Training for Hockey Clinic

Schedule - Saturday

2015 Training for Hockey Clinic Speaker Bios

Casey Bond, MS, CSCS, RSCC*D
Casey Bond is in his third season as the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Colorado Avalanche National Hockey League (NHL) team. Bond was familiar with the Avalanche organization when he was hired to his current position prior to the 2012 – 2013 season, as he had previously served as the Staff Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach from 2005 – 2009 and assisted with training camps starting in the 1999 – 2000 season. He is certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and United States of America Weightlifting (USAW). Bond has a Bachelor’s degree in Corporate and Community Fitness with a Minor in Nutrition from North Dakota State University and a Master of Science degree in Sports Medicine with an emphasis in Exercise Physiology from Eastern Michigan University in 1999. While earning his Master’s degree, he was the Graduate Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Eastern Michigan University and was later hired as a full-time assistant coach in 1999. Bond spent the summer of 1999 as a strength and conditioning coach for the Carolina Mudcats baseball team, a Double-A minor league affiliate of the Colorado Rockies Major League Baseball (MLB) organization, at the time. He was hired as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach with Northern Arizona University in 2001 and was promoted to Head Strength and Conditioning Coach the following year. Bond has also worked at Velocity Sports Performance in Evergreen, CO, at Professional Athletic Development in the Denver, CO area, and as a private strength and conditioning coach where he specialized in training/planning for athletes of all ages.

Dave Cencer, MS, CSCS, USAW
Dave Cencer has been the men’s hockey strength and conditioning coach at Ferris State University since 2005. He holds a Master’s degree in Exercise Science and certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® (CSCS®) and United States of America Weightlifting (USAW). During his time at Ferris State University, Cencer helped develop conference championship teams in both the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and Western Collegiate Hockey Association, in addition to teams that have reached both the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Frozen Four Championship Game and the NCAA Final Eight.

Doug Crashley, CSCS  
Doug Crashley has created a world-renowned system for developing elite hockey players. In the process, he has established a culture that not only enhances physical strength and endurance, but also instills the character traits needed to succeed at a professional level. As an undergraduate student at the University of Lethbridge, Crashley was able to focus part of his studies on researching hockey player performance enhancement utilizing physiological and psychological development techniques. Consulting at all levels from Minor League Hockey to the National Hockey League (NHL) has given Crashley an understanding of the full development track for hockey players, and continues to challenge him in finding the balance for long-term athlete development for today’s hockey player. This topic is one which he has been able to both write and guest speak about in a number of venues across Western Canada. Crashley has been a featured speaker at various lectures and practical sessions for Hockey Canada, Hockey Alberta, and other esteemed organizations.

Alicia Kendig
Alicia Kendig joined the United States Olympic Committee as a registered sport dietitian in 2011. She provides nutritional services to the summer strength and power sports and winter sport athletes. She currently works with the Women’s National Ice Hockey team and the National Track and Field and Swimming teams. Kendig has worked with many other national governing bodies in the past and the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) to educate athletes on various sport nutrition topics, as well as the risks and proper use of dietary supplements. She has helped athletes of all ages, levels, and backgrounds achieve performance goals by focusing on fuel and performance nutrition for optimal performance. Kendig holds a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and a Master’s degree in Public Health Nutrition from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH.

Joe Maher, MS, RSCC*D, USAW, USAH-3
Joe Maher is the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for ice hockey as well as women’s rowing at the University of Michigan, a position he has held since 2013. Maher is directly responsible for the design and implementation of the year-long training programs, testing procedures, monitoring, and progress of athlete development and coordination. Before joining the University of Michigan, Maher spent six years with Yale University as the Associate Head Strength and Conditioning Coach. During Maher’s tenure, the Yale hockey program received numerous team and individual accolades and recognitions, including multiple Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) and Ivy League Championships and the 2013 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) National Championship. Maher was also part of the coaching staff for the United States Hockey Bronze Medal winning team during the 2011 World Junior Championships, held in Buffalo, NY. Maher holds a Master’s degree from Louisiana State University in Shreveport where he was a Graduate Assistant in the United States of America Weightlifting Development Center and worked closely with Kyle Pierce and the multiple Olympians and National Champions. He holds several certifications including the Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach with Distinction (RSCC*D) from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), Club Coach Certification from USA Weightlifting (USAW), and Level 3 with USA Hockey.

Devan McConnell
Devan McConnell is the Director of Sports Performance at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. As such, he is directly responsible for all aspects of development for the ice hockey team, including strength and conditioning, recovery and regeneration, nutrition, and physiological data analysis. During his tenure (since 2011) the hockey team has won two Hockey East Championships, made three appearances in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Tournament, and made it to the NCAA Frozen Four. McConnell has also served as a Sports Performance Coordinator at Stanford University from 2008 to 2011. He worked closely with the women’s basketball and men’s and women’s volleyball programs. In addition to his primary role, he also served as the Performance Education Coordinator. During this time, all three teams were NCAA Tournament regulars and the men’s volleyball team won the 2010 NCAA National Championship. Before his appointment to Stanford University, McConnell worked at Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning and spent time with both the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks National Hockey League (NHL) teams.

Kevin Neeld, MS, LMT, CSCS
Kevin Neeld is the President, Director of Performance, and Manual Therapist at Endeavor Sports Performance, a high-performance training facility located in Pitman, NJ. He also serves as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach and Manual Therapist for the Philadelphia Flyers Junior Team as part of the United States Premier Hockey League, and as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach with the U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team. Neeld is sought-after for his expertise in blending high-performance training with injury prevention and post-rehabilitation work. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® (CSCS®) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT). Neeld holds a Master’s degree in Kinesiology and Exercise Neuroscience from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Bachelor’s degree in Health Behavior Science and Fitness Management with a Minor in Strength and Conditioning from the University of Delaware. In 2013, he became one of only nine professionals worldwide to earn the Postural Restoration Trained (PRT) credential from the Postural Restoration Institute. An accomplished author, Neeld has had articles published in Men’s Fitness and many of the top fitness and performance sites. He also wrote a chapter in, “Men’s Health Big Book of Abs” and is the author of the book, “Ultimate Hockey Training: Transforming Effort into Ability.”

Mike Potenza, MEd, CSCS
Mike Potenza his spent nine seasons as the San Jose Sharks National Hockey League (NHL) team’s Strength and Conditioning Coordinator. He is responsible for the team’s overall strength and conditioning programs, including the physical testing and evaluation at training camp, creation of individualized post-season workout programs, and assistance in the rehabilitation efforts for all injured players. Before coming to San Jose, Potenza served as the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the University of Wisconsin men’s and women’s hockey teams, both of which were 2006 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) National Champions. A 2000 Springfield College graduate, Potenza earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Exercise Science. He then attended Boston University where he was a graduate assistant until 2002, earning his Master’s degree in Human Movement Science. While earning his Master’s degree, Potenza instructed professional, amateur, and collegiate athletes at Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning, a private training facility specializing in various weight training, conditioning, agility, plyometric, stretching and rehabilitation programs. Since earning his master’s degree, Potenza has held notable positions for Harvard and Colgate Universities. Potenza was also part of the evaluation staff for the U.S. World Junior hockey team that competed at the 2008 World Junior Championships in the Czech Republic.

Chris Schwartz