Sport Manitoba has announced it will be hosting our first Regional Youth Testing Combine in Winkler and Brandon on September 9 and 10, 2016. This is a Combine we will be running twice a year so that athletes and coaches can get their pre-season and mid/end of season testing done in a one-shop-stop.
WHO:
The Combine will be open to West and Parkland athletes of any sport and any level to come out and challenge themselves in a fun environment. We want to give rural athletes exposure to the tests they will encounter as they pursue their sporting pathway to higher levels.
WHAT:
We will be running athletes through upper and lower body power and strength tests, as well as speed, agility, and quickness drills. We will also have specialized identification testing available by Rowing Canada for athletes to try out some tests they may never get another chance to see.
WHY ATHLETES SHOULD ATTEND:
Athletes should come out and attend the combine to get familiar with athletic testing if they are planning on taking their sport to a higher level. These are standard tests that all athletes will see at one point in their sporting career should they want to play at a higher level or try out for CIS, University/College teams, Provincial or National teams.
Some teams also require that athletes have their baseline results to try out so this is the perfect opportunity to get it done.
This is also a great time if older athletes are considering specializing in one sport, we can help direct them to sports that match their natural athletic abilities based on their testing results.
Plus we will have draws, prizes, recovery snacks and drinks, live music, and t-shirts for all athletes who attend.
WHY COACHES SHOULD ATTEND:
The Combine will be a great opportunity for coaches to bring their entire team and come get their pre-season baseline testing done. This will be the most efficient and cost effective time to get it done as we will have the entire Performance Team at this combine to run the athletes through all the tests as quickly as possible. It will also be a great time for coaches and athletes to have one on one time with the Performance Team and ask any questions they might have about testing, strength and conditioning, performance improvement, etc.
We will also be offering team pricing if we have coaches bringing 8 or more athletes to the combine.
WHY PARENTS SHOULD ATTEND:
There will be an info session for parents running from 9:00-9:45am on why Strength and Conditioning is important for athletes. Here we will talk about injury prevention, muscle balance and symmetry, increasing athletic potential, helping athletes reach THEIR athletic goals, and what parents should know if they are trying to pick a gym and strength coach for their kids.
THE GOAL:
Essentially we just want to give our rural athletes exposure to the same resources as our city athletes. We want them to come out and have a good time and to feel like they've walked into a professional combine and be treated like professional athletes for a day!
More information can be obtained from:
Brittany Bruinooge
Coach & Athlete Development Coordinator - West
brittany.bruinooge@sportmanitoba.ca