Coaches and sports injury
Issue: Volume 28 Number 4
Should coaches be concerned about sports injury? Can coaches have any impact on the rates of injury in their particular sport?
The impact of injury on performance is obvious: injury invariably means non-participation or impaired performance. The injury records from the Australian Football League (AFL) show that over the last 20 years the Premiership has usually been won by the team with the lowest, or one of the lowest, injury counts. Grant Hackett was a ‘Monty’ for a hatful of gold medals at the upcoming Commonwealth Games, but, thanks to injury, he won’t be competing.
Sports injury can be frustrating in more ways than one. From the perspective of Sports Medicine Australia (SMA), that frustration is often based on what we perceive as an acceptance of or refusal to face the consequences of sports injury. So much injury in sport can be prevented or mitigated — it just needs a bit more effort and know how.
But can coaches have an impact? Research papers presented at the Fourth National Sports Injury Prevention Conference (Melbourne, 15–16 October 2005) give insights. For example, a paper from the University of Ballarat specifically cited that coaches’ attitudes to injury prevention directly affects players’ attitudes and beliefs on the subject of sports injury prevention (Otago et al. 2005). Also, parents see trained coaches as ‘very important in reducing injury risk in sport’ (Otago et al. 2005). In fact according to this paper, when deciding appropriate sports for their children, parents viewed trained coaches as more important in injury prevention than rule modifications.
Obviously, if coaches are going to have an impact on injury prevention they need to know something about the topic. While injury prevention is included in coaching courses, SMA believes that coaches should also seriously consider doing a sports trainer qualification — ideally Level One, or at least sports first aid. There are many instances in which a coach is working without the benefit of a trainer but, more importantly, the courses and the subsequent contact with SMA members provide a coach with a great deal of useful information in regard to injury prevention. Go to www.sma.org.au for information about courses in your state.
As the famous TV ad says: ‘oils ain’t oils’ and when it comes to treating sports injuries ‘doctors ain’t doctors’ and ‘physios ain’t physios’. SMA member sports physicians, sports doctors and sports physios have a greater level of knowledge than their non-specialised counterparts and this usually means faster recovery and better advice on rehabilitation for your athletes.
SMA conferences and workshops also provide the latest information (and in many cases) can be attended by non-members. Delegates attending the National Sports Injury Prevention Conference received information as diverse as:
- rugby — highest injury incidence occurs during the tackle (and to both parties) but also strategies for reducing the incidence (McIntosh et al. 2005)
- AFL — a major causal factor in ankle ligament injuries is low pre-season balance ability. How many AFL coaches have tested for balance in their pre-season training: and know what exercises to prescribe to improve it? (Hrysomallis et al. 2005)
- hamstring injury — what are the optimum conditions on return to play and prevention of recurrence? (Warren et al. 2005)
- cricket — what factors are the main cause of adolescent fast bowler injury (high number of deliveries bowled, poor technique and shortened warm up). (Carter et al. 2005).
These conferences and workshops also reinforce lessons learned from past research, such as the importance of greater care against injury during the pre-season, when an athlete is returning from injury, and with older athletes (SMA 2001).
Probably the most important thing to consider is that you can make a difference. Research shows that coached players display more injury prevention strategies than players without a coach, and that the coach is the major influence on players taking injury prevention measures (Otago et al. 2005). The knowledge is there — it’s up to you to access it and use it.
The SMA web site at www.sma.org.au also has a great deal of basic information on sports injury (including items that can be downloaded).
References
Bennett et al. 2005, ‘Perceptions of injury prevention in community level netball and Australian Rules football players’, Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 8(4) (Supplement).
Carter et al. 2005, ‘Adolescent fast bowling injuries in club cricket’, Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 8(4) (Supplement).
Hrysomallis et al. 2005, ‘Low preseason balance ability is a risk factor for ankle ligament injuries for elite Australian footballers,’ Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 8(4) (Supplement).
Otago et al. 2005, ‘Parental perceptions of sport injury’, Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 8(4) (Supplement).
Otago et al. 2005, ‘The risk management knowledge of basketball coaches and their influence on the injury prevention strategies of their players,’ Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 8(4) (Supplement).
McIntosh et al. 2005, ‘Injury risks in rugby union’, Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 8(4) (Supplement).
Sports Medicine Australia 2001, Western Australian Sports Injury Study, SMA.
Warren et al. 2005, ‘Predictors of return to play following hamstring strain in elite Australian football players’, Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 8(4) (Supplement).
