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Written by Tony Clarke
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Monday, March 02 2009, 10:27 PM |
Travis Grindle may have a new title and role these days, but it involves a familiar theme.
The 34-year-old Coalhurst resident, who spent the last seven years at the University of Lethbridge as the athletics co-ordinator, recently took on the position of executive director with the newly established Alberta Sport Development Centre — Southwest in Lethbridge. He has been given the task to build and promote a program which aims to coordinate and enhance services available to Alberta's emerging athletes and coaches.
These regional centres provide services to athletes and coaches residing in rural and urban areas allowing athletes to develop and train at a high level without leaving home.
These services offered by ASDC include the Athletic Enhancement Program, which covers the areas of high-performance strength conditioning, sports psychology, sport nutrition and general guidance, among many more.
The intent of AEP and other programs is to provide assistance to athletes at an earlier point in their development.
Grindle’s focus, since starting his new job six months ago, has been establishing partnerships with local professionals and institutions qualified to provide up-and-coming athletes with such services.
At the same time, Grindle has been busy creating awareness about ASDC in the region while identifying potential athletes who could benefit from the new service.
“It’s services that will help athletes excel and reach their athletic potential in their chosen sport,” said Grindle, who explained there are other ASDC centres located in Medicine Hat, Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray, Edmonton and Red Deer, which was the first to be established eight years ago.
Grindle also points out young athletes, in any sport, can apply to receive the services offered by ADSC.
“If you need assistance in mental training, I can put you in touch with a sports psychologist. If it’s regarding nutrition and pre-game meals, or perhaps you want us to co-ordinate a session to deliver a topic to one of your teams, I can co-ordinate that too.”
A great percentage of what ASDC does is put people in touch with the proper contacts. But Grindle said that’s not all they do.
“We will also be delivering our own information seminars and I hope to schedule some this summer. For example some of the local football trainers have identified that some of their student trainers can’t tape ankles very well. So prior to training camp, I hope to offer a one-day training session for student trainers, coaches and parents, where they learn how to tape injuries.”
The Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks & Wildlife Foundation provide the primary funding for ASDC.
In 2006, local Dr. Gary Bowie and the Lethbridge Sports Bid Committee identified a need for a sports development centre in southern Alberta.
Through numerous meetings and conversations with the City of Lethbridge, Lethbridge College and the University of Lethbridge, a proposal was submitted to the Foundation and it was eventually accepted in the spring of 2008.
Later in the fall, Grindle was hired to lead the operation of ASDC — Southwest.
“It’s an excellent opportunity for myself to help develop the athletic talent in southern Alberta. I also get to oversee a project I care deeply about.”
Grindle said a list of athletes has been identified and selected to receive the ADSC’s support and an announcement will be made soon.
Grindle has an extensive background involving sports and athletes.
Born in Creston, he played competitive soccer and basketball while attending high school at Prince Charles Secondary School in the small British Columbia town.
In 1992, Grindle moved to Lethbridge to attend university, where he would go on to complete a degree in physical eduction.
Part of his time as a U of L student involved being an assistant coach under Dave Crook with the Pronghorns men’s basketball team.
Grindle married in 1998, and following school, soon moved to Winnipeg where Grindle accepted the job as league co-ordinator of the International Basketball Association — a minor professional basketball league in the upper midwest.
After two years at that job, it was off to Saskatoon where he became the director of operations for the Saskatchewan Hawks of the IBA.
In the summer of 2001, Grindle returned to Lethbridge to become the athletic co-ordinator at the university; a job he held until this past fall.
“Returning to Lethbridge and working with the Pronghorns was a dream opportunity,” said Grindle.
“It was great to reconnect with southern Alberta and I will always be a Pronghorn.”
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