I am hearing more and more reports from colleagues in who are ATC’s and physical therapist about training caused injuries. Some of the stories are frankly borderline negligent. This is something that really concerns me, because it is a negative reflection on all of us in the field. Improper workout design, inappropriate exercise selection and failure to communicate with the coaches is inexcusable. The most recent incident I heard of occurred in Volleyball at a Major DI school. The Strength coach had his own agenda. He was not listening the coaches, had no regard for the demands of practice and the competition schedule. The result was a rash of shoulder injuries. At the same school, two days before the start of two a day practices the Football players were tested on 1RM squats and the punter hurt his back and was unable to practice for five days. Why test in that close a proximity to two a days and why max test a punter? These are the kind of things I keep hearing over and over. I know you have to be careful when you paint with a broad brush stroke and sound like you are pointing fingers, that are not my intention. My intention is to call attention to a growing problem. We must more clearly define the field. We need to do a better job training athletic development coaches. More certifications are not the answer – you can’t go to the people who created the problem for a solution to the problem. We must have hands on training of coaches. Strength coaches need to become athletic development coaches and get out of the weight room, which is only one piece of the puzzle. Sure it is a big piece of the puzzle in certain sports and at certain times of the training year. We must be involved with all aspects of the athlete’s physical development.
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