About

Yard Athlete Development is an elite training program catering to high level athletes from various sporting backgrounds and experience levels. Specializing in strength training, power development, mobility, & energy system training, our coaching staff have over 30 years of combined experience working with amateur, professional and international level athletes. Our state of the art facility provides endless possibilities to attain the training objectives of each individual athlete.

Coaching Staff

Ilan Cumberbirch

Ilan Cumberbirch
OWNER, BKIN, CSCS

Yard Athlete Development was founded in 2015 by Ilan Cumberbirch. Ilan previously owned Factory Hockey Player Development, working with hockey players from the NHL to youth ranks, both on and off-ice. Coming from a sporting background playing professional hockey, and collegiate rugby, Ilan understands first hand the rigours and demands of sport, both from a physical and mental standpoint.

Ilan completed his Bachelors of Kinesiology from the University of British Columbia in 2014, then went on to play professional hockey in The Netherlands while obtaining his Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist designation. Ilan recognizes that no athletes, sports or training days are the same. Focusing on each athlete’s ability to perform to their highest ability, Ilan ensures that the specific needs and demands of each athlete are met; without sacrificing performance in the competitive arena.

Designing and implementing periodized training systems with focuses on mobility, strength, power, speed and/or endurance training utilizing a broad range of training methodologies; Ilan is able to exceed your training objectives.

Sam Shaw

Sam Shaw
ASSISTANT MANAGER, BKIN, CSCS

Sam has worked as a Strength and Conditioning coach with Yard Athlete Development since its inauguration in 2015. During this time Sam has had the opportunity to work with youth, junior, collegiate and professional athletes. Coming from an athletic background as a former national and varsity team volleyball player, Sam has a thorough understanding of how to maximize performance both from a programming and coaching
standpoint.

Sam completed his Bachelors of Kinesiology from the University of British Columbia in 2015 and was given the opportunity to work with the varsity strength and conditioning program during that time. Following graduation, Sam completed his CSCS through the National Strength and Conditioning Association and began working as a strength and conditioning coach with Factory Hockey Player Development. This exposure to professional and aspiring athletes allowed Sam to better understand the demands of sport and the extent to which effective programming can impact their performance. 
 
In the present day, Sam continues to work with a diverse range of athletes and assists with programming at Yard Athlete Development. By focusing on your specific goals and
implementing individualized training protocols that work to develop mobility, strength, power, speed and/or endurance training; Sam is able to reach your training goals.

Jeff Anderson

Jeff Anderson
STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACH, BA, DPLM, CSCS, PN1

Jeff has been a personal trainer for over 8 years now, having trained a wide demographic of individuals from his time in Toronto, Ontario. Having previously earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2014, a Fitness and Health Promotion diploma in 2016, and in recent years, earned his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification. He has shifted more of his focus to training athletes, or those individuals with more athletic/performance pursuits in their training. Jeff has also worked with a wide variety of athletes ranging from youth, semi-pro to masters-level athletes, in sports ranging from ice hockey, football, basketball, tennis, basketball, football, etc. Jeff is currently an intern at Simon Fraser University as a Strength and Conditioning coach, where he assists with programming and coaching their varsity sports teams.


Jeff grew up an athlete, playing a multitude of different sports. He is able to take those experiences and apply them to his coaching, while combining those with the scientific principles of strength and conditioning. A big belief of Jeff’s is an athlete's best ability is their availability. Once a robust foundation is established, then further building an athlete's physical capabilities via strength, power, speed, agility, endurance, etc., can be maximized to best suit the athlete’s sport and needs. If you want to elevate yourself to the next level, Jeff will help you get there.

What

Yard Athlete Development offers a range of services including but not limited to:

  • Customized Strength & Conditioning Sessions
  • Speed & Power Development Training
  • Semi Private Group Training
  • Team Training Sessions
  • Customized Training Program Design

Contact

For more information about our current offerings and how we can help you in attaining your athletic ambitions:

Learn More

Testimonials

I had the opportunity and benefit to train with Ilan for a few summers during my playing career. I found incredible results and growth in my physical performance from the weight training sessions to SAQ and sprint workouts that He put me through.

Ilan’s ability to change up and create new individualized daily workouts along with his energy and enthusiasm made coming to the gym fun.

I would recommend Ilan to anyone from professional athlete to weekend warrior or anyone looking to get a good sweat.

Manny Malhotra
NHL

Thanks Ilan for all the training before the bubble. I had a great experience working with you and your team before the bubble playoffs in 2020. I got stronger and felt great on the ice during the playoffs. Thanks again bro.

Chris Tanev
NHL

I began training at The Yard during the off-season with Ilan, Nick and Matt. They created a great personal development program specifically to improve my power and speed.

After a couple of weeks of training I felt huge differences on the pitch. There is a great atmosphere in the gym and each and every training is as enjoyable as it is beneficial to performance.

Would highly recommend any athlete looking to take the next step to come visit The Yard!

Ryan Gauld
Vancouver Whitecaps

I have worked with Ilan for over 9 years, both as a business partner and as an athlete. Ilan has done an outstanding job developing his training knowledge and building comprehensive programs to work with a range of athletes, from young amateurs to NHL professionals. His off-season programs are very detailed and are broken down into four major phases, each of which are of equal importance. He can adapt any of his programs to each athlete’s age, development level, and injury history. For the professional athletes, he builds a strong base of strength and functional movement first and then adds a strength and power phase. These elements allow them to build their athletic ability and also to handle the intense demands of their season.

Ilan has built a state of the art facility for Yard Athletics. Athletes have access to the best equipment available today and are surrounded by a passionate and knowledgeable staff of trainers. Yard has an energy level that is unmatched in Vancouver and I would recommend it to any current athlete.

Jeff Tambellini
The experience was refreshing, the exercises were functional and the program was suited to what we needed. The atmosphere was cool because people were there to work.  Everyone was very welcoming and introduced themselves right away. Definitely, a place I wanna be back at.
Alex Kannok-Leipert
Rugby Canada

Training at The Yard has been hugely beneficial during my rugby off-season in order to make gains to my strength/power and properly prepare for next year. The gym is super well-equipped for all types of training and there’s always great energy in there (+ sweet merch). Couldn’t recommend a better place to get a sweat on.

Lucky to have found this high quality space to train with such friendly and professional staff. Has everything I need to push me forward in my international rugby career. Always look forward to getting a session in at the Yard!

Lucas Rumball & Ben Lesage
Rugby Canada