeyes shirt and people will just start yelling ‘Go Hawks’ at me. It feels like there is a family everywhere,” he said.
“Iowa is a special place. Storm Lake is an amazing place to live,” he added.
Brock comes back during the holidays to spend time with his family. All the memories of his childhood rush back. Yet, there is still a satisfaction with where he is now.
“There is no better display of pride than to help the United States try to win a goal medal,” he said.
Article reposted from TeamUSA.org
Author: Ben Allen
Many athletes dream about participating in the Summer Olympics.
The U.S. Women’s National Team, which trains in Lancaster County, spent months preparing for their journey in Rio.
But the national squad is more than just the players on the field.
However, the athletic trainer may know some of the players better than Coach Craig Parnham.
Minutes after I arrived, it was only a couple minutes into prep for practice before a player had stopped by Lori Uretsky’s office.
“Yeah, check that,” she reminded her.
“And then drink as well.”
Okay.
“Did you have too much of your burrito, baby?”
“Maybe…” was the cautious reply.
Olympic athletes – they really are just like us.
More than an athletic trainer
Lori Uretsky is the athletic trainer for the U.S. Women’s National Team, but jokes she’s also a psychologist, doctor, cardiologist, nurse and mom.
Just ask Michelle Kasold, forward on the team.
“You know, not field hockey problems all the time, rashes and burns, I’ve had all sorts of random things. Lori gets to deal with a little bit of everything,” she says.
“We all kinda hang out in here, we get a lot of treatment, so she hears probably all of our problems, whether they’re on or off field.”
Uretsky has been at this a long time – she’s gone from Philadelphia University to the University of Nevada Reno to Rutgers in New Jersey in nearly 20 years.
About two years ago, she started cleaning up scrapes, loosening tight muscles, and taping wrists for the team, which trains in Manheim, Lancaster County.
When you think athletic trainer on a team at the Olympic Games, you might think lots of high-level sports science.
You can almost hear the Olympic theme playing in your head.
But wait a second.
Not as glamorous
“Whether it’s the insurance claims, whether it’s writing up the injury reports, scheduling doctor’s appointments, that kind of stuff. It’s crazy how much time insurance takes up or just little things, the injury reports,” says Uretsky.
Oh, insurance claims.
And she’s also become an expert at construction.
“Cover for, a shoe for one of the girls on the team, so I have to cut it and mold it,” she narrates, as she cuts through some cardboard-like material.
So there’s a lot.
Heavy workload
Uretsky works long hours – sometimes 16 or 18 hour days during tournaments.
But she says she does it because of the players, the staff and the coach.
“Craig, our head coach, he made a comment one day after a game and said, so for us for field hockey, you’re only allowed four people on the sideline, the manager, the athletic trainer, the team doctor and the head coach. And he said out of the four people, I’m the most important.”
“I’ve never had a coach say that to me.”
A sampling of what Lori Uretsky is bringing to Rio for use by the U.S. Field Hockey team.
For the trip to the Games in Rio, she’s brought tape, gauze, band aids, medical gloves, energy bars and chews, wound care, sun screen, bug spray, a lot of padding, splint material, some braces, splints, even a spare hose in case, screwdrivers, and much, much more.
“I literally have anything,” she proclaims.
She fills up seven or eight bags, just with training equipment.
There’s a lot of stuff.
And the threat of the Zika virus has added even more cargo.
“We’re pretreating clothes and bags with spray that lasts for a month. For the sidelines of the games, I have a lot of hygiene stuff to do for their mouth guards, for their shin guards, for their corner gear,” says Uretsky.
The Games
Since this is the Olympics, there are logistics to think about.
Every day, she treats players before practices or games – massages, taping, icing – and that will continue during the two-week tournament.
And then Lori Uretsky, athletic trainer for the U.S. Women’s National Team, will take her spot on the sideline and hope she isn’t needed.
Because if she’s busy, that means someone on the team is hurt, and that’s not just a player – that’s one of Lori’s girls.
Article reposted from Caledon Enterprise
Author: Matthew Strader
And Andrea Prieur’s a veteran.
The Caledon East based athletic trainer, and co-owner of Core Solutions Phsiotherapy and Wellness, is a member of the Core Health team, tending to Canada’s highest level athletes at the 31st Olympic Summer Games in Rio.
Prieur is attending her second Olympic Games, having performed similar duties at the London Olympics in 2012, and has three world university games and two Pan Am games under her belt as well.
In Rio, she’s keeping up an every two day journal, as much as she can, with The Caledon Enterprise and reporter Matthew Strader, to report to her hometown on everything Olympic, and everything Rio.
MS: What are your duties? Descirbe who you are to the athletes for the reader and what exactly you do.
AP: I am a certified athletic therapist that was chosen as part of the Health services team to render therapy and medical care to just our Canadian athletes. There are host medical/therapy services available but we like to ensure that our athletes are receiving the best and similar care to what they would receive at home. So, it is my job to attend their practices and games and provide therapy services – pre-preparation stretching, post preparation ice and recovery massages and I also provide emergency care if the need arises on the field of play – from everything to bandaids and covering blisters to anything more serious if it occurs. We have two athletic therapists, and two massage therapists as well as seven physicians that take care of the Canadian team. And each of us covers a variety of teams to ensure that our athletes medical and therapy needs are met. The other side of coverage is providing therapeutic clinical services so when the athletes are back at the village they have access to treatment, recovery options and massage anytime they need.
MS: What’s your favourite part of that?
This is what I trained for; it is what I do everyday. The best part is now there is recognition by providing care to our country’s top athletes.
MS: What’s the coolest thing you’ve seen so far as the fan of the sport you are looking after? (Coolest play, something with the crowd, venue, ec.)
AP: Beach volleyball is the most well known sport here in Brazil. Approximately 12,000 people pack the outdoor stadium that is set up right on Copacabana beach. The fans are wild and anytime we are not playing against Brazil – Canada is a favorite to the people. Surprisingly, our beach athletes have a huge family and friends contingent that are coming out to each game, wearing their red and white pride and losing their voices cheering for their favorites. I think one of the most interesting will be seeing Canada play Canada in women’s play tomorrow…for elimination of one of our teams. Our men’s team came back last night in the lucky loser draw and won in two sets and they played strong.
MS: Have you had any MacGuyver moments yet where a lack of, or unfamiliarity with something has found you innovating something that’s going to always remind you of your time in Rio?
AP: Unrelated to therapy we have been innovative with small things. We have used athletic tape in multiple different methods. Affixed a toilet seat; there are no plugs for the sinks to do laundry but athletic tape works well. I think we are going to write a book on 100 uses of athletic tape; a spin off of the duct tape phenomenon.
MS: Whether at the venue and on duty, or off duty while you’re spending time on your own, what is always going to be, “so Rio….”
AP: The people. One of the coaches said to me yesterday during a practice, “that is the third person that has come to talk to you directly- is something wrong?” I replied, no, the people are so nice and so accommodating that each and every Brazilian volunteer I have met checks in with me daily to see if Team Canada needs anything!
That is what the games is about….countries helping countries.
Article reposted from NBCOlympics.com
Author: Nick Zaccardi
Before the U.S. men’s gymnastics team departed for the Olympics, staff athletic trainer Jamie Broz handed captain Chris Brooks a care package.
It included super glue (for two reasons), a fruit-and-nut mix and a sticky pad of 30 inspirational quotes. The quotes, Broz said, were for Brooks to read to the team, one per day, before they leave the Olympic Village for the gymnastics arena.
Broz happened to be passing by the gymnasts’ room early Tuesday when she heard Brooks “shout” the quote.
Then they all stepped into an elevator and embarked for team qualifying on the first day of the Games.
“They love it,” Broz said of the motivational tool. “It kind of gets them out the door.”
So what was Tuesday’s quote?
“I was obviously trying to get into my zone, but it was something about believing,” 2012 Olympic all-around bronze medalist Danell Leyva said. “[Brooks] is the only one who can remember it.”
Ok. Captain?
“I don’t remember,” Brooks said, leading a journalist to wonder if he actually followed Broz’s instructions. “No, I read it.”
Three-time U.S. all-around champion Sam Mikulak had their backs.
“It was something about, you have the ability to make it happen, so go out there and make it happen,” he said. “Really believe in yourself.”
The Americans looked full of self-belief – and stronger than medal favorites Japan and Great Britain – in their first four of six rotations in qualifying on Saturday.
Then they made a mess of pommel horse, as they always seem to do. But they still had the highest qualifying score with the third and final subdivision of teams to go, a group that includes two-time defending Olympic champion China.
The U.S. easily qualified for Monday’s eight-team final in a way that was reminiscent of the 2012 Olympics.
A Rio team medal, which seemed unlikely after a fifth-place finish at the 2015 World Championships, is now a little more realistic. But any optimism must be cautioned.
The U.S. men had the highest qualifying score four years ago – where Japan also struggled – but the Americans plummeted to fifth in the final with pommel horse being the Achilles’ heel.
There is also a lingering wonder that favorites Japan and China may not always show their best gymnastics in qualifying.
In 2012, China was sixth and Japan was fifth in qualifying. Then they went one-two in the final for a second straight Olympics.
“They’re saving themselves for the finals,” U.S. and University of Oklahoma coach Mark Williams said. “From my experience as a college coach, you want to be good the first day [in qualifying], and you want to be better the second day [in the final]. But you don’t want to have to be scrambling to get better the second day. So I feel like we did exactly what we needed to do. We still have some room to improve.”
So, is this year’s U.S. team better equipped to handle this situation than the London group?
“We have more experience, we know what to expect,” said Jake Dalton, one of three Olympic rookies from that 2012 team who are on the five-man Rio squad. “We’re not going to get too hyped up. Last time, I think, it was awesome, we were excited, we went into finals super hyped and then we had mistakes.”
Brooks is without a doubt the most excitable, fist-pumping, chest-beating member of the team (not counting Leyva’s animated father, of course). And he has reason to be. He’s making an Olympic debut at age 29. Nobody else on the team is older than 25.
Even though Dalton is stressing calm, Brooks’ demeanor is what drew Broz to assemble the items in the care package.
“Chris is the team captain, and he’s inspirational to everybody,” she said. “When he was announced team captain, I thought, give them all the tools they need. That’s kind of my job.”
The super glue, distributed not just to Brooks but also to the rest of the team, serves two purposes. Gymnasts actually use it to cover ripped-up skin. Broz also wanted it to symbolize how each of the five is part of a glue that keeps the team together.
Broz has been with USA Gymnastics for nearly 20 years. And this is the first time she has done this with a men’s team.
What makes this one so special? It’s their differences, Broz said.
There are Brooks and Alex Naddour at their first Games after traveling to London in 2012 as alternates.
There are Dalton and Mikulak, two 2012 Olympians who misses the 2015 Worlds due to injuries.
And there’s Leyva, who didn’t make this team outright but was called up after John Orozco tore his left ACL again in July.
“They have that mixture that, if you add all the ingredients in,” Broz said, “they’re going to be something big.”
Article reposted from The Carillon
Author: Terry Frey
Already considered one of the leading athletic therapists in the country, Steinbach’s Dave Blatz is taking his considerable expertise in the field to the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics.
Blatz, who has criss-crossed the globe on multiple occasions working with the various national teams, is working at his third Olympic Games this month following up on his first go round with the Olympics at the 2008 Summer Olympics at Beijing and then 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
The owner of Eastman Therapy Centre in Steinbach, he treats many athletes, among others, during his regular day job, when he is not traveling with the national teams, as he is also on the road three to four months of the year.
At Rio, Blatz is part of the Canadian Olympic Committee Core Medical Team and is one of two athletic therapists working with the Canadian athletes. Other members of the medical team include two physiotherapists, two sports massage therapists and five or six sports medicine physicians.
At the Games, he will be specifically working with the men’s and women’s golf teams (which includes teenage superstar Brooke Henderson, the second ranked player in the world), the men’s and women’s boxing teams as well as the men’s and women’s weightlifting teams.
As well, he will be working in the Canadian multi-discipline medical clinic, treating athletes from all the different sports.
“I am excited to go,” said Blatz prior to his departure for Rio last week, “it doesn’t get any bigger than this.”
Upon his arrival in Brazil on the weekend, he checked out the facilities and said via text, “I checked out the Olympic golf course, it looks awesome, and the Olympic Village is fantastic.”
Treating world-class athletes as they compete across the globe has become the norm for Dave Blatz.
He has a dizzying resume with the number of athletes and Team Canada programs that he has been involved with over the years. He is the current head athletic therapist for Team Canada baseball (since 2003) and for Team Canada men’s soccer (since 2009).
Formerly he was head athletic therapist for Team Canada men’s volleyball (2003-2010) and Rowing Canada (2009-2014) and has also worked at past Pan Am Games and Commonwealth Games along with a myriad of other events around the world.
Additionally, as well as working with most amateur and professional organizations in both Steinbach and Winnipeg over the years, he has also worked in Major League Baseball in spring training with the Seattle Mariners and Minnesota Twins.
Competition is now underway at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games and Steinbach’s Dave Blatz is doing his part to make sure our Canadian athletes are able to compete at the optimum level to achieve Olympic glory and/or bring home some medals.
Article reposted from KWTX10
Author: Erin Zeller
Waco native Jody Moore is an athletic trainer at Southwest Sports Medicine at Baylor Scott and White Hillcrest Hospital.
Moore was chosen to be on a select team of athletic trainers to assist the USA Olympic athletes in Rio de Janeiro.
After working at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada, the medical director for the U.S. Olympic Committee offered him a spot on the 2016 Olympic medical staff.
While at the Olympic Games, Moore will be working with athletes in injury prevention, evaluation, manual therapy, and stretching to prepare for their competitions.
Moore got his first experience as an athletic trainer while he attended Midway High School in 2001. He then went on to graduate from Baylor University in 2005 with a Bacehlor’s Degree in Athletic Training, then received his Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
He has been working the sidelines of sporting events as a high school athletic trainer at local schools in McGregor and Hubbard.