By Sam Cortes, Communications Coordinator

 

What is Front of the Pack?

The Manitoba Games are situated along the Manitoba Performance Pathway. For some athletes, it is the starting point, and for others, it is a continuation of their journey toward sporting excellence.

Through the Manitoba High-Performance Plan, More Athletes with a Better Shot at a Younger Age, we’re delivering our Front of the Pack testing program at the Manitoba Games, thanks to support from Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries. It is a talent identification/talent transfer program aimed at athletes aged 12-16 in order to close developmental gaps and create awareness of sports with the highest potential/ceiling.

Manitoba is poised to boost the number of athletes qualifying for national teams, and Sport Manitoba and Canadian Sport Centre Manitoba are spearheading a comprehensive plan to transform our province into a leader in athlete development. 

One of the way’s we’re doing that is to spot and nurture talent (like you!) at an earlier stage.

 

What Tests Will Athletes Do?

Under the guidance of Sport Manitoba’s Performance Specialists, athletes will go through a series of performance tests, such as:

  • 30m Sprint
  • Pro Agility 
  • Push-Ups
  • Vertical Jump
  • Broad Jump
  • Grip Strength
  • Chin-Ups*
  • Beep Test*

*Subject to change 

 

When and Where?

The combine will run in three stages in Dauphin on Wednesday, August 14:

  • STAGE ONE: Track/field at the DRCSS (Games’ athletics venue) – Open to Manitoba Games athletes competing in Phase 1 of the Games 
    • 1st Wave – 10:00am
    • 2nd Wave – 11:00am 
  • STAGE TWO: Track/field at the DRCSS (Games’ athletics venue) – Open to Manitoba Games athletes competing in Phase 2 of the Games
    • 1st Wave – 2:00pm
    • 2nd Wave – 3:00pm
    • 3rd Wave – 4:00pm 
  • STAGE THREE: Arena at the CUP (Games’ volleyball venue) *registration required visit sportmanitoba.ca/manitoba-games/dauphin2024/ – Open to local athletes unaffiliated with the Manitoba Games 
    • 1st Wave – 7:00pm
    • 2nd Wave – 8:00pm

NOTE: morning and afternoon sessions are weather dependent.

 

Why Participate?
  1. Establish Your Starting Point: It gives you a clear baseline to see where you are and where you want to improve as you train.
  2. Identify Your Strengths: It helps identify your talents, allowing you to discover new strengths that could be useful in other sports as well.
  3. Gain Valuable Experience: It offers important exposure and preparation for future environments, aligning with our province’s high-performance plan to set you up for success from the beginning.

 

Who Can Participate?

The sessions are open to Manitoba Games athletes and local athletes unaffiliated with the Manitoba Games who are between the ages of 12-16. Note you must register for the community session if you are not a Manitoba Games participant.