WhAT we DO
At YAD, we take Athlete Development, at any level, very seriously.
The science and practice of developing young athletes should not be viewed as separate disciplines. Rather, they are critical and complementary elements of the long-term athletic development (LTAD) process.
Our curriculum and movement competency targets are highly refined to each age group, gender and level of physical development.
Our coaches will provide feedback & educational materials throughout the programs to parents & referring sport coaches outlining our concrete learning objectives in motor skill acquisition.
We are here to develop young athletes, not simply make them ‘tired and sweaty.’
Every athlete has potential to grow and improve and our job is to help them.
No other local company can compete with our level of education, domain expertise and practical experience, which is absolutely mandatory when working with this special population.
Youth are not mini-adults. They have unique physiological and psychological needs and we are at their service.
Meet the YAD Team
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Coach Carmen Bott
Director of YAD Coach Development
Hi fellow parents. I am a Co-founder of YAD and it’s always been my goal to offer top development to my athletes. I am an experienced performance coach - meaning I have extensive training in physical education, sport science, coaching and mental performance.
I also know I cannot do this alone and I have assembled a very powerful team of specialists. I value the unique and rare combination of practitioner - one that can think like a scientist, but one that can practice like a ‘coach.’
Those providing guidance to children and youth must be adequately trained - As the director of Coach Development for YAD & a lecturer at Simon Fraser University in BPK (Biomedical Physiology & Kinesiology), you have my word, that this team is highly skilled and very competent at what they do and have the track record to show it.
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Coach Curtis Armstrong
Director of Parent and Athlete Relations
Hi everyone. I’m also a co-founder of YAD. I’ll share my philosophy: I always meet the athletes where they are at as a coach. Understanding who they are and what motivates them provides the foundation I operate from. I believe instilling in them that their opinion matters and that they matter, not just as an athlete but as a person first and foremost is critical as this is so often overlooked.
Once they know this, creating an environment where failure and taking chances is welcomed and embraced is easy. From there I simply guide their focus towards unlocking their potential, through drills that challenge them and expose their areas of improvement pushing them further each session.
“The sky is truly the limit.”
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Robbi Basran (Physiotherapist)
Director of Sports Medicine
Hi everyone, I am a physiotherapist in the Tri-cities. I have always been extremely active and participated in numerous sports growing up. My passion has always been soccer and I won a national championship with
Capilano University Men’s Soccer. I am also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and thus recognize the importance of optimal strength and movement patterns in the mitigation of future injuries.I am part of this team to assist in orthopedic evaluations, corrective exercise & individualized service. My treatment philosophy involves a combination of manual therapy, exercise and movement re-education to restore full, pain-free function. I focus on bridging the gap between rehabilitation and return to sport. Injury risk mitigation and rehab are all parts of being an athlete and I am here to educate on these aspects at YAD.
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Coach Kyle Huish
YAD Strength & Conditioning Coach
Hi everyone! I’m a coach with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Simon Fraser University, where I specialized in Active Health and Rehabilitation. I had the privilege of playing varsity football at both SFU and York University, which helped to shape my understanding of athletic development, teamwork, and resilience.
With years of experience in both playing and coaching across football, soccer, hockey, rugby, and wrestling, I’ve come to appreciate the unique demands of each sport and the importance of meeting every athlete where they’re at in their journey.
My coaching style is all about growth, connection, and showing up consistently. I want athletes to feel like they can show up as themselves, put in the work, and push their limits without fear of messing up. I’m here to help them build real confidence, not just in their sport, but in how they carry themselves in life. -
Coach Garrett Hilton
YAD Strength & Conditioning Coach
Hi everyone! I’m a coach with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Simon Fraser University, where I focused on Active Health and Rehabilitation, I grew up immersed in sports, eventually specializing in hockey. I was fortunate to play college hockey with Selkirk college And SFU developing a greater understanding in how movement and technique is key to unlocking full potential as athletes.
My coaching philosophy is rooted in movement efficiency, strength development, and long-term athlete growth. I believe that strength is for everyone and that mastering movement patterns is the key to unlocking performance, confidence, and injury resilience.
With a hands on, science based approach, I work to create an environment where athletes feel supported, challenged, and empowered to push their limits. My goal is to give every athlete the tools they need to move well, compete hard, and carry themselves with confidence both in sport and in life.
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Coach Luca Cavasin
YAD Strength & Conditioning Coach
Hi everyone! I’m currently pursuing my Bachelor of Science majoring in Kinesiology at Simon Fraser University. I’m proud to bring almost a decade of experience in coaching, officiating, and mentoring young athletes to my role with YAD. My background combines sports science, youth leadership, and athletic training with a deep belief that every athlete deserves to be seen, heard, and developed as a whole person. I’ve been fortunate to coach, mentor, and play hockey, soccer, lacrosse and ball hockey, as well as intern with SFU’s Strength & Conditioning team, learning what it takes to challenge elite athletes while still nurturing the fundamentals of effort, attitude, and resilience. My goal is to create an environment where young athletes feel supported, safe to take risks, and excited to grow.
OUR PILLARS
Movement Competency + Adaptability = Foundation.
Movement competency is the ability to perform movement tasks efficiently and consistently, understanding how the body moves in space. Fundamental movement patterns and motor skills need to be developed with a level of competency before load and speed are added. All athletes want speed and power - First, we learn to move well and be adaptable. Movement adaptability is the ability to build on a given movement/motor skill, and manipulate the plane, velocity, load and stability without losing quality or consistency of the movement.
Resilience
At ‘YAD’ our focus around resiliency is holistic. First, the body must be able to withstand the rigors of sport and must be conditioned to tolerate the demands. This is tissue resiliency. Second, we believe exposing athletes early on to receiving and managing feedback help build mental resiliency. This heightens self-awareness and accountability and other intangible skills like emotional regulation which are important not only in sport, but in a young athlete’s life. Our coaches combine the physical and mental aspects to achieve a truly balanced resilient mind-body spirit.
Learner Mindset
Athletes in our programs will be strongly encouraged to be ‘daily learners.’ They will be directed to focus on the ‘process’ and seeking mastery. Sport psychology research illustrates this mindset creates higher levels of intrinsic motivation. Our coaches set a high bar because we believe that everyone can rise to that level. We hold our participants and ourselves to a high standard. Growth in all aspects cannot occur without exposure to stress, overcoming adversity as an individual, or as a group; this is a vital part of life and will be a staple of our programing. Research shows us that embracing the learning process and comprehension instead of comparison to peers is linked to better performance.
Contact us
Interested in our programs and want us to drum up a solution for your team, club or association? This is what we do and we would love to have a discovery session with you, so please fill out this contact us form!