Exploring the Importance of Team Screens
Do you have a high school or college student participating in sports this year? You’re probably excited to attend their games, cheer them on from the stands, and celebrate their victories. But in the back of your mind, are you also worried about injury risk?
It’s an understandable concern. Sports injuries do happen. While a significant injury (like an ACL tear) can require surgery and extensive rehabilitation, even minor overuse injuries can impact sports participation–and, if left untreated, can set an athlete up for a more severe injury.
At Elliott Physical Therapy, we want to keep our local high school and college athletes as safe and healthy as possible, which is why we offer team screens. We work with an entire sports team to assess their performance using our cutting-edge Kinotek motion capture camera system in combination with functional movement screens. Then, we provide customized recommendations to the coaches and team captains for addressing areas of opportunity identified by the results of these screens.
The outcome? Players are significantly less likely to suffer injuries and are guaranteed to see improvements in their performance.
Contact Elliott Physical Therapy For More Information
Are you a coach who wants to schedule a team screen for your athletes? Do you want more information about how the process works? Call us today to talk to our friendly staff. We’re happy to answer any questions you might have!
A Three Touchpoint Approach to Team Screens
At Elliott Physical Therapy, a team screen takes place over three visits to ensure a comprehensive assessment and intervention plan. Here’s what you can expect.
Touchpoint #1: Data Collection
During the first visit, 5-7 of our care team will meet with the entire team to perform the initial evaluation. We’ll set up several screening stations and ask each athlete to perform a series of simple movement tests. We tailor these tests based on the needs of the team’s specific sport, and we’ll analyze the team’s warm-up and cool-down routine.
What takes our data collection process to the next level is the Kinotek motion capture system. We record the tests using a single camera that creates a 3D body scan of every athlete on the team. These body scans establish a baseline that we can then use to design an intervention program customized to your team.
Touchpoint #2: Reports and Analysis
Our care team will analyze the data gathered in the first section and organize it into a report using the Kinotek software. We’ll then use this data to create a team-wide program to address any issues we discovered in the initial screening.
We share our findings with everyone on the team. For high school athletes, we can also share the report with their families. This allows individual athletes to better understand any muscular imbalances, faulty biomechanics, or other issues that could be impacting their performance. We’ll also recommend personalized interventions to help address these concerns.
However, we can also help the team as a whole improve their performance. During the second meeting, we’ll share all reports and train team captains in a new warm-up program to address any identified issues.
Touchpoint #3: Follow-Up and Check-In
The third visit is a chance for us to evaluate the team’s progress and ensure all of our suggested modifications have been implemented correctly. We’ll check to see if the team is working toward achieving their goals and recommend any adjustments as necessary.
Group Pricing:
$30/Athlete with team screen
$150/Individual
Contact Jake Walker, Strength & Conditioning Program Manager, for more information.
jake@elliottpt.com
617-990-6615
How Can Physical Therapy Improve Sports Performance?
The team screens are focused on pinpointing the specific issues that might increase an athlete’s injury risk.
For example, non-contact knee and ankle injuries are more common among soccer players (and even higher in female athletes) due to the frequent planting and pivoting required for the sport. Strengthening the core, hips, and buttocks provides additional support and stability to the athlete allowing them to maneuver more easily, reducing the chance of a catastrophic knee injury like an ACL tear. At the same time, strengthening the leg muscles can also improve speed, power, and overall function–which means the athlete will see an improvement in their overall performance, too.
The individual reports from our team screens can help athletes better understand the areas they need to work on to reduce their risk of injury and improve their performance. Our team of clinicians can also work with them one-on-one to provide a truly personalized program to address these concerns and help them thrive as athletes.
Sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11113040/, https://kinotek.com/sports-professionals
Team Member Spotlight
Steve Goggin
Administrative Director
Steve Goggin is the Office Manager at our Needham location and HR Assistant to Sarahkate Sullivan. A graduate of Umass-Lowell, Steve earned his bachelor’s degree in Medical Laboratory Science in 2020, where he was a member of the 2019-20 National Championship Club Basketball Team. Prior to joining the Elliott Physical Therapy team, he worked as a Medical Technologist at Winchester Hospital for four years, working to provide accurate results for all Beth Israel Lahey Health patients. Steve brings extensive knowledge of medical record systems and customer service, as well as a team-oriented mindset! READ MORE...
Grilled Eggplant with Feta
Ingredients:
- 1 large eggplant
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 large garlic clove, or 2 small cloves, pressed or minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/3 cup)
Directions:
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Preheat the grill to high.
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Trim the ends off of the eggplant and cut it crosswise into 12 1/2-inch thick slices. Season just the tops of the slices lightly with salt.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, olive oil, dried oregano, garlic, and salt.
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Lay the eggplant slices on the grill with the salted side up. Grill, uncovered, for 5 minutes, then flip.
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Spoon or brush all of the garlic-herb mixture over the tops, sprinkle evenly with the feta, then cover the grill and continue grilling until the cheese is melted and the eggplant is tender, about 5 minutes more.
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Transfer the grilled eggplant to a serving platter and serve hot or warm.
