For this next Sochi post, I'm going to let someone else tell the story! One evening, I made my way to the very same pub that was quite into Bon Jovi along with four friends/coworkers. Chris Knight, a great writer for the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, shared our experiences with live king crabs, restaurant rejections, camaraderie with some Brits and more as we attempted to get snowboarding on TV in the pub!
Read it here.
Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts
Monday, April 21, 2014
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Interns Train the Best in the World
Interns Train the Best in the World
By Riley Steinmetz
PARK CITY, Utah (Oct. 30) - In sports where wins are calculated in hundredths of seconds, athletes need a skilled team to make them Best in the World. The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team High Performance staff is constantly innovating and creating new programs to ensure athletic success. The department's internship program takes some of the brightest students in the country and gives them the tools they need to continue the evolution of sport science while working with the sport's most accomplished athletes.
“It's been an eye-opening experience when it comes to sport science and high performance,” intern Bret Kelly said, “You learn a lot in school and undergraduate studies, but when you come here and actually work with some of these athletes, you just learn on a different level.”
The program gives interns the opportunity to not only work with world-class athletes, but also to take responsibility for creating programs and running tests.
“Since day one, they put us in a role. I really got thrown into it,” Alex Bunt said, “It's more just observing the whole time-they trusted us to test World Champions. It's an awesome environment."
USSA High Performance's integrated staff includes physiologists, strength coaches, dietitians, physical therapists, athletic trainers, sport science/technology and a full-time chef, providing services such as physical testing, athletic development programming, sports medicine and nutrition services, technology research and athlete education. The interns play an integral role in the high performance team.
“The strength and conditioning internship has been a phenomenal opportunity to help educate and develop young, up-and-coming coaches,” said Strength and Conditioning Coach Michael Naperalsky, “The interns get to work with elite-level athletes and see what it takes to prepare for competition on the world stage. It's very fulfilling to help mentor them through the summer. Their hard work with our program has been a tremendous help in preparation for this year's Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.”
The first six weeks of the internship are spent completing an extensive educational curriculum, with lectures, presentations, hands-on skill sessions and practical assessments on a variety of topics. The interns learn about energy systems, measure blood lactate, teach Olympic lifts and progressions, test athletes using a force plate, and refine their coaching and teaching styles while understanding different training philosophies.
“In the beginning, it was a little overwhelming with the amount of information,” Bunt said, “Now, everything is just kind of second nature. It feels good to just understand why we're doing everything. I now have all of this practical exercise physiology knowledge that I can take back to school.”
Once intern coaches have a sound understanding of coaching methods and procedures, they are fully immersed among the staff to coach, test and work with athletes. While the internship is focused on strength and conditioning, it also incorporates facets of physiology, professional development and high performance athletics, with each intern completing a variety of presentations, projects and programming for his or her teams.
“We're working with some of the best coaches in the world,” Bret Kelly said, “After the first month here, I think all of the interns were talking about how much more we had learned than at school. We're definitely on the cutting edge of high performance here and, hopefully, can take that into future jobs.”
With a variety of sports science professionals from all over the world, the high performance staff at the USSA includes individuals from every imaginable background. According to the interns, though, this unique blend of people coming together is part of what makes everything work as well as it does.
“A lot of people have different philosophies on training and come from different backgrounds,” Bricker said, “It's cool to see how they all mesh together, changing and adapting based on what other people are doing. Everyone takes some points from each other and molds it into a new training system.”
While based out of the USSA's Center of Excellence in Park City, UT, the interns also had the opportunity to take part in activities outside of the gym, exploring the area and trying out new sports.
“My first few weeks, getting to know the area, the staff and the athletes-everything was new and exciting,” Kerry Kelly said.
With the Olympic season already underway, the interns are looking forward to seeing the athletes they have worked with aim for gold in Sochi.
“I'm so excited, but I think I'm going to be nervous, too,” Alexandra Stadnik said, “I've become good friends with a few of the athletes so I'm really going to be cheering for them. I'll probably be yelling at the TV or computer screen at work or home. I know it'll be at weird hours because I'm going to want to watch it live.”
“I'm a lot more personally invested in the Games now,” David Bricker said, “It's going to be cool just to know a lot of the athletes that you see competing more personally. It's been great and they've all been really friendly.”
Even though the Games are still months away, though, the interns have already had the opportunity to witness athletic feats that left them impressed.
“I was doing bike tests with some of the nordic combined guys,” Bricker recalled, “They're riding at these amazing numbers while carrying on a conversation.”
Ultimately, the program rewarded the interns for the hard work they put into it. All agreed that they were leaving the USSA with the skillset they needed to take their careers to the next level.
“If you want to be in the strength and conditioning field, then this internship is what you need to do,” Stadnik said, “The USSA and the staff here are leading the country in sports performance technology. You're going to have to work hard and make sacrifices. If I didn't put in the time, I know I would not have gotten out of it everything I wanted to.”
The internship period runs for seven months, from April through October each year, with the application process starting in early January. Successful interns have a strong desire to be a professional strength and conditioning coach, and previous experience with exercise physiology and strength training.
To learn more about the USSA High Performance Internship Program, contact Michael Naperalsky at mnaperalsky@ussa.org.
2013 USSA High Performance Interns
David Bricker
Alex Bunt
Sherrie Johnson
Bret Kelly
Kerry Kelly
Alexandra Stadnik
Brendan Wall
By Riley Steinmetz
PARK CITY, Utah (Oct. 30) - In sports where wins are calculated in hundredths of seconds, athletes need a skilled team to make them Best in the World. The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team High Performance staff is constantly innovating and creating new programs to ensure athletic success. The department's internship program takes some of the brightest students in the country and gives them the tools they need to continue the evolution of sport science while working with the sport's most accomplished athletes.
“It's been an eye-opening experience when it comes to sport science and high performance,” intern Bret Kelly said, “You learn a lot in school and undergraduate studies, but when you come here and actually work with some of these athletes, you just learn on a different level.”
The program gives interns the opportunity to not only work with world-class athletes, but also to take responsibility for creating programs and running tests.
“Since day one, they put us in a role. I really got thrown into it,” Alex Bunt said, “It's more just observing the whole time-they trusted us to test World Champions. It's an awesome environment."
USSA High Performance's integrated staff includes physiologists, strength coaches, dietitians, physical therapists, athletic trainers, sport science/technology and a full-time chef, providing services such as physical testing, athletic development programming, sports medicine and nutrition services, technology research and athlete education. The interns play an integral role in the high performance team.
“The strength and conditioning internship has been a phenomenal opportunity to help educate and develop young, up-and-coming coaches,” said Strength and Conditioning Coach Michael Naperalsky, “The interns get to work with elite-level athletes and see what it takes to prepare for competition on the world stage. It's very fulfilling to help mentor them through the summer. Their hard work with our program has been a tremendous help in preparation for this year's Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.”
The first six weeks of the internship are spent completing an extensive educational curriculum, with lectures, presentations, hands-on skill sessions and practical assessments on a variety of topics. The interns learn about energy systems, measure blood lactate, teach Olympic lifts and progressions, test athletes using a force plate, and refine their coaching and teaching styles while understanding different training philosophies.
“In the beginning, it was a little overwhelming with the amount of information,” Bunt said, “Now, everything is just kind of second nature. It feels good to just understand why we're doing everything. I now have all of this practical exercise physiology knowledge that I can take back to school.”
Once intern coaches have a sound understanding of coaching methods and procedures, they are fully immersed among the staff to coach, test and work with athletes. While the internship is focused on strength and conditioning, it also incorporates facets of physiology, professional development and high performance athletics, with each intern completing a variety of presentations, projects and programming for his or her teams.
“We're working with some of the best coaches in the world,” Bret Kelly said, “After the first month here, I think all of the interns were talking about how much more we had learned than at school. We're definitely on the cutting edge of high performance here and, hopefully, can take that into future jobs.”
With a variety of sports science professionals from all over the world, the high performance staff at the USSA includes individuals from every imaginable background. According to the interns, though, this unique blend of people coming together is part of what makes everything work as well as it does.
“A lot of people have different philosophies on training and come from different backgrounds,” Bricker said, “It's cool to see how they all mesh together, changing and adapting based on what other people are doing. Everyone takes some points from each other and molds it into a new training system.”
While based out of the USSA's Center of Excellence in Park City, UT, the interns also had the opportunity to take part in activities outside of the gym, exploring the area and trying out new sports.
“My first few weeks, getting to know the area, the staff and the athletes-everything was new and exciting,” Kerry Kelly said.
With the Olympic season already underway, the interns are looking forward to seeing the athletes they have worked with aim for gold in Sochi.
“I'm so excited, but I think I'm going to be nervous, too,” Alexandra Stadnik said, “I've become good friends with a few of the athletes so I'm really going to be cheering for them. I'll probably be yelling at the TV or computer screen at work or home. I know it'll be at weird hours because I'm going to want to watch it live.”
“I'm a lot more personally invested in the Games now,” David Bricker said, “It's going to be cool just to know a lot of the athletes that you see competing more personally. It's been great and they've all been really friendly.”
Even though the Games are still months away, though, the interns have already had the opportunity to witness athletic feats that left them impressed.
“I was doing bike tests with some of the nordic combined guys,” Bricker recalled, “They're riding at these amazing numbers while carrying on a conversation.”
Ultimately, the program rewarded the interns for the hard work they put into it. All agreed that they were leaving the USSA with the skillset they needed to take their careers to the next level.
“If you want to be in the strength and conditioning field, then this internship is what you need to do,” Stadnik said, “The USSA and the staff here are leading the country in sports performance technology. You're going to have to work hard and make sacrifices. If I didn't put in the time, I know I would not have gotten out of it everything I wanted to.”
The internship period runs for seven months, from April through October each year, with the application process starting in early January. Successful interns have a strong desire to be a professional strength and conditioning coach, and previous experience with exercise physiology and strength training.
To learn more about the USSA High Performance Internship Program, contact Michael Naperalsky at mnaperalsky@ussa.org.
2013 USSA High Performance Interns
David Bricker
Alex Bunt
Sherrie Johnson
Bret Kelly
Kerry Kelly
Alexandra Stadnik
Brendan Wall
Thursday, October 4, 2012
30 Questions: 5 Passions
What are 5 passions you have?
1.) Olympic Sports
I started speedskating because of the Olympic Games. And because of speedskating, I started applying for internships at the U.S. Olympic Committee. And because of the USOC, I found my passion and what I wanted to do with my life. What is that, exactly? Marketing and promotion of Olympic sports. Now, less than three years into my career, I've been to the Olympic Games, made amazing friends, served as official photographer for a World Cup and had so, so many experiences I never would've anticipated if you'd talked to me five years ago.
However, my passion for Olympic sports goes beyond just the fact that I've turned it into my career. I love sports. I grew up watching the Pacers and Colts. I lived in Tampa when the Devil Rays were created and went to my first Lightning game there. But there's something different about Olympic sports. While they do indeed have their problems, I feel like it's still truly about the sport. It's not about who got a multimillion dollar contract to create their own shoe or cutting the line into New York's most famous club. It's a labor of love with very, very little chance of glory. We're talking about athletes who train forty hours a week for four years and then have one shot at their sport's most coveted award, Olympic gold. And on top of the competition, you've got incredible stories of international cooperation and friendship. At the core, the Olympic Movement is just a really amazing thing.
2.) Travel
There's no better way to understand the world than experiencing it for yourself. I've had the distinct privilege of getting to travel to somewhere in the neighborhood of twenty countries and territories. Every place I visit teaches me something new and makes me appreciate aspects of my own culture that I make never have noticed. Through my experiences with other people in other places, I've come to understand that there's no one place that is "better" than anywhere else, just different. And "different" is not a bad thing :)
3.) Food
Specifically, good food. I love the history and culture of food, as well as how it brings people together. There are few things better than a great dinner with good friends and a few bottles of wine. I'm also very passionate about treating my body to the right kinds of food. Yes, I eat junk food and even indulge in the occasional trip through the drive-thru, but I do consciously make an effort to avoid foods that are not ethically raised (i.e., I only eat cage-free eggs) and I try to eat organic food. Yes, it costs more, but I think avoiding unnecessary exposure to antibiotics, pesticides and other substances is worth it, as is the peace of mind that comes with avoiding unethically raised food products.
4.) The Environment
Because without a healthy planet, what's the point? We've got to take care of what we have.
5.) Health
This one goes along with food and the environment. I try to exercise and eat properly (although I'm far from perfect) because we only are given one body and I intend to make the most of mine!
Other honorable mention passions: photography, politics, music, books and much, much more!
1.) Olympic Sports
I started speedskating because of the Olympic Games. And because of speedskating, I started applying for internships at the U.S. Olympic Committee. And because of the USOC, I found my passion and what I wanted to do with my life. What is that, exactly? Marketing and promotion of Olympic sports. Now, less than three years into my career, I've been to the Olympic Games, made amazing friends, served as official photographer for a World Cup and had so, so many experiences I never would've anticipated if you'd talked to me five years ago.
However, my passion for Olympic sports goes beyond just the fact that I've turned it into my career. I love sports. I grew up watching the Pacers and Colts. I lived in Tampa when the Devil Rays were created and went to my first Lightning game there. But there's something different about Olympic sports. While they do indeed have their problems, I feel like it's still truly about the sport. It's not about who got a multimillion dollar contract to create their own shoe or cutting the line into New York's most famous club. It's a labor of love with very, very little chance of glory. We're talking about athletes who train forty hours a week for four years and then have one shot at their sport's most coveted award, Olympic gold. And on top of the competition, you've got incredible stories of international cooperation and friendship. At the core, the Olympic Movement is just a really amazing thing.
2.) Travel
There's no better way to understand the world than experiencing it for yourself. I've had the distinct privilege of getting to travel to somewhere in the neighborhood of twenty countries and territories. Every place I visit teaches me something new and makes me appreciate aspects of my own culture that I make never have noticed. Through my experiences with other people in other places, I've come to understand that there's no one place that is "better" than anywhere else, just different. And "different" is not a bad thing :)
3.) Food
Specifically, good food. I love the history and culture of food, as well as how it brings people together. There are few things better than a great dinner with good friends and a few bottles of wine. I'm also very passionate about treating my body to the right kinds of food. Yes, I eat junk food and even indulge in the occasional trip through the drive-thru, but I do consciously make an effort to avoid foods that are not ethically raised (i.e., I only eat cage-free eggs) and I try to eat organic food. Yes, it costs more, but I think avoiding unnecessary exposure to antibiotics, pesticides and other substances is worth it, as is the peace of mind that comes with avoiding unethically raised food products.
Yes, I know it's a cupcake...they can be organic, too!
4.) The Environment
Because without a healthy planet, what's the point? We've got to take care of what we have.
5.) Health
This one goes along with food and the environment. I try to exercise and eat properly (although I'm far from perfect) because we only are given one body and I intend to make the most of mine!
Other honorable mention passions: photography, politics, music, books and much, much more!
Monday, October 1, 2012
30 Questions: Dream Job
What is your dream job, and why?
To be perfectly honest, my dream job would be to get paid handsomely to travel and take photos. So, I guess that would maybe be photojournalism? Only in order for it to be my dream job, I'd be the one choosing where I went, for how long and everything else.
As far as jobs that actually exist, I'd say being CMO for an internationally-recognized sports body would be number one on my list. It'd be pretty amazing to run the marketing side of an organizing committee for the Olympic Games. International sports, communications and marketing are my loves...so if it combines those, I'd say I'm a happy camper.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Pink Triathlete
So, as some of you might know, this time last year, I was starting to train for a sprint triathlon. My sister had signed up for one in Indy, so I decided to do it with her. However, I ended up getting my job out here in San Diego and spent the weekend that I would have been doing a triathlon moving instead!
Ever since then, I've been wanting to get more involved in triathlon. Honestly, one of the only reasons I run is because it is a part of triathlon (and it's much cheaper than joining a gym and lets me enjoy San Diego's amazing weather). A week ago, my friend Larkin asked if I wanted to go swim La Jolla Cove...and despite it's horribly cold temperatures (for someone like me who grew up swimming in the Gulf of Mexico), I went. Again, this was primarily because I knew open water swimming was a fact of life in triathlon.
Yesterday, I did my first aquathon! It's a run-swim that the San Diego Tri Club puts on to help people train for triathlons. Larkin again invited me, and it was HARD!! But motivated me to get more into training. I've started to realize, too, that everything triathlon-related I own is pink.
Ever since then, I've been wanting to get more involved in triathlon. Honestly, one of the only reasons I run is because it is a part of triathlon (and it's much cheaper than joining a gym and lets me enjoy San Diego's amazing weather). A week ago, my friend Larkin asked if I wanted to go swim La Jolla Cove...and despite it's horribly cold temperatures (for someone like me who grew up swimming in the Gulf of Mexico), I went. Again, this was primarily because I knew open water swimming was a fact of life in triathlon.
Yesterday, I did my first aquathon! It's a run-swim that the San Diego Tri Club puts on to help people train for triathlons. Larkin again invited me, and it was HARD!! But motivated me to get more into training. I've started to realize, too, that everything triathlon-related I own is pink.
So there you have it...Riley the Pink Triathlete. Or, more appropriately, Riley the Pink Hopeful Triathlete.
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