The Sports Performance Institute: Enhancing Athletic Performance
The Adventist HealthCare Sports Performance Institute is a training facility where athletes can improve their skills and abilities, paving the way for them to excel in their chosen sport(s).
“We are firm believers that everyone is an athlete,” said Robert Kambies, manager of the Adventist HealthCare Sports Performance Institute. “If you have a goal, we will help you reach it.”
The Adventist HealthCare Sports Performance Institute had a soft opening at the beginning of 2024. The facility is located in Rockville, across from the Twinbrook metro station on the corner of Bouic and Chapman Avenue.
Robert, who has a master’s degree in performance enhancement and injury prevention, assisted in creating this unique program.
Services offered at the Adventist HealthCare Sports Performance Institute include:
- Individual training – 1-to-1 ratio of client to staff member
- Small group training – Two to four clients to one staff member
- Team training – Five or more clients with a minimum of two staff members per team
The Adventist HealthCare Sports Performance Institute aids athletes who want to enhance athletic performance by:
- Improving their skills
- Increasing their agility, balance, coordination, speed and overall strength
- Strengthening supporting muscle groups and teaching techniques to reduce their risk of injury or re-injury
The Adventist HealthCare Sports Performance Institute Difference
The Adventist HealthCare Sports Performance Institute team is comprised of experts in sports sciences, setting them apart from competitors.
“The Adventist HealthCare Sports Performance Institute has the advantage of leveraging skilled athletic trainers and certified exercise physiologists to design and implement tailored training programs,” said Michelle Babcock, associate vice president of Post-Acute Care Services Operations at Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation. “The staff’s outstanding credentials and education allow us to offer a program that is backed by science and delivered in a manner that accounts for individual characteristics, goals and level of play. In contrast, when an athlete works with a trainer or a sport-specific coach without such an extensive background, they may miss opportunities to develop skills and abilities.”
The experts at the Adventist HealthCare Sports Performance Institute are comfortable working with athletes of all ages to help them achieve their performance goals.
“The approach we take will differ based on the age, abilities and goals of the athlete,” Michelle said. “We enjoy working with adolescents through ‘masters’ athletes.”
All staff members have a background in athletics, ranging from youth sports to collegiate and professional sports.
“We understand the athlete mindset because we have been athletes our whole lives,” Robert said. “This helps us to better connect with the athletes, because we know how they feel and what they are going through.”
The Adventist HealthCare Sports Performance Institute staff has taken their collective clinical knowledge and combined that expertise with their athletic backgrounds to create the curriculum.
“We offer science-based programs, led by skilled professionals, in a professional atmosphere,” Michelle said. “We believe in cross-training for the development of the whole athlete.”
Safe and Effective Performance Enhancement
The Adventist HealthCare Sports Performance Institute team takes their time getting to know each client when designing personalized programs. Along the way, they discuss the athlete’s history, including any prior injuries, as well as goals for the future.
“We perform various forms of biomechanical screenings to help us highlight areas that need improvement,” Robert said.
Powerful Return-to-Sport Programs
In addition to performance enhancement, the Adventist HealthCare Sports Performance Institute team specializes in return-to-sport programs, helping each athlete recover their performance level after formal treatment of an injury is complete. Avoiding future injuries is a key part of their philosophy.
“We understand that not all injuries are preventable,” Robert said. “However, we strive to help our clients be as resilient and prepared as possible.”
“Our staff understands return-from-injury recovery as part of injury prevention,” Michelle said. “We help athletes avoid a primary injury or a re-injury as they jump back into their sport. Ultimately, this helps us better serve our clients and allows the client to reach their goals efficiently and safely.”
When an athlete joins the Adventist HealthCare Sports Performance Institute program, the staff determines the best progression. If the athlete is returning from injury, the Adventist HealthCare Sports Performance Institute team appropriately grades the activities to ensure the athlete is being challenged and continues to improve their speed, agility, strength, vertical jump height or other desired skills.
“We can help athletes through that last step of recovery before returning to their sport in a safe and proven way,” Robert said.
Coordinated Care for All Athletes
Whether clients want to improve their overall athletic abilities or are recovering from an injury, the Adventist HealthCare Sports Performance Institute can prove advantageous.
“What success looks like is different along the athlete’s journey,” Michelle said. “We are there for the athlete at every stage.”
Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation offers the full spectrum of care for athletes with injuries, including sports medicine, physical therapy, occupational therapy and the Adventist HealthCare Sports Performance Institute.
Adding to their repertoire, the Adventist HealthCare Sports Performance Institute offers referral pathways to Sports Medicine and other Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation programs for athletes with injuries. Adventist HealthCare Sports Performance Institute physicians can coordinate care with Adventist HealthCare colleagues directly, facilitating appointments and registration.
“We are secure in knowing that we can refer our clients to physical therapists and physicians in Adventist HealthCare who can provide them with world-class care,” Robert said.
The referral pathway can work both ways. The Adventist HealthCare Sports Performance Institute offers a landing spot for patients who were released from physical medicine and rehabilitation, physical therapy, occupational therapy, or other programs who may still require help in regaining – and even surpassing – their prior athletic ability.
