The number one responsibility of a coach is to keep his players safe and do everything possible to keep players injury free. In the coaching profession, we know that injuries are a part of the game and it is inevitable that some players will be injured. However, we all need to ask ourselves if we are doing enough to best PROTECT our players.
In my experiences as a college coach, I have observed that a fair amount of high school athletes are proficient in basic lifts that are vital to football. However, many of these players have muscle imbalances that surround vulnerable joints (shoulders, hips and knees) that through wear and exertion could lead to serious injury and reduce their maximal performance. Studies have shown about 65 – 70% of injuries are due to this specific issue. This is why it is imperative that you assimilate a prehabilitative program that will give your players the best chance to stay injury free and help your team reach its goals.
Prehabilitation will allow your players to improve their posture which will instantly reduce their chance of injury. There are many players who can be identified as injury risks by looking at their postural alignment. A player that has better posture will perform all movements more efficiently, thus making him a more explosive player. More importantly, improving his posture will allow his body to be aligned correctly and give him the best opportunity to be injury free.
The first aspect of prehab is self-myofascial release. This should be done every single day. Self- myofascial release in layman terms is a self-massage. The purpose is to release muscle tightness or trigger points that occur in EVERYBODY due to constant use of the body. A foam roller, foam stick or a “hard” ball are the best tools to perform this function. The purpose of releasing trigger points is to allow the body to regenerate proper movement functions leading to pain free movement, and enhanced performance.
One area of the body that is constantly overlooked is the feet. The feet are susceptible to significant impact from training and are rarely given the attention they need. The feet should not be ignored in the prehabilitation process.
The next aspect of prehab that needs to be addressed is the core. Many people do not understand what the core is. They believe it is simply the abs definition one has, which is completely false. Having a “six pack” does not in any way shape or form indicate a great nor strong core. Without being too technical, the “core” is the basis of the movement right in the center of the body. The group of muscles that are involved are: tranverse abdominus, internal and external obliques, muscles of the pelvic floor, spinal erectorae, rectus abdominus, and the diaphragm.
All of these muscle groups need to work in conjunction with an individual’s specific movement to minimize injury risk and enhance performance. A player needs true core strength in order to generate effective movement from the other parts of the body.
Pre-hab will help to alleviate the constant aches and pains that are related to wear and tear. Think of the body as a car; if there is never any maintenance work done, the car will suffer. The human body is the same way. Many coaches and players feel that a bench press is the be-all end-all of football training and in reality there is nothing more detrimental for a player than A LOT of bench presses. All that will occur from excessive bench press is a true imbalance between the front of your body and the back. Those “mirror muscles” in reality are neither critical to injury prevention nor essential to great performance on the field.
Pre-hab will strengthen the antithesis muscles that go unnoticed and uncared for. Using the car analogy, it is similar to a car owner only caring about washing his car and disregarding the parts no one can see. So it is critical that football players engage in prehabilitation to strengthen the muscles supporting their upper back and shoulder rotators, not the muscles of the anterior chest. This will have a tremendously positive effect on your players. By strengthening these muscles, the shoulder blades will be pulled back and down, resulting in improved posture. The ball and socket joint of the shoulder will be in better alignment, allowing movement to be unrestricted and proficient.
Hip mobility and stability are critical in preventing lower extremity injuries and in allowing your players to reach the optimal level of performance you both desire. Football is a game played with the hips and it is therefore critical to have your players’ hips moving freely and efficiently.
Prehab is vital in improving your players weaknesses. Prehabilitation is a component of strength and conditioning that is essential to your athletes future in regards to long term health and performance. Prehab needs to be done every day; however, not every prehab exercise needs to be done every day. Below are a few prehabilitative exercises to get your football players started:
Self- myofascial release:
Foam Roll - everyday
Enhancing Core Strength:
Pillar Front Bridge - everyday
Glute Bridge - everyday
Shoulders and Rotator Cuff:
Y, T, W, - 2 - 3 times a week
These are just a few of the prehabilitative exercises that we do. They will greatly benefit your athletes.
Jonathan Gill just completed his 11th season as passing game coordinator for Long Island University/C.W. Post, also serving as the team’s strength and conditioning coach. Gill went to the University of Akron where he competed for four seasons as a quarterback.