There is a reason why young athletes are required to have a sports physical before they are cleared to compete. The last thing that any parent wants to see is their child suffer devastating sports injuries like a torn ACL or Achilles tendon. Not only does something like that keep them off the field and ruin their season, but it can impact the rest of their life.
We want to make sure this never happens to any young athlete. Our team offers pre-sport assessments for student-athletes, from 5th grade through high school age. During these evaluations, we’ll look for joint instability, muscle imbalances, compensatory weakness, and other issues that can lead to risk of sports injuries.
We like to do these about six weeks before their sport is going to begin. This allows for enough time to make corrections to any deficiencies that are discovered during the assessment. For example, when baseball season is six weeks away, it is the perfect time to bring your baseball player in so we can assess their shoulders (among other things) for issues that could pop up when they throw the ball. Testing and assessment is sport specific.
How Does It Work?
We prefer that the athlete come wearing shorts so we are able to get a good look at their knees to assess their biomechanics appropriately. Otherwise, they should be wearing some loose-fitting clothes so they can move easily and a good pair of athletic shoes as they will be asked to run, jump, and squat.
When a student-athlete comes in for a pre-sport assessment, we’ll put them through a series of tests. They’ll do some jumping and running. The rest of the assessment will depend on their age, sport, and ability. It typically takes 30-45 minutes. Athletes can come in together and do it as a group too. That is a way to make it more fun and give everyone a little more accountability.
The result is that you’ll have a picture of what current and future issues could pop up for the athlete and the work required to prevent them from becoming a problem. Here are a couple of reviews from our Facebook page.
“My daughter is on her second session of sports agility training! She is more confident, stronger, faster, and preventing injury! She has a great time and looks forward to it! Highly recommended!” — A. Harris
“My daughter Maelee did sports agility training with Jote this summer, she said he was encouraging and fun to work with! I was super impressed to see where she started with her agility and strength from the beginning to the end. Jote gives you a progress report proving awesome results! This was a great program to use while Maelee was between sports to keep her body in shape and skills sharp! Thanks, Jote!”
How Is This Different Than A Physical?
In a sports physical, a doctor will determine whether or not it is safe for the athlete to participate in their specific sport. During the exam, they’ll look at things like previous sports injuries, current health issues, and family medical history. They can also do a screening for illnesses like asthma, diabetes, allergies, and others.
This, of course, is something that should be done for all student-athletes. However, it may not assess biomechanics and the risk of injury. There are structural issues that should be considered before beginning a season. We’re talking about things like muscles, ligaments, and joints.
Finally, we believe that it is important to be proactive instead of reactive when it comes to these exams. Instead of just looking at the athlete’s current symptoms, you need to determine the likelihood of and ways to prevent any major injury. This will help keep them on the court or field.
Avoid Suffering From A Preventable Injury
When your season is just around the corner, come see us for a pre-sport assessment to reduce the risk of sports injuries. These exams are available for all athletes, in any sport. Help your student-athlete reduce injury risk, train better, play better, and feel less pain. Give us a call today to learn more or schedule an appointment.