SPORTS MASSAGE Sports massage is designed to enhance athletic performance and recovery. There are three contexts in which sports massage can be useful to an athlete: pre-event, post-event, and injury treatment. Pre-event massage is delivered at the performance site, usually with the athlete fully clothed. Fast-paced and stimulating, it helps to establish blood flow and to warm up muscles. During the massage, the athlete generally focuses on visualizing the upcoming event. Post-event massage is also delivered on site, through the clothes. The intent here is to calm the nervous system and begin the process of flushing toxins and waste products out of the body. Post-event massage can reduce recovery time, enabling an athlete to resume training much sooner than rest alone would allow. injury treatment IS when an athlete sustains an injury, skillful massage therapy can often speed and improve the quality of healing. In all types of Sports Massage, the therapist has specific aims in mind, and we focus on the individual needs of the athlete. With the ever growing number of people taking part in sports, combined with the increasing competitiveness and intensity of physical exercise, sports massage is a skill which may aid recovery and enhance performance. Athletes who are looking to improve performance and increase their competitive edge do so by adopting a training schedule to enhance their skill, strength, stamina, suppleness and speed.