One of the mantras at Willis Performance Training is prevention and intention.
The training systems are designed to enhance athlete performance by taking measures to prevent injury, and articulating workout scripts where every single exercise has a definite intention specific for athlete goals.
Everything from Functional Movement Screening to training “progressions” based on athlete and client rate of development, are utilized with the intent to safely advance the athlete to the next phase or level of training.
However, when it comes to injury, certain groups or populations of athletes are at a higher risk for injury because of certain variables, specifically grade school and adolescent athletes.
Reasons for the higher incidences of injury can range from improper training, poor nutrition, failure to properly warmup before practice (majority of high school athlete injury happen during practice), bio mechanical disposition (specifically females because of knee to hip joint angle), to physiological reasons.
Because bones and muscles are growing at a faster rate during adolescence, teenagers and middle schoolers can be more predisposed for injury. The physical growth can affect coordinative ability, which greatly affects overall movement mechanics.
The below WPT infographic provides insight on the statistics of injury for high school athletes.
While it is impossible to prevent ALL injury, there are certainly measures that can be taken to help PREVENT injury, especially for teenage athletes who are at the most risk.
– Proper Warmup before exercise
– Staying Hydrated
– Proper training technique
– Safe training progressions
– Flexibility
– Proper Nutrition
Injury prevention should be a staple of any training program, as this is the real basis of efficient performance for athletes and the general population.
What injuries has you kids or yourself personally experienced?
Leave a comment and let me know if you have any questions for me.
–Coach Armond Willis
Willis Performance Training Founder
www.willisperformance.com