Rick Menick
NAME:
Rick Menick
POSITION:
Physiotherapy and Performance Consultant
MY DREAM:
Helping young athletes to prevent, treat and recover from injuries, working with a team of specialists and raising the level of health care
EXPERTISE:
Analysis medical staff, medical department design, physiotherapy
BACKGROUND:
Rick offers an extensive service record in elite sports. With more than 20 years of experience, including two Olympic Games and several world championships, he attended and treated numerous top athletes such as Kenenisa Bekele, Denise Lewis, Andre Casey, Bram Som and Thomas Dvorcak.
In 2011 he started working for AFC Ajax and became responsible for the implementation of the medical dimension of the Plan Cruyff, which was a part of the Performance department. As Manager Performance Support, he reformed the medical staff, designed and implemented the brand new medical facilities as well as the organisational structure. This reform was one of the drivers behind the strong decline of (long-lasting) injuries, in both the academy and the first team. Currently, Rick is co-owner of Beter Saendelft. This new (para)medical centre embodies his long-cherished desire to raise the level of sportmedical healthcare in the Noord-Holland region and offer such services at one central location. In concert with a team of sports doctors, physiotherapists, movement scientists, sports massagists and acupuncturists, Rick and his new sport healthcare centre now offer decades of experience and expertise.