WHAT’S IN THE CURRENT ISSUES OF THE OTHER SPORTEX PUBLICATIONS?

BY TOR DAVIES, PUBLISHER

You often tell us that we don’t do enough to promote the other sportEX publications and products so with that in mind, we’ve included below a summary of the articles appearing in the July issues of the sister publications to sportEX medicine, sportEX dynamics and sportEX health.

SPORTEX DYNAMICS is aimed at people working on the sports touchline including sports massage practitioners, therapists and coaches.

Journal watch

Our popular quarterly roundup of the latest research summarised with our sportEX comment!

Falling short Are we as practitioners failing gifted athletes?

MET versus PNF

A comparison of these two manual techniques and a look at the current evidence base for each.

Prove it! – part 2 Following on from part 1 which appeared in

April’s issue, part 2 looks at the various sources of CPD that you can use for your portfolio.

The massage therapists survival guide

An abstract from Australian soft tissue therapist, Robert Granter’s new eBook - How to sustain your career as a massage therapist.

London 2012 update The latest news about volunteering.

SPORTEX HEALTH is aimed at people working in the promotion of health through sport and physical activity.

Policy and research news A look at the latest news.

A mass of activity Research into how effective mass participation events are in encouraging physical activity.

The role of exercise in substance misuse

This article was requested by one of our subscribers and includes an advice handout (also available in our new ePALs product - see the sportEX update page).

Street Life

Profiling a project where communities are given the chance to improve their neighbourhoods to encourage activity.

An active part in treating liver disease Exercise can play a part in relieving the symptoms of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease - we look at the current evidence base (public advice leaflet also included).

If you already have a subscription to one sportEX magazine, you can add an additional magazine at a discount (see the subs card on the inside front cover). All you need to do is call us on +44 (0)845 652 1906.

34 sportEX medicine 2010;45(Jul):34

SPORTS DYNAMICS EVIDENCE FOR CPD

PROVE IT! – PART 2 – WHAT IS EVIDENCE?

INTRODUCTION

It's one thing having to make sure your CPD is valid, authentic, current and sufficient, but how on earth do you prove it has developed you professionally? What kinds of evidence can you present to prove what has happened to your knowledge or understanding? One definition of the word “evidence” explains that it “indicates clearly, exemplifies or proves things that are helpful in forming a conclusion or judgment”. This article hopes to give you some idea of the types of evidence you can use. However, this is not an exhaustive description of the options available to you. Anything can be used as evidence, and you may have some workable ideas of your own. All that matters is that the evidence supports how the CPD you have undertaken has changed, increased, enhanced or influenced your existing knowledge base, skills or practice. Keep in mind, too, that one piece of evidence may not be enough to prove anything, so multip!e forms may be needed, which is where this article helps. But it is up to you ultimately to ensure that you can “prove it”.

WHAT COUNTS AS EVIDENCE?

The range of material that counts towards CPD evidence is very diverse (Figure 1) but all of it can be used to build a very persuasive portfolio if you know what proof is expected.

Recognised qualifications This is most certainly the easiest and most credible platform from which to prove your competence.

Having a recognised qualification shows beyond doubt that you can apply, implement and understand the standards contained within that

Specialist activities n Preparing a presentation n Preparing a publication

This is the final part of our series on continuous professional development (CPD) and the evidence that proves it has been done. Anything can be used as evidence, as long as it demonstrates that the CPD you have undertaken has changed, increased, enhanced or influenced your knowledge base, skills or practice. We look at all sources of CPD from gaining qualifications to supplying your own client notes, but whatever the source, the important part is proving that you have learnt!

Practical and observation n Client notes n Demonstration n Videos and n Witness testimony other media n Past experiences

n Photographs

Understanding n Recording knowledge

n Reflective accounts

n Professional discussions

n Questioning

PORTFOLIO OF

EVIDENCE

Learning and academic

n Recognised qualifications

n Theory tests n Exams n Past

achievements

qualification. Formally assessed courses are designed in such a way that they allow you not only to acquire new knowledge and skills, but also give you

SPORTS DYNAMICS ATHLETICS COACHING

Great athletes, such as the fastest man in the world, Usain Bolt, attract and inspire children everywhere to take up athletics, but there are growing concerns regarding how gifted athletes in the UK at grass roots levels are being guided and developed. There is little in the way of support for sports science and sports medicine for most modern athletics teams outside of the “elite” umbrella, so despite dreaming of Olympic glory, these gifted few may “fall short” of their dreams. The question is, are we, as practitioners in sports medicine, failing them?

FALLING SHORT: IS THERE A PROBLEM WITH GRASS ROOTS ATHLETICS THAT WIDENS THE GAP BETWEEN THE GIFTED AND THE GREAT?

BY MIKE CAROLAN, SPORTS REHABILITATOR

INTRODUCTION I first fell in love with athletics when I was 10 years old, as I watched Linford Christie cross the line in Barcelona 1992, running 9.96 seconds in the 100-metre Olympic final, winning gold and beating Frankie Fredericks – one of the modern greats in the sport. Many years later Michael Johnson was my inspiration, destroying the 200-metre world record in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic final, running 19.32 seconds, which until recently was the quickest time over that distance that no athlete was even close to attaining – let alone breaking. Fast-forward another 10 years and a young Jamaican man laid waste to every record and every well-conceived idea about how to run and about who should compete in the 100- and 200-metre sprint events. Usain Bolt now inspires and attracts children to the sport, just like Linford hooked me, running a phenomenal 9.58 seconds and 19.19 seconds over the 100- and 200-metres, respectively. After a short break following my

graduation I returned to the sport for the joy of competing and a new-found

love for the training and lifestyle it offered. I was greatly enthused by the excitement Bolt brings to the sport. He just loves to compete and has no fear whatsoever. Yet because of my professional

background, some concerns are surfacing regarding the athletes in the UK at the grass-root level, about how they are being guided and developed. There is an obvious structure at this level, for instance all clubs have coaches, some specialise in specific disciplines (while others do not), and the levels function from 1 to 4 with those at Level 1 needing to be supervised by someone at Level 2 or above. This provides young people with the chance to gain some qualifications and it offers modern athletics clubs a degree of longevity and permits the passing of mantles to a younger generation of coaches. So where in particular do these

concerns lie?

SUPPORT AND AWARENESS OF SPORTS SCIENCE It is true that there is little in the way of support for sports science and sports medicine for most modern athletics

THERE IS LITTLE SUPPORT FOR SPORTS SCIENCE OUTSIDE OF THE “ELITE” UMBRELLA

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