HEADCHECK Health’s Post

We are at a T-junction when it comes to #Concussion in sport. I'm not going to take sides when it comes to the governance of sport in Australia or globally however recent commentary from leaders remunerated by sporting federations across the country have forced the community into a T-junction by handballing the risk of their health back to the player even though evidence is clear that interventions and support mechanisms are available and have been for some time now. Simply extending a return to play guideline without any form of procedural solution to support the player, family, club committee, coaches or others, often volunteering to support the games existence, is not a solution it simply pushes the problem to someone else. Concussion and the resulting risk of musculoskeletal injury, repeat concussion, CTE and several other social and psychological impacts do not go away after 30 days and without proper assessment, players are highly likely to return to training and playing misinformed and unprepared. If the governing bodies wish to hand ball the problem to the players, parents and club committees, then it is time for the community to be well-informed, educated and prepared for the fall-out therefore I sincerely recommend reaching out to professionals in this space who have delved deep into the International research from an applied health perspective rather than the sporting administrators. Stay informed. If you are involved in the delivery of a sport as a coach, technical director, allied health service, parent, player, president, committee member or volunteer, I recommend you visit the link below and begin to upskill yourself on the #ActualIntelligence around concussion on your players in the environment you control. My Inspiration Never Dies and several leaders in this space are here to guide you through the facts, signs, symptoms and solutions for good practice so that we can play on with confidence and competence. If cigarette packages are forced to show rotting lungs on their packaging and betting companies are forced to reiterate the real impact of gambling in their advertising then maybe we need to put a picture of a brain or dysfunctional 35-year-old on the ball so that the governing administration can stand by the claim that all players "know the risk". It's all in the transparent communication and if we want #FanEngagement to grow, we need to have active, well fans to engage. https://lnkd.in/gZvMydtp #ConcussionTimeForChange #InjuryPrevention #CTE #TBI #GPTQA

Explore how HEADCHECK enabled the Kamloops Minor Hockey Association to document injuries, protect 1,000+ players, and enhance compliance with safety standards in this new case study. Results ✅ Protected over 1,000 players from mismanaged injury risks ✅ Improved compliance to the governing body’s safety standards each season ✅ Users are 3 times more likely to properly document an injury or incident using the HEADCHECK app Thanks to Zac Carnelley, Serena Reves, Dawn Woodland, and everyone at KMHA for taking player safety so seriously! Read More: https://lnkd.in/gsUNy_wK Interested in how HEADCHECK can help your organization achieve the same results? Contact us today! #hockey #sports #injurymanagement #concussion

This article by Gregor Paul of the NZ Herald about the responsibility of players to actually follow the rules, rather than making heroes out of those who systematically look to break them, testing the referee's resolve to spend a whole match blowing on the whistle, or to 'get away' with whatever they can, got me thinking. How often in our work environments are we a little too willing to lay the blame for our non-performance on someone or something else, perhaps looking for shortcuts, rather than collectively committing to action or processes that will improve the environment for everyone? Perhaps if everyone in your organization made an effort to help the referee/manager, there would be more flow in your workplace! https://lnkd.in/gfmHMY7Q

Player "overload", and overtraining are real issues within sports. This article highlights the English Premier Leagues struggle with the escalating numbers of player injuries, due to overload. The English Premier League is certainly not the only professional sports league to have this issue. The National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), Major League Soccer (MLS), National Hockey League (NHL) and others, all continuously fight this battle and are trying to find ways to solve for it. Why not use a technology that allows the sports medicine, or performance staff to consistently evaluate whether or not overtraining is taking place? Not just by using body worn sensors on the field to look at load, but in the training room. Why? Because TRAZER places that individual in a safe analogous environment to the real-world (i.e Soccer Field), and it looks at the players ability to react, decelerate, accelerate, speed, HR, etc. in a very short period of time. Most importantly, TRAZER gives professionals the ability to assess and improve not only the players physiology, but their BRAIN. If the player and the organization consistently assessed each player for 90-seconds 1-3x's per week, they would know whether the player had a decrease in their performance metrics. They would know if overtraining started to degrade the players ability to move symmetrically (thus putting them at higher risk of injury), and then would be able to likely catch and, most importantly address the issue prior to a catastrophic injury occurring. So many variables factor into overload, or overtraining and how those things potentially lead to injury. A player's sleep, drugs, alcohol, poor nutrition, dehydration, etc. At TRAZER we strive to provide a tool that gives professionals the critical data necessary to know where a player stands, and a tool that can help a player perform at his / her highest level. Learn more about TRAZER at www.trazer.com. #Brain #body #neuromechanics #overload #overtraining #rehabilitation #injuryprevention #sportsmedicine #performance #mls #nfl #mlb #epl #nba #nhl Craig Waters Craig Williams Alexa Romance Kimberly Sanderson Elsa Guerrero Eugene Bruseau Harlan Lyons Sean Manfredonia Randy Cohen Timothy Hewett PhD Gary Wilkerson Mike Voight Ashley Campbell Eric Herman Dustin Nabhan

Great insights Barry. The increase injury rates with ACLs, hamstrings and other injuries should be red flags for the sports performance industry but also a red to anyone not #measuringwhatmatters. We measure many things but not a comprehensive multi-sensory snapshot like TRAZER captures. Cognitive and Physical function, deceleration, movement and reaction time multi-directional asymmetries, spacial awareness, proprioception, balance and more. Testing periodically identifies deficits and warning signs before they turn into something bigger. This also applies in other settings like physical therapy, senior health and fall prevention, workplace injury prevention and the military. That's why our tagline is TRAZER helps Every Body Move Better! All ages, all abilities, across the lifespan. Learn more https://lnkd.in/gGD2BWBf Schedule a Demo https://lnkd.in/g-e98r8J Gernot Nischwitz, a reknowned physiotherapist from European "futbol" for years commented "As #Sportphysiotherapist, not only is it our job to treat sports injuries, but we also have a responsibility to ensure that players are not overworked and not put at risk of injury. Despite all the electronic helpers, it is easy to forget the actual actor, the human being in the player. In order not to overload it, it is necessary:  Communication with the staff, Monitoring (load data and conversations with players), Hands-on treatment (conversations with players), Nurturing (talking to players), Trust (conversations with players), Experience (e.g. through conversations with players) What results is close monitoring of training load (internal and external) and implementation of evidence-based injury prevention strategies are critical." English Premier League Major League Soccer Amazon UPS FedEx Wrexham AFC Kevin Mulholland Shaun Harvey Ryan Reynolds Angela Ruggiero Anthony Vennare Isaiah Kacyvenski Brian Reilly IMG Academy #physicaltherapy #seniorhealth #injuryprevention #dataanalytics #athleticperformance #sportsmedicine #poweredbytrazer

As the excitement of modern football reaches new heights, a growing concern lurks in the shadows – the alarming rise in player injuries. 🤔 Are the relentless schedules, packed with high-stakes matches and demanding travel, pushing our football heroes to their limits? I wrote an article on ''Injury Crisis: Are Modern Football Schedules Putting Players at Risk?'' on Sportskeeda Check it out by clicking the image below 👇 https://lnkd.in/ecqH6h9x #footballanalysis #football #footballanalytics #footballmanagement

Hang Your Heads AFL - an ineffective decision. Listening to all reports this morning the positions centre around was it a good or bad decision or a right or wrong decision. That is the wrong discussion. Was it an effective decision should be the topic of focus. Then we move to the topic of effectiveness and what the AFL is really serious about - maintaining popularity or player safety in the short term and long term. This decision is clearly the former. Effectively protecting the head is just that - protect the head against hits that are preventable and challenge head hits that are borderline accidental (e.g. two players colliding with each other in full preparedness on each side) versus intentional (e.g. one side not prepared) or the recent arguments I’ve hear there was no obvious malice or intent) with a greater robustness around analysis of player behaviour in general against players. Maynard plays hard that is unquestionable and multiple times in multiple games he throws his body into circumstances that show little regard for his own safety. Yet with this circumstance there is comment that he was protecting himself - from what I ask? A player who has just in mid stride striking a ball with force and follow through is in a significantly more vulnerable position compared to a defending attacker jumping to block a kick both in a forward direction to each other. Having been in this position many times an alternate finish to the movement was possible as he brought his arms down and turned into Brayshaw in the moments. It is just as likely as the higher player on the contact he was capable of maintaining an open posture rather than closing it and using both hands to reduce the impact. There is no evidence he attempted to do so by turning his body into the contact. It’s an ineffective decision in this instance and as a brain scientist I cross my fingers for Brayshaw as popularity continues over effective management of player safety.

Increasing Sense of Control in Team Sports - Read the following article and find out how you can do this 👉 http://tinyurl.com/uex57ca #complementarytraining

Advocates for safe sport have, for years, been drumming up concerns about poor governance practices that put individuals at risk in a myriad of sports. To be more precise, the manner in which we use words dictates how we think about events and affects the way we behave. The use of the word "ACCIDENT" to describe the fatal incident that killed Adam Johnson implies our belief that this event was outside human influence or control when in reality, the outcome was predictable and preventable. So, to be clear, safety is the outcome of good governance and failures to secure the safe conditions of individuals in a human-controlled environment are failures of good governance; a set of choices, not accidents. #NotanAccident #Preventable #Safety #governance #RiskManagement #SafeSystem #SafeSport

The rugby season kicked off with a tackle height change to reduce head injuries. Some rugby fans think the new regulations will “kill the game”. As a coach for my son’s rugby team, I’ve been through training programs to minimise the risk of head injuries. It’s known that head trauma can lead to irreversible brain damage. And I’m saddened thinking of former players who can’t remember their kids’ names. And that’s why our team’s response has focused on ensuring the kids understand the purpose and reasoning behind the change. We've educated our young players that while the new rules might seem challenging, they’re meant to protect their long-term health. In short, we’ve chosen education over compliance. And it’s the same proactive approach we follow at Number 8 Events. When clients understand why the safety measures are necessary, they’re more likely to adhere to them. What are your thoughts on the new RFP regulations? Are you excited about the new season? #rugby #healthandsafety #injuryprevention -------------- Number 8 Events - Delivering Exceptional Event Safety | Event Management | Event Hire