Soccer experience inspired athletic therapy career

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This article was published 25/09/2019 (2483 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

William Sadonick-Carriere couldn’t have imagined how his time as a college athlete would lead to a new career.

The new athletic therapist for the Brandon Wheat Kings was playing soccer with the Keyano College Huskies for four years in Fort McMurray, Alta.

“Playing soccer in college, I was not the most talented athlete,” Sadonick-Carriere said. “I found I had to work harder and take care of myself to keep up with the more talented players. I enjoyed that and wanted to pass it on to people. It’s always fun to be around a team and the competitiveness.”

The 27-year-old moved with his family to Swan River from Winnipeg when he was in Grade 3. After graduating from Swan Valley Regional Secondary School, he headed out to Keyano College for four years, and eventually earned his Bachelor of Science degree in athletic therapy at the University of Winnipeg.

He had actually committed to play with the Wesmen men’s soccer team, but it was axed before he arrived.

Sadonick-Carriere spent a year in a student position with the American Hockey League’s Manitoba Moose, and later did some work with them as a volunteer. In the summers, he helped out the Winnipeg FC Lions soccer team, one of the top clubs in the province, and with the St. Boniface Riels in the Manitoba Major Junior Football League.

He said Brandon was a great fit.

“Honestly, it was nearby,” Sadonick-Carriere said. “The position was sent to me by my mentors at the Moose and any chance to work with this level of athletes, I was ready to jump at. I think at the WHL level helping these guys make the next step forward is a really rewarding process.”

He’s following in some big footsteps.

Roman (RJ) Kaszczij spent a year with the Wheat Kings, before being recruited as head athletic therapist for the American Hockey League’s Utica Comets.

Chris Trivieri spent two seasons with the team from July 2016 to July 2018, and now serves as head athletic therapist and strength coach with the Ontario Hockey League’s Niagara IceDogs.

Before that, Josh Guenther held the job from 2013 to 2016, and now works at Innovative Sports Medicine in Calgary.

“It was a big learning curve,” Sadonick-Carriere admitted. “You go from being the student, always asking for clearance and learning things and you see the outside of it, but once you’re in charge of it all, there’s really no time to breathe and second-guess yourself. You kind of have to do, and make you’re doing the best that you can.”

General manager Darren Ritchie said Sadonick-Carriere received great references, and quickly lived up to them as a hard worker who is well prepared. He added it’s not an easy profession.

“It’s a real important job,” Ritchie said. “It’s long days. He’s here at 7 (a.m.) and is probably one of the last guys to leave too so it’s long days. He has to have our guys prepared for workouts, treatments, make sure that they’re feeling good and also have a good relationship with those guys and make sure he’s there for all situations.”

Sadonick-Carriere said there aren’t a lot of surprises for him because he was in the Moose dressing room, although instead of men, he’s working mostly with teenagers now.

Regardless, he doesn’t mind the long hours.

“The love keeps you going,” Sadonick-Carriere said. “There are no short days in this league or in this profession. A lot of it is just a passion for what you do.”

But the hours don’t end at the rink. The field of sports science is constantly evolving, and it’s key for him to stay up with the latest research and theories.

“Things will come and go,” Sadonick-Carriere said. “For a while, everyone was saying ice everything, and then it will be heat everything so you have to make sure that you’re always learning and figuring out what’s coming because sometimes athletes will know it before me. Part of taking care of them is taking care of their mental side and letting them know that they have all the tools available to them.”

In what’s already been a busy career, has also received a diploma in fitness leadership and movement, and has additional experience with the University of Winnipeg Athletic Therapy Centre, Evolution Hockey, the Canadian Sport Centre Manitoba and Wesmen wrestling team.

Sadonick-Carriere is joined behind the scenes by equipment manager Scott Hlady.

He has been helped along by the WHL’s fraternity of athletic therapists, who are quick to lend a hand to each other as needed.

“There’s been a lot of learning with it, but luckily I was pointed to a couple of people to reach out to in the league and they’ve really helped me,” Sadonick-Carriere said. “Speaking to other therapists, they make sure that you have everything you need to succeed and take care of your team.”

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