Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1037165
Mike Valcy, massage therapist for the Florida Panthers professional hockey team, had a similar experience. He had a background in business (he has an MBA) and little to no experience as a professional massage therapist when he was hired by the Panthers just two months after earning his massage license. "My interview with the Florida Panthers consisted of eight hands-on interviews," he says. "Thinking back on everything I learned in school, all of those skills were applied, but it was also my willingness to learn new techniques that would become highly valuable in my development." Still, obtaining ongoing education in anatomy and kinesiology is one piece of advice successful sports massage therapists are unanimous about. "Further your education in the areas of kinesiology, strength training, biomechanics, and human movement," Pitts says. "Study in these disciplines will help with identifi cation of the common injury sites for each sport and how to address these areas." Kim Hope, massage therapist for the Seattle Storm W NBA team (who recently won their third national championship), says, "One hundred percent most important thing—know your anatomy and kinesiology. Know the location of the muscles and how they layer, and confi dently know the muscle actions so you can stretch or contract them at a moment's notice." "Even take courses outside of bodywork," Voyles says. "Marketing, psychology, nutrition ... whatever interests you that could give you a niche. Learn about essential oils and how an infl amed gut can cause pain and how nurturing your parasympathetic nervous system can reduce (Top) Rachel Voyles guides top American cyclist Robin Carpenter after a mountain- top fi nish at Quebec's Tour de Beauce. (Bottom) Voyles releases the latissimus dorsi for professional cyclist Mac Brennan of Holowesko | Citadel Racing Team p/b Arapahoe Resources. Voyles says, "Everyone assumes legs would be the only focus for cyclists, but with the man-made position of the bike, it's important to treat the whole body." Photos by Brian Hodes at veloimages. Yo u r M & B i s w o r t h 2 C E s ! G o t o w w w. a b m p . c o m / c e t o l e a r n m o r e . 77