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Sports

Coaches Are More Aware Of Sports Injuries Today

Sports medicine and coaches have a stronger connection.

The days when a football player comes off the field for a few plays because he had his “bell rung” and is told to get back in there, the days when a field hockey or lacrosse player suffers a laceration and is told to rub some dirt on it and hit the field again are over—way over. 

High school coaches are far more aware of injuries, especially concussions, dehydration and anterior cruciate ligament tears today than even as recent as 10 years ago.

Science and medicine is more advanced in how and why a high school athlete gets injured, and greater knowledge has trickled down from professional sports to the younger and high school level  coach, who is more cognizant when a player comes limping off the field. 

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“The big thing as recent as four or five years ago is the baseline concussion testing, which gives our trainers a gauge of where a player is prior to a concussion,” said Radnor football coach Tom Ryan, who played at West Chester in the early-1990s. “It’s something everyone is aware of from the principal to the athletic director, and the coaching staff of every team, too. The days of getting your bell rung and practicing through it are gone, long gone, because of the current research that’s out."

“I can remember more than once getting diagnosed with a concussion on a Tuesday and playing in a game on a Saturday. That day is gone and it won’t be back," Ryan said. "The big thing is that there is more knowledge today, and awareness with from student-athletes and their parents, too. It’s the most talked about topic in the transition from eighth grade to high school. It’s something everyone is aware of not just in football, but in all sports.”

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Still, it’s important that sports medicine and coaches maintain a strong link. Injuries can sometimes go undetected, especially sports injuries. Athletes are liable to get hurt at any age, but a group of doctors and an organization called Safe Kids, sponsored by Johnson & Johnson and DePuy Mitek, a leading developer and manufacturer of orthopedic sports medicine products soft tissue repair devices, want to make sure parents and coaches are aware of the preventive measures available. 

Safe Kids made a presentation at recently addressing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in girls, concussions and dehydration. 

“The main emphasis for the program is about preventing injuries that can be avoided, and studies show that 50-percent of injuries with children, and I’m talking between the ages of seven-to-18, can be avoided,” said Dr. Kevin Freedman, of Orthopedic Specialists in Bryan Mawr. “Our main focus is stressing a way to prevent injuries, like overuse and how to limit pitch counts in baseball, ACL injury prevention in female athletes and concussions. 

“I think what is essential in all of these areas is rest. Some parents have their children playing on three soccer teams at once. Overuse like that doesn’t allow proper rest, and consequently, that could lead to injuries," he said.

Freedman presented a power-point presentation that explored how female athletes jump and land properly. Concussions in teenaged athletes are far more susceptible to second and third concussions after the initial concussion. 

“Parents need to understand that there is a small percentage of young athletes that go on to play professionally, and once they realize that, parents and coaches will have a better understanding how to train and work on preventive measures,” he said.

“Parents and coaches that push with pro ideas, and they need to take the time and see the signs of concussions.” 

Signs can be very subtle, Freedman pointed out, and it’s something coaches need to be aware of, like headaches, slurred speech and unresolved vomiting. With ACL injuries, girls have to be aware how they land. Statistics show that two-to-10 female athletes risk torn ACL injuries. ACL tears occur 70-percent of the time from non-contact, and 50-percent occur in all athletes between the ages of 15-to-25. But they are more prevalent in female athletes based partly on anatomical makeup and neurological factor.  

But the ACL injuries can be prevented through something called the PEP program, which can be viewed on aclprevent.com. It shows proper landing techniques, and shows proper ways to warmup. 

“ACL prevention is more complex than just strengthening, it’s helpful how to land, which is how many ACL injuries occur in female athletes,” Freedman said. “The general message is to get adequate rest, and don’t risk making a mild injury a major injury.”

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