Actually in most situations it is quite simple, the cause
and the prevention are one and the same. It is either something you are doing
or it is something you are not doing. Let me give you an example. The other day
I was visiting with a friend of mine who is a coach with a professional
baseball organization. This past season in the minor leagues (season just
ended) they had a significant increase in hamstring and groin pulls. An administrative
decision was made to eliminate all running during the season so the players
would not “get tired” due to the length of the season. The only sprinting they
did was three or four sprints as part of pregame warm-up. The logic was to keep
them fresh and therefore they would not get hurt. WRONG, without preparation for the running demands
of the game injuries actually increased, the planned prevention was actually
the cause. The moral of the story is to look closely at what you are doing and
what you are not doing. Prepare for the demands of the game. The best injury prevention program is a good sound comprehensive training program that stresses all components of athletic fitness. It must be continued in-season, to do a program just in the off season is not enough. The law of reversibility is relentless, use it or lose it. Doing little or nothing in-season will negate most if not all the gains made in the off-season. Prepare adptable athletes and the chance of injury is minimal. Keep the big picture in mind.
2 Comments
Scott Moody
From a youth perspective…I suppose the early specialization (emphasis on skill development over athletic development at an early age) has set the stage for many of these injuries. Overuse…? Or underdeveloped? Until we, as a society, can get back to using free play to build the broad foundation of athleticism, there will always be weak or underdeveloped areas. The general rule of thumb seems to be centered around “recovery” and “time off” to avoid injuries instead of development and progression of athleticism. The big picture needs to focus on year round athleticism and seasonal skill development. Until we can accept that, we are going to continue to see the rise of injuries.
Great points Vern.
Jodi Murphy
“Doing little or nothing in-season will negate most if not all the gains made in the off-season”
A good point, but there needs to be a balance. You want to push athletes throughout the season but not so hard and so fast that they hurt themselves. On the flip side, if you don’t push enough they flat line, or even start sliding backwards.