Ryan Young Sport Massage
February 8, 2011 by whymassagetherapy
Filed under Career
On November 20 & 21st, 2010, I had the privilege of attending the Introduction to Sport Massage workshop presented by Ryan Young, BSc, RMT, SMT (cc) at Accel Physiotherapy and Sport Performance Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
I knew it was going to be a great course, as Ryan is a colleague of mine (he’s also my massage therapist), but the course content and presentation far exceeded my expectations.
The Saturday started off with an overview of Sports Massage Therapy, and how it plays a role in not only high level athletics, but also its role at junior and local levels. The role of the massage therapist at sporting events was explained very succinctly, as Ryan himself has participated at such events as the 2010 IAAF World Junior Track & Field Championships. Later on that day, Ryan proceeded to discuss the function and application of massage therapy at various stages of competition. This included a discussion of appropriate techniques, as well as demonstration and practice of their application.
Sunday morning started bright and early as we jumped into discussing techniques, seeing a demo, and practicing. Later that day we discussed the psychology of the athlete, as well as poly-clinic etiquette for massage therapists. Ryan also addressed questions about membership and candidature in the Canadian Sport Massage Therapists Association for those who are interested in pursuing certification.
(also please note that this course counts toward 8 CEU’s with MTANS)
After a full weekend I had a lot to think about, and since that time I have begun to modify some of my own treatment techniques using pointers that Ryan gave us. Not surprisingly, anyone will respond well to these Swedish techniques, and I have found them to be very effective with my MVA (motor-vehicle accident) clients and even those in chronic pain.
Overall, I would rate this workshop and instructor 10/10 for relevance, organization, knowledge and presentation. I highly recommend the Introduction to Sport Massage course to anyone looking to expand his or her knowledge and technical skills, even if you only ever plan on using it in your in-house clinical treatments.
On an even more exciting note, Ryan is the lead massage therapist for the 2011 Jeux Canada Games here in Halifax, and I am looking forward to hearing stories about the games, the athletes and the poly-clinic when the Games wrap up. These are exciting times for massage therapy, let me tell you!
Ryan’s website is RyanYoungSportMassage.com if you would like to contact him about setting up a course in your area. For further information on sports massage therapy in Canada, please go to the Canadian Sport Massage Therapist Association website.
