Strength Training & Sports Medicine

List of 2 items.

• Strength Training

  When you properly train and execute bio-motor skills you are working on injury prevention. Some injuries cannot be prevented, such as from playing on uneven surfaces or an injury by collision; however, most injuries can be prevented by consistently working on movement efficiency. This is why it is more important to train movements, than it is to do isolated training of muscles. Our student athletes also follow specific programs for ACL injury prevention, ankle and knee stability/mobility, shoulder and rotator cuff stability/mobility, ice baths and heat therapy.
  
  As a leader in speed development, our focus is on developing movement efficiency through basic bio-motor skills: mobility, balance, relative strength, speed and flexibility.
  
  Speed and quickness are the ultimate goals for most athletes as they give them the advantage in today’s sports. At Laurel, we stick to the basics when we develop our youth athletes. We focus on improving running mechanics, learning to activate and use weaker muscles and the development of the posterior chain muscles. This coupled with the development of bio-motor skills are the proven ways to dramatically improve speed, agility and quickness.
  
  Dan Dvorak, Laurel's Director of Strength and Conditioning, is a graduate of Baldwin Wallace's Sports Management and Exercise Science program. Dan has earned the following certifications and memberships: the AFAA (Aerobic Fitness Association of America), CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist), the National Strength and Conditioning Association, IYCA (International Youth Conditioning Association) and Certified Speed and Agility Specialist. Dan is currently completing his certification as a USA Weightlifting Sports Performance Coach.

• Sports Medicine

  Laurel School is fortunate to have two Certified Athletic Trainers on staff and a Pediatric Orthopedic Team Physician.
  
  Certified Athletic Trainers are medical professionals who are experts in injury prevention, assessment, treatment and rehabilitation, particularly in the orthopedic and musculoskeletal disciplines. Laurel’s Athletic Trainers are also Certified American Red Cross Instructors of First Aid, CPR and AED.
  
  Julie Swartz • Head Athletic Trainer 
  Julie earned her B.S. in Sports Medicine from the University of Mount Union, and her M.S. in Kinesiology from James Madison University. Julie is a board-certified and Ohio-licensed Athletic Trainer (AT), and serves on the Secondary Schools Committee of the Ohio Athletic Trainers’ Association (OATA).
  
  During the fall season, Julie works at the Butler Campus with Upper School cross country, field hockey, soccer and tennis. In the winter, she covers the Lyman Campus with Upper and Middle School basketball, and in the spring, she is back at the Butler Campus with Upper School lacrosse, softball, and track and field.
  
  Brittany Risko • Assistant Athletic Trainer
  A graduate of Saint Louis University, with a B.A. in Exercise Science and a M.S. in Athletic Training, Brittany gained clinical athletic training experience in several school settings in Missouri and at Saint Louis she was dance team captain and vice president of graduate students.
  
  Amanda Weiss Kelly, MD, is Chief of the Division of Pediatric Sports Medicine at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, as well as an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. She is board-certified in both pediatrics and sports medicine.
  
  Dr. Kelly is a national leader in advancing the understanding of sports training, preparation, safety and rehabilitation in children and teens. Her activities include serving on the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness since 2004 and representing the AAP to the Female Athlete Triad Coalition, an international collaborative group dedicated to promoting the health of female athletes. She is also a member of the Board of Directors for the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM).