At Anatriptic Alchemy, we have a lot of experience working with athletes – in high school, collegiate, and professional training rooms; at indoor and outdoor events; and with teams and individuals. From TriAthletes to “try-athletes”, sports massage has been important to maintaining and improving the condition of people who choose to participate in all athletic activities – from organized team sports to working out at the gym to walking a dog or feeding the birds – athletic performance is defined by the participants.
The following courses are not designed as introductory courses – they are studies that build on what massage therapists may have learned in their foundational massage training, or those that have completed the American Massage Therapy Association / National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork’s Sports Massage Certificate (which you can find by clicking here). It’s not that all other sports massage training is unsatisfactory – it is a foundation to be built upon. Xerlan and Christopher Deery have spent over fifty combined years refining their technique and knowledge alongside Athletic Trainers, Osteopathic Physicians, and other sports medicine professionals.
This is not stating that any other sports massage classes provided wrong or damaging information – it is providing a much more in-depth examination of working in the athletic paradigm. Utilizing assessments, thorough exploration of popular sports and their movement, and looking at the phases when sports massage is employed , Sports Massage: Beyond the Technique will raise the floor of sports massage so that the entire sports massage community can raise the bar, together.
Sports Massage: Beyond the Technique
The Paradigm of Power: comprehending the machine
8 CE Instructor Christopher Deery, LMT, BCTMB
Massage Therapy is a great and familiar training component in the athletic realm. This course will not only educate the participant concerning the anatomical and kinetics of the structures utilized in Strength Training and ‘Power Sports’, but will help them gain an intimate understanding of the techniques that they already have in their scope of practice to more effectively focus on this demographic. Discussion of the psychological aspects of power sports is also included, as well as the benefits of massage for fatigue and injury assessment.
Lecture, Hands On, and Discussion
The Factors of Flexibility: the mechanisms of Stretching, Yoga, and Pilates
8 CE Instructor Christopher Deery, LMT, BCTMB
One of the most common things that massage therapists tell their clients after the session is that they need to stretch more. This course focuses on the mechanisms of flexibility, anatomically and kinesthetically. Developing within the framework of Yoga and Pilates, in this course the participant will gain a better understanding of how to evaluate flexibility, how to address the issues surrounding stretching, and how to adapt their personal skill sets to address clients.
Lecture, Hands On, and Discussion
The Elements of Endurance: the elements of speed, reaction, and fatigue
8 CE Instructor Christopher Deery, LMT, BCTMB
Massage Therapy has been a major element for the conditioning of runners, cyclists and other endurance and speed related athletes for many years. Understanding the difference between these athletes and our other clients will help the participant not only recognize how better to work with them, but also the specific physiological issues and concerns that their demographic presents.
Lecture, Hands On, and Discussion
Ethics & Athletics
2 or 3 CE Instructor: Xerlan Deery, LMT, BCTMB
This class will examine the specific ethical issues surrounding the dynamic world of sports medicine, from dealing with athletic personalities regarding injury and codependency, understanding hierarchy in the training room, teamwork among the sports medicine team to considerations including NCCA compliance and appropriate referrals. This is a great course for Massage Therapists who currently practice sports massage, or want to investigate the panorama of massage in the athletic realm. Lecture and discussion.
Sports Massage: Beyond the Technique, the Phases
This series of courses takes the participant beyond the simple instruction about sports massage. Challenging the “deeper, harder, faster” myths, this course will not only help refine the techniques that we utilize, but will dare the participant to trust in their hands, and examine what roles Massage Therapists play in the major arenas of Sports Massage. Sports Massage: Beyond the Technique also covers some of the material that may not have been focused on in their education: marketing, integration with the sports medicine team, boundaries, and organization. The major divisions of athletic anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology are also addressed in The Paradigm of Power, The Factors of Flexibility, and The Elements of Endurance. The complete course concludes with Ethics & Athletics – an exploration of the potential ethical challenges of working with athletes and within performance focused fields.
Xerlan and Christopher Deery are licensed and board certified massage therapists with over fifty years of combined experience working with all types of athletes from Professional level Triathletes through “try” athletes. Xerlan pioneered one of the first modern ongoing massage therapy programs within a NCAA D1 athletic program that served Football, Basketball, Track and Field, Soccer, Equestrian, Baseball, Softball, Rowing, Volleyball, Tennis, and other sports. Christopher expanded the program to include a second University program, as well as having their team becoming the massage therapists of choice for several area high school athletic programs, and over fifteen NCAA, and NAIA athletic departments when they visited Oklahoma and surrounding areas. They have had the honor and privilege of working with athletes from high school through professional and even olympic levels, and still do in their private practice.
Pre and Post Event
6 CE Instructor Christopher Deery, LMT, BCTMB
Examining the roles and composition of an event based sports massage team. Focus not only on technique and execution of a successful event is only a part of this presentation. Included is a “Where do we go from here” segment, empowering the participant to use their skills and market a sports massage team. Organization, communication, early injury / conditional / exertion and environmental pathologies are also presented, with a hands on component.
Intra Event
6 CE Instructor Christopher Deery, LMT, BCTMB
Focus on the different types and kinds of sports, their specific anatomical concerns, and area specific considerations and techniques. Intra event also focuses on working within a sports medicine team, and prepares the massage therapist to adapt and innovate their techniques and surroundings to address the specific needs of an athlete during performance.
Training and Conditioning
6 CE Instructor Christopher Deery, LMT, BCTMB
Understanding the many types, styles, and considerations of the athlete during the training and conditioning phases of performance is at the core of this section of Sports Massage: Beyond the Technique. Particular emphasis is placed on scope of practice, understanding CAE (cumulative Effects of Exercise), and assessment methods.
Rehabilitation
6 CE Instructor Christopher Deery, LMT, BCTMB
If and when an athlete is affected by an injury or condition, Massage Therapy can be one of the best treatments to get them back into action. Integrating with an existing treatment plan, specific goal-based techniques, and incorporating with other healthcare professionals are elements of Sports Massage: Beyond the Technique – Rehabilitation, that will enrich the Massage Therapist’s understanding of Sports Massage.
Transitional Support
6 CE Instructor Christopher Deery, LMT, BCTMB
With the popularity and wide spread participation in sports throughout the athlete’s life, there may come a point that they are no longer at a competitive level. Rehabilitative Massage: Transitional Support educates the massage therapist on how to adapt Sports Massage to this transitional athlete. Focus on supporting the individual while maintaining muscular balance during the time that the athlete is decreasing functional muscle mass, an overview of contemporary diets and their affect on the musculoskeletal system, and roles/boundaries/scope of practice issues are discussed. An overview of pathologies, as well as hands on component is included. Lecture, discussion, and hands-on participation.