Elite coaches study stamina, strength and steroids at international conference

Can an athlete be too strong? Can a coach start training too soon? Can regular training methods compete with the risky but highly efficient boost provided by steroids? These are just some of the questions elite coaches from around the globe will discuss at a two-day "Strength Summit," part of the eighth annual Investors Group International Coaching School, held at UVic's Centre for Innovative Teaching Aug. 21 to 29.

The two-day summit of keynote addresses and panel discussions will feature presenters such as:

¥Charles Poliquin, a Canadian strength and conditioning expert now living in Colorado Springs, who consults with Canadian and U.S. Olympic teams and athletes;

¥Dr. Bruce Howe, Dean of UVic's faculty of education and a physical education professor who played elite rugby in New Zealand and Canada and coached Canada's national rugby team to world ranking for the first time;

¥Dr. Tudor Bompa, a professor at York University, who is considered a world authority on training and planning a training cycle. He holds a Master of Sports title from Romania and has coached several Olympic, European, and Pan American medal winners;

¥Terry Hadlow, a former member of Canada's weightlifting team, who has been a power and conditioning coach for the University of Manitoba and Canada's national men's volleyball team.

The coaching courses offered as part of the conference are aimed primarily at participants with Level 3 coaching certification wishing to upgrade their certification to Level 4, the requirement for international competition. The high performance courses, each generally lasting two days, address nutrition, injury recovery, leadership and mental preparation for coaches and athletes.

The International Coaching School is offered by the National Coaching Institute of Canada, based at UVic. Institute director Bill Thomson is co-chair of this year's coaching school with Richard Way, manager, sport development in the provincial government's Sport Community Development Branch. Sponsorship for the school is provided by the Investors Group, Canadian Heritage, the Ministry of Small Business, Tourism and Culture, the Canadian Olympic Association, the Coaching Association of Canada and the International Society for Mental Training and Excellence.

For further information about the school, contact the institute at 250-721-7589.

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