INJURY PREVENTION
The first step to the Goodman Performance Continuum is Prevention. After all, if an injury can be prevented , training time is not lost and the best performance possible can be achieved. “ An Ounce of Prevention is worth a pound of cure”
Finally prevention involves monitoring training loads and recovery to allow the body to heal from intense training or competition sessions, throughout the whole season. This monitoring, especially with the technology today, helps us understand fatigue and it’s effects on both injuries and performance. Sleep, cool downs, travel, nutrition, and hydration all play a role in maximizing recovery. Goodman has access to some of the best biomechanists and exercise physiologists in Canada to assist with this monitoring and assessment, including those at the Human Performance Lab at Fortius.
Prevention starts with thorough pre-season screening, which involves a head to toe assessment of the athlete looking for limitations or imbalances that may set the athlete up for an overuse injury when they start training. These assessments usually take 1- 2 hours, and are designed specifically for each athlete, their sport, their position and stage of development. Review of sport specific warm-ups the athlete performs as well as biomechanical and functional movement analysis may be required.
An evaluation of protective equipment is also part of this process. Often with the growing athlete they have outgrown the size of their helmet, or shoulder pads, etc., and this makes them more succeptable to injury in their sport. Training equipment ( such as shoes, cleats and even the fit of a bike) should also be reviewed at this time and regularly throughout the season.
