Injury prevention within your club

Injury prevention in sports clubs is crucial to prevent injuries and keep athletes healthy and active in the long term. Sophie Block, sports physiotherapist at Healthcube offers valuable insights and guidelines to integrate injury prevention in sports clubs. Together, we grow together to get the club, trainers, players and parents alike on board with this.

You can request both workshops with topics such as : warming - up, core strength, cooling down, stretching, motivational techniques to take effective action.

Here are already some key elements to promote injury prevention:

1. Education and awareness

• Workshops and Trainings: Organise regular sessions for coaches, trainers and athletes on injury prevention. Focus on the importance of warm-up, cool-down, and proper techniques.
• Health awareness: Inform members about the consequences of overuse and the signs of incipient injuries.

2. Screening and monitoring

• Health screening: Use screening methods such as those offered by Healthcube to evaluate athletes' physical fitness and injury risk.
• Continuous monitoring: Track athletes' progress and fitness by regularly recording their performance and any complaints. Software or apps such as prosoccerdata, twizzit are useful tools.

Dare to invest in these moments to pre-emptively identify weak links and work on these throughout the season to promote performance, enjoyment of the game in every athlete.

3. Tailor-made training programmes

• Individual Approach: Adjust training programmes based on the results of the health screening and the specific needs of the athletes. The trainer gets an overview of the needs of their player group. Sporting can only follow when all athletes can train and evolve injury-free.
• Variation in Training: Make sure you have a balanced training programme that addresses different muscle groups and offers variety to avoid overload.
• Be sure to think about stretching, core strength, agility, explosiveness training, strength training and functional running training to make it sports adequate for your athletes.

4. Safe Sports Environment

• Correct use of materials: Regularly check the condition of sports equipment and ensure that all sports equipment meets safety standards.
• Safe Sports Venues: Keep sports fields and halls in good condition and avoid using damaged or unsafe venues.
• The athlete must be able to feel safe in his/her club to indicate if he/she does not like something or if something is not going his/her way. A confidant must be designated who is sufficiently accessible to everyone and who every athlete knows how to contact if this is not possible with his/her trainer, coach or team manager.

5. Recovery and rehabilitation

• Adequate Recovery Time: Make sure athletes are given enough time to recover after intense training or competition.
• Professional Guidance: Work with physiotherapists or sports doctors for effective rehabilitation and injury treatment.

6. Mental Health

• Stress management: Pay attention to athletes' mental health and offer support in case of stress or mental pressure.
• Mental Resilience: Train athletes to be mentally resilient, which can help them avoid injury by reducing stress or anxiety.

7. Cooperation and Communication

• Interdisciplinary Cooperation: Work with medical professionals, as presented at www.healthcube.be, among others, to ensure a holistic approach to injury prevention.
• Transparent Communication: Ensure an open dialogue between coaches, players and medical staff to identify and address problems early.
• As a coach, explain to your players and bystanders why this is important.
• Communicate this from within the club. Stick this into your strategy and put enough emphasis on this. Include this in info evenings and your policy from your club.

By incorporating these principles, your club can improve the health and safety of its members and significantly reduce the risk of injury. Sophie Block's approach provides a strong foundation for this.

Clubs where Healthcube is active:

FC Moorsel ladies

Blue Lions Tervuren

OHR