Sport development centre gets new coordinator

By Sean Rooney on August 24, 2018.

srooney@medicinehatnews.com @MHNRooney

There’s a new face in charge of the Alberta Sport Development Centre’s Southeast branch at Medicine Hat College, but she’s far from a stranger to the folks she’ll be working with.

After all, she still parks in the same spot and her new office is mere steps across the hallway from the old one.

Kristina Segall has taken over from Cory Coehoorn at ASDC, after Coehoorn took a one-year leave.

“I’m always working with talented athletes, so honestly it’s not a huge change for me,” said Segall, who starred with the Rattlers as a soccer player, then got a job as the college’s athletics and recreation programmer five years ago. “Just different age groups, you can see them start out young and see their growth whereas I see them at their peak.”

Coehoorn announced last month on his personal Facebook page that he’s taken a teaching job at his alma mater, Louisiana State University-Shreveport. He spent three years with ASDC and the official reason he left is to pursue his doctorate.

ASDC Southeast has been around since 2006 and aims to help aspiring athletes of all ages get to an elite level. Most often that’s meant working with individuals through its athlete enhancement program, but Coehoorn had started to make inroads with teams, most notably the Southeast Athletic Club’s bantam AAA hockey squad last season.

Segall expects those initiatives to continue as she gets settled.

“I think growing off what he started and improving, you can always make changes for improvement,” she noted.

With 30 spots on the athlete enhancement program in total, about 10 remain to be filled with an Aug. 31 deadline to apply. Those athletes will get help in a wide range of areas, as ASDC works with five specialists ranging from strength and conditioning to mental skills and nutrition.

“They’re talented and so professional; it’s pretty amazing for Medicine Hat to have people with their calibre of skills,” said Segall.

Teams can inquire at any time about anything from a full season’s plan to one-off sessions with ASDC experts.

“We have things for teams, they can book a nutritionist, we can do specific things for teams’ needs,” said Segall. “Some teams might have the strength and conditioning they need, but their nutrition isn’t there. Or their mental skills aren’t there.”

Segall, who recently achieved her masters degree in athletic administration, saw the ASDC job as a great opportunity, but figures she’ll still be seeing plenty of her Rattlers family.

“I will miss the Rattlers because I love them so much, but I’ll still help over there,” she said.

As always, the centre will run some yet-to-be-determined seminars for the public. For more information visit mhc.ab.ca/asdcse.

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