A love for the game - a passion for sports science research

MSc Kinesiology students Andrew McKenzie, Dan Harriss, Briar Komenda and Brent Linker are sitting in Brock’s Skating Lab and talking about their graduate research programs with supervisor Professor Kelly Lockwood.

There’s a hockey stick in McKenzie’s hand. It’s an immediate symbol of the opportunity these students have found at Brock to turn their love for the game into a passion for research.

Their work in the lab involves all facets of the sport – skating technique, fitness and strength levels, puck control and stick-handling skills, and equipment advances such as new skate-sharpening techniques.

And, their research will make a difference to players of all ages – from youngsters with big dreams to men and women who are realizing the dream of playing at the elite and professional levels.

“Dan, Briar, Brent and Andrew have a passion for athletics and their competitive sport backgrounds drive their research – they practice what they preach,” says Lockwood about the foursome who she first taught as undergraduate students in Brock’s Kinesiology program.

Lockwood established the lab in 2001. It has developed significantly as a research centre and commercial sport specific training facility. The success has led to three other labs now operating across the country –creating employment and career opportunities for 16 Brock graduates.

• Dan Harriss will complete his MSc degree this year. His research encompasses high performance training and athlete development within ice hockey and focuses on training the complete player -- physiologically and cognitively. Harriss is a past Junior B hockey player in St. Catharines and has been coaching the Junior Varsity team at Ridley College over the past two seasons.
“My master's experience here at Brock has been great. I have not only gained valuable research experience, but also have been able to apply the skills that I have learned within the sports science field. I plan to continue working with elite and near elite level athletes and teams across Canada.”

• Briar Komenda will complete her MSc degree this year. Her research focuses on training and conditioning. Komenda played varsity hockey at Brock for five years. She is now an assistant coach with the team and focuses on the team’s strength and conditioning.
“My experience as a Brock grad student and specifically in the Skating Lab has been amazing. I was given the opportunity to work at a sport development camp in July using the Dartfish video analysis software that we use in the lab here. Working and interacting with the athletes at this camp was incredible.”

• Brent Linker returned to Brock this year to begin his MSc degree. His area of specialty is athletic training and therapy. He is paying close attention to the training habits of hockey players and the importance of stretching in their daily routine. Linker spent last year assisting with the setup of the newest skating lab in Cochrane. Alta.
“Plenty of articles recognize the need for stretching to ‘prevent’ injury, but very little literature speaks to the performance benefits associated with a proper stretching program. I hope to fill the void in athletic culture by demonstrating that stretching is more than just a preventive tool.”

• Andrew McKenzie began his MSc degree this fall. His research interest is in the blade-ice interaction and the effects of skate sharpening on the biomechanics of skating.
“I hope my research will help hockey players to maximize their abilities and enhance their performance. Changing something as small as 0.1 inch in hockey skates could have performance benefits for players at all levels.”