player safety
Protecting the Young Elbow, Part I
Elbow injuries in young baseball pitchers continue to rise and reduce participation. Second to the shoulder, the elbow is a vulnerable area and prone to injury in the young throwing arm. Unfortunately, many young pitchers... more »
Warming Up to Therapy Options Other than Ice
In a 2011 study, people who iced a torn calf muscle felt just as much leg pain later as those who left their sore leg alone, and they were unable to return to work or... more »
7 Stages of Long-Term Athletic Development
The Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model describes what children, youth, and adults need to be doing at the right time to develop in sport or activity. According to Istvan Balyi, Richard Way, and Colin Higgs,... more »
Tips for Integrating The Snatch and Clean & Jerk
A conversation I frequently have with fellow coaches and colleagues is whether or not weightlifting derivatives are worth the time they take to teach their athletes. While the answer (like most things in sports performance)... more »
Study Suggests Concussions Worsen if Fighters Cut Weight Before Match
Fighters who rapidly cut weight before bouts are at a higher risk of suffering concussions or being misdiagnosed with head trauma, researchers have revealed for the first time. More than 60 percent of athletes in... more »
Study — Athletics Improve Concentration & Quality of Life
Movement on a regular basis keeps kids healthy and fit for school. The benefits of sports have been demonstrated in numerous studies. Now a research team at the TU Munich has found proof of the... more »
Study: Athletes at Higher Risk of Injury Post-Pandemic
Athletes returning to competition in their first season after the COVID-19 pandemic were at higher risk for noncontact and overuse injury, according to at least one presenter from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual... more »
After Failed Pacemaker, Ref’s Life Saved By ATC & AED
A Colorado athletic trainer's quick decision-making saved the life of a referee recently. Bear Creek High School's certified athletic trainer Ashley Cowan came to the aid of referee Harold 'Woody' White during a regular-season meeting... more »
Study: Muscle-Strengthening Activities May Lower Risk of Mortality
According to a recent study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, regular engagement in muscle-strengthening activities, such as resistance training, may lower the risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. Using MEDLINE... more »
Study: NCAA’s COVID-19 Mitigation Tactics Worked
A recent study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates mitigation measures taken during the past two years by NCAA member schools have worked. A group of Stanford researchers conducted the first known... more »
Eye Movements Could Indicate Athletes Who Suffered Concussions
Concussions continue to take up headspace in the minds of sports medicine professionals around the globe. Such is the case for Anthony Kontos, research director of the Sports Medicine Concussion Program at the University of... more »
How to Master the Power Clean
The power clean is an explosive whole body movement used by weightlifters and athletes to develop strength and power. While it began as an essential Olympic weightlifting movement, the power clean has become a staple... more »
Colorado ATC Saves Basketball Referee’s Life With Help of EAP
Licensed athletic trainers like Ashley Cowan prepare for the worst with things like an emergency action plan (EAP), but one can only be so ready for when a worst-case scenario actually arrives. That moment came... more »
Returning to Sports Following COVID-19
Those who've had a tough case of COVID-19 shouldn't hit the gym for basketball or an aerobics class without getting checked out by their doctor first, according to the American College for Sports Medicine. The... more »
When Is The Most Effective Time To Exercise?
Scientists still do not know why the timing of exercise produces different effects. To gain a better understanding, an international team of scientists recently carried out the most comprehensive study to date of exercise performed... more »
Urine Protein Biomarkers Could Be Used To Diagnose Concussions
A concussion can be frustratingly hard to diagnose and track. The injury doesn't show up on routine brain scans, and there is no definitive diagnostic test. It's usually diagnosed based on symptoms, and, in athletes,... more »
UK Researchers & Orthopedic Surgeons Further ACL Injury Studies
Researchers at the University of Kentucky are working on three National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, totaling over $8 million, to better understand one of the most common sports injuries among athletes — anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. The... more »
Asian Mindfulness Practice, Wu-Wei, Shown to Boost Athletic Performance
When athletes experience the state of flow or are in the 'zone' they sometimes describe the feeling as one of effortlessness. Although their exertions may feel effortless, what their bodies achieve in terms of performance... more »
Study: No Ties Between Youth Football & Brain Issues
New research suggests that head trauma and concussions aren't linked to problems with memory, attention, processing speed, or behavior in 9- to 12-year-olds who play youth football for a few seasons. "It is reassuring that we... more »
UD Professor Shares Expertise with ManU Medical Seminar
It's been reported that women soccer players face a greater risk of serious injury when heading the ball than men. The risk for concussion can be so great, it was the focus of a discussion... more »
Study Looks into Long-Term Impact of Ankle Sprains in Youth Sports
According to the results of a recent study published in Foot & Ankle International, the official journal of the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society, people who suffered an ankle sprain while playing youth sports... more »
NFL, UW Team Up to Research Sports-Related Concussions
The NFL partnered with researchers at the University of Wisconsin to learn more about why sport-related concussions happen, and what they can do to prevent them, according to a report from WEAU.com. UW offensive/defensive lineman... more »
Identifying Children at Risk for Post-Concussion Symptoms
Researchers at the University at Buffalo Concussion Management Clinic in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences have developed a decision rule using a brief, standardized physical exam for sport-related concussive brain injuries in children and adolescents that... more »
Study: Playing Football Longer Leads to More Brain Lesions
Repetitive head hits are common in football, and they're also linked to debilitating brain injuries. But rendering a definitive diagnosis typically means waiting for autopsy results after the player has died. Now, a new study... more »
Univ. of Pittsburgh ATC Donating Kidney to Colleague’s Child
A University of Pittsburgh athletic trainer is donating her kidney to save the life of a colleague's four-year-old son. Molly Trott has worked with the Panthers since 2018, primarily with the track and field program. Mary... more »
Light Aerobic Exercise May Help Concussion Recovery Times
According to a recent study, teen athletes recover from concussions sooner by incorporating light aerobic exercise rather than resting in a dark room. Instead of so-called "cocoon therapy," new research-supported therapy has young concussion patients... more »
The Foundation for the Future Begins in the Weight Room
Winning starts in the weight room. We’ve all heard that from the mouth of a sports coach at one time or another. And, sure, there’s truth to that on the field. But once the clock... more »
Q&A with Notre Dame Director of Sports Nutrition Matt Frakes
After a career of teaching healthy eating habits and cooking skills to young athletes where he's worked, Matt Frakes is bringing his experience in sports nutrition to Notre Dame. Recently hired as the Fighting Irish's... more »
NINDS Gives $10M for Youth Concussion Research
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders (and Stroke (NINDS) has awarded a $10-million grant to the Four Corners Youth Consortium, a group of academic medical centers studying concussions in school-aged children. Led by the UCLA... more »
Q&A with Andrea Wieland, Penn’s Sports Performance Associate Director
Dr. Andrea Wieland, an experienced professional with more than two decades of training athletes to peak physical and mental performance, is in her third year as Associate Athletic Director for Sports Performance. In her position,... more »
