According to Suki, athlete’s need to earn the right to progress through a programme by following all aspects of the rehabilitation. Just like a pyramid needs strong layers underneath so too does a rehab programme, one part on its own is not a sufficient foundation to build on.
Consistency and planning are key tools for a strength and conditioning coaching team.
Coaches involved in clubs for a long period of time benefit from having key historical data and processes.
This data means that there is a progression path for all new staff coming in to follow, and ensures that there is consistent testing allowing for constant progression, with tweaks rather than overhauls required.
In general, this is an area that clubs are improving on, the benchmark information means that you can compare metrics to historical data as opposed to situations where there is a lack of records.
Where there is insufficient information coaches have to judge improvements based on the non-op leg, leading to potential problems.
When discussing ACL, one key aspect that is often not thought about is the ability to slow down.
High speed and multi-directional movements are two aspects of athlete’s perception of movement however the ability to absorb force is another big factor, one that simply done can have huge impacts.
Jumping and landing on both feet, jumping forward and backwards, jumping side to side, jumping with eyes closed and jumping catching a ball are great exercises that don’t require equipment but can be very effective.
In the video, there is a clip of an athlete running onto a vault and jumping on to a soft mat. As Suki explains, this exercise involved many layers and skills. Prior to completing the exercise as a whole they have practised running to the vault, jumping onto the vault and then jumping onto the mat.
The programmes are essentially about obeying the laws of motor learning and how skills are acquired, all the components are practised individually before they are put together.
The experience of the coach is also a very important, oft-overlooked factor, in the rehabilitation process.
Knowing what an athlete can and can’t do is important. A coach should never put an athlete in a position to do something that they are not quite sure they can complete. You need to know that when you give it to them they can do it, as if they can’t it can have hugely detrimental effects on their rehab.
