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Lethbridge - Alberta Sport Connection (ASC) and Alberta Sport Development Centre (ASDC) regional centres are looking to send up and coming athletes to experience the Canada Winter Games, February 15 to March 3 in Red Deer.

The Canada Winter Games are the largest multi-sport and cultural event in the nation with close to 3,600 athletes, managers and coaches and more than 100,000 spectators. Selected athletes will have a front row seat to watch Canada's best up and coming athletes and cheer on Team Alberta in hockey, archery, badminton, biathlon, boxing, skiing, judo, wheelchair basketball and more.

The 2019 Canada Winter Games includes the 52° North Music + Cultural Festival presented by ATB and ATCO that will feature Juno and Canadian Country Music Association award winners through out the two-week competition. Performers include, Bif Naked, Gord Bramford, Kim Mitchell, K-OS, The Strumbellas and more.

Athletes and coaches will be required to submit a letter to the ASDC SW selection committee describing why they should be selected for the experience. The selected individual will receive $800 for cost of travel, accommodations, meals, gear and sport venue tickets and will be required to send photos or videos of their experience. 

Click the link below for more information on how to submit a letter for a chance to experience the 2019 Canada Winter Game.

2019 Canada Winter Games Experience

Lethbridge - Entering its fourth year, the RBC Training Ground program is a nation-wide talent identification and athlete-funding program dedicated to finding and supporting the next generation of Canadian Olympians. To date, the program has tested over 5,500 athletes at 71 free local events in 35 different communities across 10 provinces.

The University of Lethbridge Centre for Sport and Wellness will once again be the site for this year’s qualifier event for Southwest Alberta. Calgary's Sarah Orban was the winner of the 2017 Lethbridge RBC Training Ground qualifying event and went on to win the overall event. Sarah was then invited to join Team Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.

For more information about the RBC Training Ground go to the Official RBC Training Ground Website

Lethbridge - Hockey Canada has added Alberta Sport Development Centre Southwest (ASDC SW) Centre Coordinator Joshua Hoetmer to the coaching staff of Team Black in the role of mental performance consultant at the 2018 World U-17 Hockey Challenge in New Brunswick.

This will be Hoetmer's second World U-17 Hockey Challenge championship. Last year Hoetmer was a member of Hockey Canada's Team Red that capture a Silver Medal in Dawson Creek, B.C. The 2018 World U-18 Hockey Challenge will be played in Saint John and Quispamsis, N.B. beginning Saturday, November, 3rd with Team Canada Black hitting the ice Sunday, November 4th against Team Canada White.

Along with working with Hockey Canada, Hoetmer is the mental performance consultant for ASDC SW’s Athlete Enhancement Program, Vauxhall Academy of Baseball, University of Lethbridge Pronghorns Men’s Basketball, Saskatoon Blades and individual athletes in multiple sports.

ASDC SW is a program of Alberta Sport Connection that provides youth athletes in the region support with high performance training and sports science sessions. For more information about ASDC SW visit asdcsw.ca.

Lethbridge, AB - ASDC SW and Vauxhall Academy of Baseball are hosting a Winning Edge Seminar with Talent Development Specialist and Organizational Performance Consultant, Jeff Krushell.  

Over the last 25 years Krushell has forged relationships globally with amateur & professional athletes and internationally renowned coaches, sport scientists, doctors and researchers. Krushell is regarded as a noted expert in human performance and talent development with a message that relates to all levels of human performance and is not exclusive to sport. Through his work he has gained unique insights into the process of improving performance in sport and the workplace. 

Krushell is currently a strength and conditioning consultant with the Vauxhall Academy of Baseball and Major League Baseball International and previously worked with the Toronto Blue Jays and Edmonton Eskimos as a strength and conditioning coach. Krushell can be heard as host of The Krush Radio Show on TSN 1260 in Edmonton and at RadioInfluence.com. 

Krushell will be discussing his book, The Performance Plan, in Lethbridge on Thursday, September 6, 2018 at the University of Lethbridge room PE 250. This free event is presented by Alberta Sport Development Centre Southwest and Vauxhall Academy of Baseball and open to all athletes, coaches, parents and business leaders. For more information and to RSVP visit asdcsw.ca.

Lethbridge - Since 1974, the Alberta Summer Games has allowed Alberta athletes to compete at a high level while continuing their development. This summer Grande Prairie will host athletes from all over the province in baseball, athletics, beach volleyball football, swimming and more. Zone 1 will be sending over 200 hundred athletes to compete over four days. The Alberta Summer Games is the first competition for many on the path to represent Canada in international events, including the Olympics.

Five athletes from ASDC SW Athlete Enhancement Program (AEP) will be competing at the Alberta Summer Games. Athletes Charlotte Vanden Elzen (Beach Volleyball), Jaxon Filipenko (Baseball), Liam Maier (Baseball), Shaye McTavish (Baseball) and Lucas Puszkar (Baseball) will all be competing in Grande Prairie July 19 to 22.

Since 2009, the AEP has provided strength and conditioning training with sports science seminars to approximately 200 selected athletes from Lethbridge and local communities. This government-funded program is geared towards the development of elite athletes without athletes leaving home to get the elite training and resources needed to succeed. 

ASDC SW wishes all Zone 1 athletes the best of luck at this year’s Alberta Summer Games. 

For more information about ASDC SW programs and services, including AEP, visit asdcsw.ca.

Lethbridge - Alberta Sport Development Centre Southwest (ASDC SW) was established in 2008 with the vision to provide emerging athletes with the same high-performance training found in larger centres. While ASDC SW provides many programs and sports science services, the premiere program, and the go-to program for athletes in the region, has been the Athlete Enhancement Program (AEP).

AEP is the athlete support program aimed to provide high-quality sport science support to athletes between the ages of 12 and 18. The AEP is intended to provide athletes from all sports non-technical support to improve performance, enjoyment of sport, and life skills. Athletes can stay close to home and receive the same support that professional and Olympic athletes receive. ASDC SW has partnered with the University of Lethbridge High Performance Centre to provide athletes with intensive 10-week strength and conditioning training blocks. Training at the High Performance Centre teaches athletes the importance of safe weight training and movement skills. Athletes will be able to track their development with performance testing at the beginning, middle and end of the 10-week block. Throughout the year athletes take part in Winning Edge Seminars delivered by the ASDC SW Athlete Enhancement Team. Winning Edge seminars focus on the science side of sport and help athletes performance through sports psychology, nutrition, injury prevention and more. It’s a holistic and all-encompassing program that has supported athletes of all abilities and experiences.

Since 2008 over 400 athletes have taken part in the AEP. Notable alumni include; Rachel Nicol (2016 Olympic swimmer), Kaleb Muller (World Junior Team Canada speed skater), Kaelan Freund (NCAA Division 1 Penn State swimmer) and Jessie Scheidegger (2017 Alberta Scotties champion curler). The list of alumni is strong and we are proud to of worked with some many athletes from Lethbridge and the region.

Starting in the fall of 2018 AEP will be open to all emerging athletes, teams, and coaches. What is considered an “emerging” athlete? ASDC SW follows the world-renown Canadian Sport for Life Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model. The AEP focusses on supporting athletes in the Train to Train (12-15yrs) and Train to Compete (16-23yrs) stages. Athletes who fall in the Train to Win (18+yrs) stage may be eligible for the program, contact the ASDC SW office for details. Athletes entering the AEP for the first time will take part in the Base program where they will train with other first-year athletes. Base athletes will experience performance testing and learn the foundations of strength training under the safety and supervision of qualified strength coaches. After participating in the Base program, athletes can continue training the following year and enter the Selects program. The Selects program is for second and third-year AEP athletes to continue to develop their athletic ability.

The new and improved AEP gets going this fall. Visit asdcsw.ca and follow ASDC SW on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest on AEP news and information on upcoming prep programs and sports science services.

(Article Published in the Lethbridge Herald - July 6)

Lethbridge, AB – Six athletes from Alberta Sport Development Centre Southwest’s (ASDC SW) Athlete Enhancement Program (AEP) are set to compete this month at the Alberta Winter Games hosted by the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.

Athletes Jasmine Belisle (Speed Skating), Brynly Gross (Figure Skating), Kai Ichikawa (Badminton), Madison Martin (Figure Skating), Aiden Sander (Badminton), Charlotte Vanden Elzen (Volleyball) and ASDC SW Centre Coordinator Joshua Hoetmer (Chef de Mission) will represent Zone 1 February 16th to 19th in Fort McMurray.  

Over 2800 athletes and coaches will compete in 24 different sports at this years Alberta Winter Games. The Alberta Winter Games has produced over 40 athletes that have gone on to represent Canada at the Olympic Games.

Since 2009, AEP has provided strength and conditioning training with sports science seminars to approximately 200 selected athletes from Lethbridge and local communities. This government funded program is geared towards the development of elite athletes without athletes leaving home to get the elite training and resources needed to succeed. 

ASDC SW wishes all Zone 1 athletes the best of luck at this year’s Alberta Winter Games. 

For more information about ASDC SW programs and services, including AEP, visit asdcsw.ca.

LETHBRIDGE - The Athlete Enhancemnt Program (AEP) is the ASDC flagship program for athletes between the ages of 12 and 18. 

AEP athletes receive over $2500 of sport science services (strength & conditioning, mental training, etc.) at no cost.

Athletes are selected by committee based on previous athletic achievements. For more information or to download an applications, click HERE!

LETHBRIDGE - Alberta Sport Development Centre Southwest Annual General Meeting is schedueled for Thursday, October 19, 2017. AGM will be held at 7pm in the Community Room at Nicholas Sheran Arena (401 Laval Blvd. W). 

Lethbridge, AB – Hockey Canada has named Alberta Sport Development Centre Southwest (ASDC SW) Centre Coordinator, Joshua Hoetmer, as a Mental Performance Consultant for the World Under – 17 Hockey Challenge. Hoetmer is part of the Team Canada Red coaching staff and will focus on team building, goal setting, leadership development and individual mental coaching sessions.  

The U17 World Hockey Challenge showcases the best U17 players from Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Sweden, and the United States. The tournament returns to Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, BC November 5 to 11. Hoetmer will also be presenting at this weekend’s Program of Excellence goaltending camp in Calgary with the top goaltenders in Canada, including Stuart Skinner of the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

Hoetmer graduated from the University of Lethbridge in 2011 and was a member of the Emotion and Sport Performance Lab and later obtained his Masters in Counselling Psychology. He is a certified professional member of the Canadian Sport Psychology Association (CSPA) and has worked with elite athletes from all sports. Hoetmer currently provides mental training programs for the Vauxhall Academy of Baseball, University of Lethbridge Pronghorns women’s hockey, Team Alberta 2019 Canada Winter Games and ASDC SW athletes

Along with mental performance consulting, Hoetmer is also a Dynamic Edge Certified Sports Vision Trainer in providing Dynavision D2 and NeuroTracker services. ASDC SW owns the only Dynavision D2 sport vision board south of Calgary. Hoetmer has worked with local athletes, including WHL players Stuart Skinner and Kody MacDonald with sport vision training.