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One nation, under sports

By Cary Castagna, "Edmonton Sun"

ST. ALBERT -- Business has never been bigger in recent years for professional sports - resplendent in multimillion-dollar player contracts, corporate-backed arenas and stadiums, and lucrative broadcast deals.

But the radiant allure of the big leagues has spurred the growth of another industry: athletic development.

Just ask Dan LaJoie, co-owner of Athletes Nation.

"It's been growing. There's been a number of guys training athletes here for a while before we came along," he told Sun Media.

LaJoie and business partner Pat Cassidy say more and more organizations are jumping on the athletic-development bandwagon because it makes sense: improving athletes' athleticism makes them better at their chosen sports.

"It's a necessity. Athletes, parents and coaches are starting to realize that your athletic ability is a limiting factor," explained LaJoie, a 40-year-old athlete-turned-coach-turned-entrepreneur. "Without that athletic ability, their careers will come to an earlier end than they might have."

While noting that "if you're stronger, quicker and more explosive, then you're going to have that advantage," Cassidy added there are two sides to the burgeoning industry. "You've got to have somebody that can provide the service and the populace has to understand what it's all about. There's been that evolution on both sides," he noted.

LaJoie, whose resume includes playing semi-pro baseball and coaching college ball in the U.S., said he saw a gaping void when he returned to Edmonton in 2001 following a decade south of the border. That's despite his hometown's reputation as a sports town.

"In this region, we haven't developed the infrastructure like there is in the States as far as the athletic development side. The corporate dollars just aren't there. The government dollars just aren't there," he said, noting amateur sports in the U.S. thrive on corporate sponsorship.

"Corporations understand that those kids that are dedicated and have a professional work ethic, whether or not they play professional sports, are going to be looking for jobs down the road. They see it as a very good investment in getting involved in trying to keep kids off the street and keep them focused on long-term goals."

After becoming involved with the non-profit Alberta Collegiate Baseball Foundation - which is dedicated to training budding baseball players - LaJoie helped start up a training centre in 2003 dedicated to developing athletes from a variety of team sports.

The new business venture eventually became known as Athletes Nation.

From humble beginnings - in a classroom at Terrae Pines Golf Course just north of St. Albert - Athletes Nation has relocated twice in the past five years, settling this summer in its current 26,000-square-foot location at #107, 125 Carleton Dr., in St. Albert.

The facility boasts a virtual pitching machine, 200-foot track, FieldTurf-equipped fieldhouse and Omegawave technology that monitors various bodily systems.

"We've been building our customer base one brick at a time, one athlete at a time. It's not been something that's all of a sudden exploded and took off," said Cassidy, who has been involved with sports his whole life and who also runs a commercial construction firm.

LaJoie and Cassidy hope to establish Athletes Nation as "Western Canada's premier athletic training and sport development centre - period!"

Helping their cause have been some big-name NHL players who train at the centre, including Jarome Iginla.

The Calgary Flames superstar has spent part of the last three summers training at the facility. Edmonton Oilers Fernando Pisani, Kyle Brodziak and a handful of other high-level athletes have also made visits.

"It's pretty motivational," LaJoie said. "Athletes get a chance to see that they're doing the same types of training that the pro guys are doing, just at different intensities."

Of course, only a fraction of Athletes Nation's athletes will become tomorrow's superstars.

But LaJoie points out that his centre offers so much more.

Besides developing a player's athleticism - most notably speed, strength and power - the facility offers youngsters a healthy lifestyle, improved work ethic, confidence, and time-management and leadership skills, LaJoie said.

As for LaJoie's baseball career, the outfielder and first baseman - who still harbours some nagging shoulder injuries - thinks Athletes Nation may have come in handy during his heyday.

"I was an average ball player that worked hard and played as long as I possibly could. There were some athletic skills that I didn't have," he said, noting it'll never be known for sure whether a facility like Athletes Nation could've vaulted him into the major leagues. "Who's to say it would've been enough or not?"

But it would've given him a better opportunity, he added, and that's all anybody can ask for.

For more information on the programs at Athletes Nation, visit www.athletes-nation.com.