Colleen Manning made a decision in 2017 that was simply a boost to her career and maybe more important for the Red Deer Rebels.
Seeing a story about the Rebels in the Red Deer Advocate involving soft tissue injuries, groin strains, shoulder and AC strains, she decided to contact Rebels owner/president/general manager Brent Sutter.
It was something right in line with her career.
“I didn’t know Brent, but had heard of him of course, so I sent him an email and explained who I was and how I could help with the prevention of the injuries and reduce the risk and balance the body … getting tight muscles lengthened, loose muscles get strengthened and flexibility.”
Colleen mentioned working with the goaltenders and their range of motion and strength.
“He had me come in and we had several big conversations and fortunately I got to work with the team.”
Colleen not only works with the WHL squad but is the Director of High Performance and Fitness.
“At the beginning, I worked with the team once a week, doing some injury prevention work, but after Covid, that's when I got into a bigger role,” she explained.
Colleen also owns Studio Pilates Fitness and Wellness, located in the McKenzie Industrial Business Park. She works almost daily with the Rebels at the Centrium, but also once a week at her studio.
“They come in when they have a full week without games. They generally reload towards game day, it’s just another option we do,” she said. “We work (at the Centrum) every other day when they are at home and it’s not game day. On game day, I work with the healthy scratches and the injured (players).”
Colleen finds working with the Rebels an “unique experience.”
“You’re working with a range of athletes from 16 to 20. It’s a unique window we focus on where their bones are still growing, their organs are still growing, their brain is still growing, not just their muscles.
“We are conscious of the load management, meaning not only how much work they do physically, but mentally. What’s going on because they are teenagers and are still growing and that is part of the bigger picture, getting them in the best position for their games.
“We are always juggling that.”
Colleen mentioned she works more on biomechanics and basic fundamental skills with the younger players.
“Balance, coordination, how to engage muscles,” she added.
“These athletes are elite and have probably been exposed to more training throughout their hockey careers.
“When they arrive I try to figure out how much training they have been exposed to, their training ability and if they are visual or verbal learners and how they respond.
“Because they are elite sometimes they are ahead physically, maybe not sure if that’s what made them an elite player or if it’s growth and development. Genetics also plays a huge role in a person's athletic ability.”
Colleen finds working with the Rebels, she never needs to motivate them.
“When they are at this level, with their work ethic, their drive, their focus, you never have to motivate them. I’m not motivating them, I’m providing them the movement.
“The lifting and loading is necessary. Sometimes it’s not what you do it’s how you do it, that’s really important.
“I think the kids like to be in the gym environment, learning how to use their core properly, their posture reducing the load on their knees, how to hinge properly the biomechanic skills that I hope they take with them in the future.”
Not only does Colleen, and Rebels’ Athletic Therapist Terrance Robertson, work on getting the players in the best position for the regular season, but also make sure they don’t take a step back during the off-season.
“We provide them with an off-season training program. Many of the kids have gyms they go to, belong to and have trainers they work with. That’s fabulous. But many kids don’t have that opportunity. They live in a rural area, but they need to have the same expectations and information given to them and that’s an important role that we have to get that to them.
“We have specific components in the off-season we want to see in their training. If they get that with their trainer, in their gym, great, but if not they still have it provided. They work with an app where every exercise has a video, so there’s no question what they have to do and how to do it.
“We communicate with them on a consistent basis, not daily, but the coaches and myself are in contact with them to make sure they are on track and if they need anything. If they need nutrition help, I’m here to provide guidance.”
Colleen was born and raised in Red Deer and took two years of kinesiology at RDC and two years at the University of Alberta. During that time, she took nutrition training, which she brings to her present-day job.
“We speak with the billets before the season and give them suggestions to help them as the kids need a lot of food for recovery, energy and just with growth, remembering they are adolescents.
“We talk with the billets as they are the gate-keepers, but we try to educate the players on lifestyle, hydration, sleep, handling stress, just the lifestyle they control.
Colleen got into fitness teaching and was managing a gym after she received her degree, but realized at the time she wanted to specialize.
“I tried pilates and fell in love with it. That’s where it started. It started small over 20 years ago.”
She started in Only Women’s Fitness but realized she needed more space to accommodate the fitness as well as the spin classes.
Close to nine years ago, she opened her studio, which has 33 employees, from fitness to child care to receptionists.
They specialize in group fitness, but you can book an appointment to join a class in a variety of areas.
“Pilates is not only cardio but is flexibility, mobilizing joints, lengthening muscles and defining core metics.”
Colleen works with a number of teams in Red Deer, including the Catalina Swim Club, several minor hockey and baseball teams, the U18AAA Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs girls hockey team and the Notre Dame Hockey Academy.
“I also have several one-on-ones with individual athletes,” she added.
Danny Rode is a retired Advocate reporter and member of the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame who can be reached at danrode@shaw.ca
