Both online and mainstream media are effective tools to raise your profile and communicate effectively. Making the Most of Your Opportunities: A Media Guide for Athletes and Their Coaches, was originally released by CAAWS in 1998. It has been updated and revised to reflect today’s multi-media and online world. Minor editorial changes have also been made throughout the document to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the content.

Download electronic version of the media guide here

84 pages, 1.14 MB

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• ProMOTION Plus (BC)
• Alberta InMotion Network
• Women in Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation (WISPAR)  (SK)
• Sask Sport Inc (SK)
• Égale Action (QC)
• Motivate Canada
• Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS)
• ParticipACTION
• Sport Officials Canada
• AthletesCAN
• Coaches of Canada
• True Sport Foundation
• Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES)
• Coaching Association of Canada (CAC)
• Canadian Olympic Committee (COC)
• Canadian Sport 4 life (CS4L)

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• ProMOTION Plus (BC)
• Alberta InMotion Network
• —-Women in Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation (WISPAR)  (SK)
• Sask Sport Inc (SK)
• Égale Action (QC)
• Motivate Canada
• Sport interuniversitaire canadien (SIC)
• ParticipACTION
• Canada Officiels Sportifs
• AthletesCAN
• Entraîneurs du Canada
• Fondation sport pur
• Centre canadien pour l’éthique dans le sporthttp://www.cces.ca/en/home (CCES)
• L’Association Canadienne des entraîneurs  (CAC)
• Comité olympique canadien (COC)

Au Canada le sport, c’est pour la vie (ACSV) Gender Equity  DONE – MARK Drop down menu for Gender Equity is not in same order as sub menu on side of page – On French side only. English side is in same order http://50.6.145.77/lequite-des-sexes-101/ce-que-les-hommes-peuvent-faire/?lang=fr Should be in order that the drop-down is in

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• Explorez l’importance de la création de réseaux personnels et professionnels
• Identifiez les stratégies qui vous aideront à établir et à maintenir votre réseau
• Pratiquez des scénarios de réseautage

Les nouveaux ateliers Les femmes et le leadership de l’ACAFS seront disponibles à travers le pays en 2013/2014. Si vous êtes intéressés à accueillir un atelier, communiquez avecsnmillar@caaws.ca. Grants and Recognition 2 menu buttons highlighted purple at the same time http://50.6.145.77/grants-and-recognition/andhttp://50.6.145.77/prix-et-subventions/liste-des-femmes-dinfluence-dans-le-sport-et-lactivite-physique/?lang=fr Both ‘Grants and Rec’ and ‘Programs’ are highlighted in purple when on Grants and Rec page, only the Grants and Rec should be turning purple  DONE – MARK Drop down menu for Grants and Recognition is not in same order as sub menu on side of page – On English and French pages (last two items in menu are reversed on both Eng and Fr) Change to make them listed in the same way DONE – Rosshad to remove bullets to remove spacing but still works as they want. Fix line spacingAlso change English Coaching Association of Canada to French name on French page http://50.6.145.77/grants-and-recognition/other-awards/Andhttp://50.6.145.77/prix-et-subventions/autres-programmes-de-reconnaissance/?lang=fr Tighten line spacing between the following two (looks like they are not related as line spacing is too big:National OpportunitiesTrue Sport Foundation – Canadian Sport AwardsCoaching Association of Canada

• Petro-Canada Coaching Excellence Awards
• Geoff Gowan Award
• Investors Group Volunteer Sport Administrator Award

Sports Media Canada Awards

Sport Officials Canada Awards

• Fox 40 Awards
• Ron Foxcroft Pro Official Award
• Allen G. Rae Builder Award

                    SHOULD LOOK LIKE THIS :

National Opportunities

True Sport Foundation – Canadian Sport Awards

Coaching Association of Canada

• Petro-Canada Coaching Excellence Awards
  • Geoff Gowan Award
  • Investors Group Volunteer Sport Administrator Award

Sports Media Canada Awards

Sport Officials Canada Awards

• Fox 40 Awards
  • Ron Foxcroft Pro Official Award
  • Allen G. Rae Builder Award

—————-

SAME FOR FRENCH SHOULD LOOK LIKE:

Opportunités nationales

Fondation Sport Pur – les prix sportifs canadiens

Coaching Association of Canada change to French

Association canadienne des entraîneurs

• Prix d’excellence Petro-Canada aux entraîneurs
• Prix Geoff Gowan
• Prix national d’administration bénévole du sport

Sports Media Canada Awards

Officiels sportifs Canada

• Prix Fox 40
  • Le prix Ron Foxcroft
  • Le prix Allen G. Rae catégorie bâtisseurs

   DONE – ROSS Change to French on French pageAlso correct link http://50.6.145.77/grants-and-recognition/other-funding/ Change to French on French page:QuebecEgale Action (E needs an accent) should be Égale ActionSports-Québec Grants Program (change toSports-Québec – Soutien au sport de haut niveau)— Also change link to point to http://www.mels.gouv.qc.ca/loisirSport/sporthautniveau/Advancement of Women in Sport Support Program (change toProgramme de soutien à l’avancement de la place des femmes dans le sport)Regroupement Loisirs et Sports Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean  DONE -ROSS 2012 recipients listed in English but not in French http://50.6.145.77/prix-et-subventions/bourse-detudes-commemorative-stacey-levitt/?lang=fr Add 2012 recipients – in French  DONE -ROSS 2013 Recipients list page (French) not active http://50.6.145.77/prix-et-subventions/fonds-wise/laureates-du-fonds-wise-2013/?lang=fr Add French list (English is there at http://50.6.145.77/grants-and-recognition/wise-fund/past-winners/2013-wise-recipients/ )  DONE -ROSS Format text http://50.6.145.77/prix-et-subventions/bourse-detudes-commemorative-stacey-levitt/?lang=fr Can the past recipients be listed the same way they are in English – not in a table? DONE – MARK
sidebar menu only lists pages, some of the menu links are not pages but go to external site Drop down menu for Programs is not in same order as sub menu on side of page – On English and French Change to make them listed in the same way Redirect to Leadership > Women and Leadership program http://50.6.145.77/programs/women-and-leadership-program/ Currently states: Need to redirect to http://www.womenandleadershipnetwork.ca/index.php and open in new windowShould redirect to http://50.6.145.77/leadership/women-and-leadership-program/ Redirect for Women and Leadership Network http://50.6.145.77/leadership/women-and-leadership-network/ andhttp://50.6.145.77/leadership-2/reseau-femmes-et-leadership/?lang=fr Should go to: http://www.womenandleadershipnetwork.ca/index.phpAndhttp://www.womenandleadershipnetwork.ca/index.php?lang=fr  WRONG ADDRESS Redirect for Mothers in Motion http://50.6.145.77/programs/mothersinmotion/ andhttp://50.6.145.77/programmes/meres-en-mouvement/?lang=fr Should go to: http://www.caaws.ca/mothersinmotion/e/index.cfm and http://www.caaws.ca/mothersinmotion/f/   WRONG ADDRESS Redirect for 55-70+ http://50.6.145.77/programs/women55plus/ and http://50.6.145.77/programmes/les-femmes-55-70-ans/?lang=fr Should go to: http://caaws.ca/women55plus/index.cfm and http://caaws.ca/women55plus/f/index.cfm   WRONG ADDRESS Redirect for CS4L French – broken link In dropdown under programmes > Au Canada Should go to: http://www.caaws.ca/ActivelyEngaging/f/index.cfm   WRONG ADDRESS Redirect for Tobacco http://50.6.145.77/programs/young-women-and-tobacco/ and http://50.6.145.77/programmes/jeunes-femmes-activite-physique-et-tabagisme/?lang=fr Should go to: http://caaws.ca/activeandfree/e/index.cfm and http://caaws.ca/activeandfree/f/index.cfm   WRONG ADDRESS Redirect for Homophobia http://50.6.145.77/programs/addressing-homophobia-in-sport/ and http://50.6.145.77/programmes/lhomophobie-dans-le-sport/?lang=fr Should go to: http://caaws.ca/homophobia/e/index.cfm and http://caaws.ca/homophobia/f/index.cfm MARK – That’s because we have the page listed under two menus, should be listed under one menu 2 menu buttons highlighted purple at the same time http://50.6.145.77/grants-and-recognition/most-influential-women-list/ and http://50.6.145.77/prix-et-subventions/liste-des-femmes-dinfluence-dans-le-sport-et-lactivite-physique/?lang=fr Both ‘Grants and Rec’ and ‘Programs’ are highlighted in purple when on Most Influential Women page, only the Programs should be turning purple same as above 2 menu buttons highlighted purple at the same time http://50.6.145.77/grants-and-recognition/ and http://50.6.145.77/prix-et-subventions/?lang=fr Both ‘Grants and Rec’ and ‘Programs’ are highlighted in purple when on Grants and Recognition page, only the Programs should be turning purple   WRONG ADDRESS Redirect for Newcomer http://50.6.145.77/programs/newcomer/ and http://50.6.145.77/programmes/nouvelles-arrivantes/?lang=fr Should go to: http://caaws.ca/onthemove/e/newcomer/index.htm and http://caaws.ca/onthemove/f/nouvelles_arrivantes/index.htm

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  The Français link (at top of page) disappears on this pageAnd the same happens on the  French page where the word English disappears http://50.6.145.77/programs/aboriginal/ and  http://50.6.145.77/programmes/autochtones/?lang=fr   MARK – DONE
Drop down menu for Publications is not in same order as sub menu on side of page – On English and French Change to make them listed in the same way Is that all the publications?? http://50.6.145.77/publications/all-publications/ and http://50.6.145.77/publications-f/toutes-les-publications/?lang=fr  DON’T SEE A PROBLEM All Programs menu formatting – Prix et Subvention on the side menu is in a different color under publications Example – http://50.6.145.77/publications-f/forme-dordre/?lang=fr and all other publications sub-menu items PRIX ET SUBVENTIONS DONE – MARK
Drop down menu for Workshops is not in same order as sub menu on side of page – On English and French Change to make them listed in the same way

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• LES FEMMES ET LE LEADERSHIP
• EN MOUVEMENT
• MÈRES EN MOUVEMENT
• LES FEMMES 55-70+ ANS
• JEUNES FEMMES, ACTIVITÉ PHYSIQUE ET TABAGISME
• L`HOMOPHOBIE DANS LE SPORT
• LES FEMMES AUX JEUX
• •     LISTE DES FEMMES D`INFLUENCE DANS LE SPORT ET L`ACTIVITÉ PHYSIQUE
• PRIX ET SUBVENTIONS
• NOUVELLES ARRIVANTES
• AUTOCHTONES

  Sub menu lines are too tight in the French and English ALL CAAWS PROGRAMS sub menu,  – need to be a little more spaced. On all English and French pages Need a little more spacing between the lines in the ALL CAAWS PROGRAMS items (too tight):PROGRAMMES DE l’ACAFS

• LES FEMMES ET LE LEADERSHIP
• EN MOUVEMENT
• MÈRES EN MOUVEMENT
• LES FEMMES 55-70+ ANS
• JEUNES FEMMES, ACTIVITÉ PHYSIQUE ET TABAGISME
• L`HOMOPHOBIE DANS LE SPORT
• LES FEMMES AUX JEUX
• LISTE DES FEMMES D`INFLUENCE DANS LE SPORT ET L`ACTIVITÉ PHYSIQUE
• PRIX ET SUBVENTIONS
• NOUVELLES ARRIVANTES

ALL CAAWS PROGRAMS

• WOMEN AND LEADERSHIP
• ON THE MOVE
• MOTHERS IN MOTION
• WOMEN 55-70+
• YOUNG WOMEN AND TOBACCO
• ADDRESSING HOMOPHOBIA IN SPORT
• WOMEN AT THE GAMES
• MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN
• CANADIAN SPORT FOR LIFE
• GRANTS AND RECOGNITION
• NEWCOMER

ABORIGINAL DONE – SUE Other links-buttons  Change to French on all French pages: all text at end of pages

Privacy | Webmaster | Contact Us

Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity

N202 – 801 King Edward Avenue, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1N 6N5

Phone: 613-562-5667 Fax: 613-562-5668 Email: caaws@caaws.ca

Web site by Dodge Ink Inc

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © CAAWS 2013  Enews, etc. Type your search appears in all French pages in the search function, change text to: recherche This box is on all pages Change English text to French text: recherche

Dads (and uncles and grandfathers) can play and important role in encouraging girls and young women to participate in sport and physical activity. Here’s a few tips to get you started!

Be an active role model

• Take time to be active WITH girls and young women – integrate activity into your daily or weekly schedule, and plan active vacations.
• Talk to girls and young women about the benefits of sport and physical activity in your life, and ask them about their experiences. Many young women stop participating as demands from school and friends increase – support her in finding a balance to stay involved.
• Encourage girls and young women to try a variety of sports and physical activities, building a foundation for life-long active living.
• Attend girls’ and young women’s games and cheer her on.

Emphasize fun and fitness rather than competition and slimness

• Increase fun and success by taking time to build girls’ physical skills and game strategy.
• Encourage girls and young women to bring a friend to increase fun and social support.
• Invest in quality clothing and equipment to ensure proper size and fit.
• Avoid comments about body size and shape; celebrate girls’ and young women’s’ skill, strength and spirit.
• Use inclusive language (e.g. player-to-player defense instead of man-to-man defense) and avoid derogatory comments phrases like “you throw like a girl”.

Support girls’ and women’s involvement as leaders

• Encourage young women to become leaders in sport and physical activity, as volunteers, coaches and officials. Support their participation in certification and leadership development courses.
• Talk to girls and young women about careers in the sport and physical activity sector as a way to stay involved in an activity they love.
• Introduce girls and young women to women sport and physical activity leaders at the community, provincial/territorial and national levels as role models. Talk about how they inspire you.

Help change negative perceptions

• Be vocal about equitable access for girls and women with respect to programs, facilities, equipment, quality coaching, leadership opportunities, media coverage, etc. Question policies and practices that limit girls’ and women’s participation and leadership in sport and physical activity, and throughout Canadian society.
• Make attending or watching a women’s sport event an event for the whole family. Attend or tune in to a professional game or national, provincial or territorial championship; or cheer on a local university, college or high school team. Send the message that you value participation and competition for all.
• Nominate women for awards and recognition programs available through CAAWS and other women’s organizations; and for community, provincial/territorial, national and international sport and physical activity awards. Nominate women athletes, coaches, officials and builders for Sport Halls of Fame. These women will inspire ALL Canadians to participate and lead in sport and physical activity!

AthletesCAN released a public discussion paper on the topic of gender transition and sport participation. The discussion paper Including Transitioning and Transitioned Athletes in Sport – Issues, Facts and Perspectives is part of a larger project aimed at creating a shared understanding of gender diversity – a subject still shrouded by a profound lack of knowledge and invalid assumptions. It approaches the issue from historical, ethical, educational, and scientific perspectives, and observes that contrary to popular belief, there is no empirical evidence to either support or refute the assumption that transitioned athletes compete at an advantage or disadvantage compared with physically born females and males.

The Promising Practices: Working with Transitioning/Transitioned Athletes in Sport project was initiated by AthletesCAN, in partnership with the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) and the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS), to identify and discuss the barriers that inhibit the participation of gender-transitioning and gender-transitioned athletes in sport.

This project has several components including commissioning academic reviews of the social sciences and biological literature; compiling examples of good practices; consulting nationally with sport leaders and athletes; and broadening the dialogue via publication of the discussion paper.

Discussion Paper: Including Transitioning and Transitioned Athletes in Sport – Issues, Facts and Perspectives
By Brenda Wagman (February 12, 2009)

Summary: Including Transitioning and Transitioned Athletes in Sport – Issues, Facts and Perspectives
By Brenda Wagman (February 12, 2009)

Working with Transitioning or Transitioned Athletes in Sport – Emerging Themes
By Rachel Corbett (May 26, 2009)

Social Science Literature on Sport and Transitioning/Transitioned Athletes – Literature Review
By Kevin B. Wamsley (February 2008)

Do Transitioned Athletes Compete at an Advantage or Disadvantage – Literature Review
By Michaela C. Devries (May 18, 2008)
For more information, please contact:

Moira Lassen, Executive Director
AthletesCAN
301-1376 rue Bank Street
Ottawa, ON K1H 7Y3
Tel: 613.526.4025 (main) / 1.888.832.4222 (toll free)
Email: info@athletescan.com
www.athletescan.com

“Once she proved she was good enough to play with the boys, she became a girl again,” her mother later explained.

Meet Toronto’s Carling Bassett, now Bassett Seguso, and tonight at the ripe old age of 34 she will be inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. She is only the second tennis player, after 1950s and 1960s great Bob Bedard, to receive such an honour.

Bill Hunter, Herb Carnegie and Denis Potvin from the hockey world and snooker legend Cliff Thorburn also will be formally inducted during a dinner at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto.

Bassett Seguso is the daughter of Susan Carling Bassett of London, Ont., whose great, great grandfather, Sir John Carling, played an important role in Canada’s Confederation debate and whose great grandfather, Thomas, founded a brewery that made the family name famous.

Her father, the late John F. Bassett, is from the prominent Toronto family that had interests in the media (newspapers and television stations) and sports teams (the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Argonauts). John F. himself was a colourful figure who at times owned hockey teams in Toronto and Birmingham, as well as football teams in Toronto, Memphis and Tampa Bay. He had played on the 1959 Canadian Davis Cup team and when his daughter showed a determination to become a “real” tennis player, he took her to the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Fla., which was then home to rising stars such as Jimmy Arias, Aaron Krickstein and Kathleen Horvath.

On Dec. 9, 1978, when she was 11, Carling moved into Bollettieri’s house with his family and nine other young players. She won the under-18 title at the prestigious Orange Bowl junior event in Miami at 15 in 1982 and turned pro a few months later. Slight and unimposing physically, she rode a fierce competitive drive and glorious backhand stroke to success on the pro tour.

Globe and Mail columnist David Mcfarlane wrote about that two-handed shot after watching her at Wimbledon in 1983. “When first you see it, it looks like an optical illusion, as if a few frames of film have been edited out: one instant she is poised, the next she has finished her follow through.”

Bassett had two major career highlights, and both involved legendary American Chris Evert. In 1984, at the WTA Championships in Amelia Island, Fla., she led the world No. 2 by 4-2 in the third set of their U.S.-televised final before losing 3-6, 6-2, 7-5.

“I didn’t think you were that good,” said NBC-TV’s Bud Collins to her in a postmatch interview. “Neither did I,” a bubbly Bassett replied.

Her second highlight was reaching the 1984 U.S. Open semi-finals, beating Czech Hana Mandlikova in the quarter-finals before losing to Evert. She reached a career-high world ranking of No. 8 in 1985 and twice was a French Open quarter-finalist and once an Australian Open quarter-finalist. Her only tournament victory was in 1987 in Strasbourg, France. She was ranked No. 1 in Canada from 1982 to 1986, the year that her father died of a brain tumour.

The next year she married talented American player Robert Seguso, who won doubles titles at Wimbledon (twice) and the French and U.S. Opens. They had their first child, Holden, in 1988. Ridley and Carling soon followed.

The Bassett Seguso family now lives in Boca Raton, Fla., and all three children are active and athletic, and could one day again make the Bassett and Seguso names familiar on the international tennis scene.

Bassett Seguso was considered an Anna Kournikova of her time and in 1983 acted in the movie Spring Fever. It was about young tennis players and was produced by her father. For a while, she also had a contract with the prestigious Ford modeling agency.

She is certainly the best-known and probably the best women’s player to represent Canada. Vancouver’s Helen Kelesi is a close second. She had a longer career, with more consistent results, but failed to reach Bassett Seguso’s heights.

One memorable moment, at least in John F. Bassett’s eyes, was when his daughter became Canadian National champion at 14.

His death when she was only 18, as well as raising her own family, profoundly affected Bassett Seguso’s career. She was never quite the same player, even though she had occasional moments of being Tommy Terrific until her last year on tour in 1990.

The Canadian National Exhibition had offered Florence Chadwick, a 34-year-old American who was a well-known marathon swimmer, $10 000 to complete the crossing of the lake. Marilyn Bell decided to attempt the swim herself even though she had not been invited or offered any money to do so. In later years, she recalled “ I don’t think I was sure I could make it but I wasn’t so sure Florence Chadwick could make it either. The challenge for me was to go one stroke further than the American. As corny as it sounds…, I did it for Canada.” (A Concise History of Sport in Canada, p. 253)

Florence Chadwick and Winnie Roach Leuszler, a Toronto swimming star who had also joined the challenge, were forced to quit the race before 6:00 a.m. on September 9. Marilyn Bell continued forward with determination, under the guidance of her coach, Gus Ryder, despite the cold water, the presence of lamprey eels and the fatigue that almost overwhelmed her at times.

As Marilyn progressed towards her goal of reaching the Toronto shore, the public were kept informed through hourly reports by radio stations and extra editions issued by the newspapers. Finally, shortly after 8:00 p.m. on September 9, she completed her conquest of Lake Ontario, in view of a huge crowd of enthusiastic spectators, by touching the break wall located just west of the area now known as Marilyn Bell Park. It has been said that she “…shattered the myth of the ‘fragile’ female with her spectacular swim…” (A Concise History of Sport in Canada, p. 241) The Canadian National Exhibition announced she would get the prize money. She became an international celebrity and was showered with gifts from Canadians.

Marilyn had been encouraged by her parents at an early age to join the Lakeshore Swimming Club at Port Credit, Ontario. Gus Ryder, its founder, guided her and by age 14 she was already swimming in the longer professional marathons. She won the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada’s outstanding athlete in 1953 and she had, a few weeks before her crossing of Lake Ontario, achieved the distinction of being the first woman to finish the well-known Atlantic City marathon swim.

After completing the Lake Ontario swim, Marilyn Bell took on other challenges. On July 31, 1955 she swam the English Channel. At 17 years of age, she was the youngest swimmer to succeed in this endeavour. On August 23, 1956, in her second attempt, she swam across the Juan de Fuca Strait. That same year she stopped participating in marathon swimming. Soon afterwards, she married Joe Di Lascio and raised four children in Willingboro, New Jersey.

Marilyn Bell has been inducted into both Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and the Ontario Aquatic Hall of Fame. A documentary on her, entitled The Lady of the Lake, aired on History Television.

Suggested readings:
McAllister Ron. – Swim to glory : the story of Marilyn Bell and the Lakeshore Swimming Club. – Toronto : McClelland and Stewart, 1954. – 128 p.

McDonald, David. – For the record : Canada’s greatest women athletes. – Toronto : Mesa Associates, 1981. – 270 p.

Wise S.F. ; Fisher, Douglas. – Canada’s sporting heroes. – Don Mills, Ont. : General Publishing Co., 1974. – 338 p.

Do your knees ache when you sit to watch a movie?

Do you have difficulty getting up out of a chair after sitting?

Does squatting really hurt your knees?If the answer is yes to these questions, you may be suffering from Patellofemoral pain syndrome.

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome can be described as pain under or around the kneecap (Patella). Young adult females are more often affected than males because a wider pelvis places increased stress on the knee joint.

BIOMECHANICS (How does the knee work?)

To understand the causes of the pain due to a tracking dysfunction, we must first understand the normal mechanics of the knee. The knee is made up of the femur (thighbone), the tibia (shinbone) and the patella (knee cap). The patella (knee cap) is a small triangular shaped bone which slides on the end of the femur. Large ligaments attach to the femur and tibia to provide stability. The long thigh muscles (quadriceps) give the knee strength. A smooth substance (articular cartilage) cushions the joint surfaces where these three bones (femur, tibia and patella) touch. This enables the bones to move with ease.

The knee cap functions to increase the force of straightening your leg (knee extension) by 50%. In doing so there is increased force placed on the joint. Here is an example; normally walking places a force of half of ones body weight on the knee joint, stair climbing places a force of 2.5 times ones body weight on the joint, descending stairs places 3.5 times ones body weight on the patellerfemoral joint and squatting places 7.5 times ones body weight on the joint.

The knee cap moves slightly up and down in a grove on the femur during bending and straightening on the knee (patella tracking). Patellar tracking dysfunction occurs when the knee cap is pulled off to the side (laterally) or to the outer aspect of the knee, as the knee is straightening under load. Various thing help keep the patella tracking well. These include: the quadriceps muscle which acts {See Figure1} as a stabilizer. The quadriceps muscle is made up of 3 parts; an inner (medial), outer (lateral), and central part. Good tracking requires that there is a balance in strength and flexibility between the inner and outer quadriceps. If the outer quadriceps muscle is stronger than the inner part then the knee cap has a tendency to be pulled laterally causing increased stress to the knee joint and its tissues.

You should know…

(1) Good flexibility in the lateral soft tissue structures such as the lateral retinaculum and iliotibial band. Tightness in either of these can cause the knee cap to track laterally.

(2) A normal angle of 13-18 degrees (q-angle) between the pull of the quadriceps muscle along the femur and the patellar tendon. An angle greater than normal causes greater force pulling the knee cap laterally. Factors which increase the q angle are A) a wide pelvis, B) flat feet and C) torsion in the femur.

(3) Normal structure of the knee cap and femur. The femur has a bump on its lower lateral (outer) aspect which helps stabilize the patella during bending and straightening of the knee.

If the bump is not large enough, the knee cap may have a tendency to move laterally, similarly a small knee cap which sits slightly higher on the femur and not in the groove has less stability and therefore may move laterally during straightening of the knee.

(4) Good strength in the hip abductor muscles is essential to help prevent excessive rotation in the femur during running. If the hip abductor muscles are week, then the femur will rotate inwardly placing increased stress on the knee joint.

TREATMENT AND PREVENTION

The treatment of patellar tracking dysfunction involves identifying the causes of the poor tracking and then correcting them. For example, if the inner (medial) part of the quadriceps muscle is weak causing the knee cap to be pulled laterally by a stronger lateral quadriceps, then one must strengthen the inner quadriceps. Moreover, if the hip abductors are weak causing excessive internal rotation of the femur, then one must strengthen the hip abductors. A physiotherapist can assess the problem and give the appropriate exercises specific to each individual.

If one wants to prevent pain due to tracking dysfunction, then the most important goal would be to maintain good strength, and flexibility in the all the leg muscles. As well, good shoes which help to absorb shock and promote good alignment will also aid in preventing pain from patellar tracking dysfunction.

Some key exercises which may help prevent patella femoral pain due to poor tracking include:

STRETCHING EXERCISES

1) Quadriceps stretch
2) Illiotibial band stretch
3) Hamstring stretch

STRENGTHENING EXERCISES

1) Quadriceps
- Non-weight bearing:
(i) isometric quadriceps
(ii) straight leg raising

- Weight bearing
(i) standing dips
(ii) lunges
(iii) step downs
(iv) wall sits

2) Hip abductor strengthening

BALANCE EXERCISES

1) Use of wobble board
2) Standing on one leg

Patellar Tracking Dysfunction often resolves with conservative treatment such as:

1)Physiotherapy: Specific exercises, manual therapy and modalities to enhance healing and reduce pain, and occasionally specific taping of the knee cap is required.

2) Education on proper foot wear.

3) Recognizing and correcting training errors., i.e. repetitive jumping or running too fast early in the season.

4) Initially restricting the aggravating activities.

5) Introduction of a modified exercise program to maintain cardiovascular fitness while preventing further pain and injury to the knee

6) A gradual re-introduction to the sports which stress the knee while maintaining a pain free status.

When conservative measures fail to resolve the pain and mechanical problems associated with patellar tracking dysfunction then a surgical approach is sometimes required.

In conclusion, Patellar tracking dysfunction is a common knee problem affecting many age groups and both recreational as well as elite athletes. One must remember it is just one cause of knee pain. There are many other causes of knee pain and therefore it is essential that individuals experiencing knee pain consult a medical professional to obtain a proper diagnosis; Indeed, a correct diagnosis is essential to provide the proper treatment and thus the best possible rehabilitation.

Susan Reive, B.Sc.P.T., M.C.P.A.
Ottawa Physiotherapist

Gaudet defeated Jennifer Guzzwell of St. John’s, Nfld., 6-4, before a supportive hometown crowd in Summerside, P.E.I.

Gaudet will now attempt to defend her title at the world junior curling championships in Kelowna, B.C., March 23-31.

Guzzwell was facing a wide open hit and stick to score one and force an extra end with her last shot. But she was wide and barely brushed Gaudet’s stone, giving up a steal of one.

“I missed my shot obviously,” Guzzwell said later. “But we didn’t expect to do as well as we did, so we’re happy with our silver medals.”

Guzzwell’s team, including third Shelley Nichols, second Stephanie LeDrew and lead Noelle Thomas, was a surprise finishing first in the round robin and earning the bye to the final.

Gaudet, 20, is the first skip to win back-to-back junior titles since Edmonton’s Cathy King in 1977 and 1978.

Her team of third Robyn McPhee, second Carol Webb and lead Kelly Higgens out of the Silver Fox Curling Club curled 81 per cent to the 73 per cent of Guzzwell’s team.

Gaudet finished second in the round robin and downed Saskatchewan’s Jolene McIvor of Saskatoon 9-5 in Friday’s semifinal.

reprinted with permission

Her parents, Fred and Gayle, Saturday agreed to remove her from life support after she failed to show signs of coming out of the coma. Sloan, 20, was injured March 4 when her minivan rolled several times after swerving off the highway near Medicine Hat.

She was going to visit her grandmother in Saskatchewan when the accident occurred.

Her van crossed two lanes of traffic before heading into the ditch. She was taken by STARS to Calgary Foothills Hospital where she remained in a drug-induced coma until she died.

The accident was just two days before Sloan was to accompany 40 Calgary swimmers to Etobicoke, Ont., to compete in the national championships, part of the process to select the Canadian National team and later the Olympic team.

Calgary’s swimming community is in  shock today following the death Saturday morning of international  competitor and Canadian record holder Tara Sloan.

The young swimmer is a five-time Canadian breaststroke champion. She holds the women’s 100-metre breaststroke national record in the short-course pool. She had competed in world championships, the Pan American Games and the Commonwealth Games. At her best, she was rated ninth in the world.

Mike Blondal, her coach of eight years, said, “The Sydney Summer Olympics were on her horizon.”

Sloan’s parents had kept up a bedside vigil praying and hoping for their daughter. Her lungs were bruised, she had  numerous  broken ribs, a broken hand and shoulder blade, but the biggest worry was brain damage: There was no way of knowing what damage had been done.

Doctors had been keeping Sloan in a coma to reduce brain activity.

The family has had many phone calls and visitors sending best wishes and hopes. Their home was filled with flowers and cards from those sending get well wishes.

The family now asks that no flowers be sent.

Plans are being made for a memorial service and the family has established a Tara Sloan Memorial Fund. Donations can be made at any Calgary Royal Bank.