CAREERS TRAVELLING WITH TEAMS

this is not possible, then use appropriate signage to steer athletes in the right direction. Look for potential areas that may create injury to

athletes. At the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia, the medical facility used by all the treatment disciplines was a semi-permanent tent-like structure. It was very secure, and had heating and air-conditioning, but on close inspection it had some potential lethal projecting metal edges where the upright beams were anchored to the floor. Our first job was to tape up the edges in order to protect the athletes’ bare feet (Fig. 1). It is important to tape and pad all sharp or protruding edges – even protruding castors on treatment tables can be a hazard.

The support staff It is important to know what others expect of you and to make sure that these expectations are realistic. For example, establish a policy for the hours you are available to work with the team manager, head coach, medical officer and other medical team providers. It is important to balance the real needs of the athletes with your ability to provide a consistently high-quality service. Depending on the number of support staff in the team, I

suggest that you are available to provide hands-on treatment for eight hours per day. There is a feeling among some people that you should be available on an “as required” basis, but I do not support this system. I like to know exactly what I am required to do each day and I believe that most athletes are happy to accept a system that is open, clear, and fair to both the athletes and the practitioner. Working hours can be flexible in order to allow normal

training to take place. For example, you may treat for four hours in the morning, then take a few hours off to rest, and then work late in the evening after training or competition has finished. The treatment booking sheet should be placed on the

Figure 1a: An exposed hazard Figure 1b:a potential disaster made safe At the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, our allocated

working space in the Olympic Village was used, pre-Games, as a computer data centre. We failed to see a subtle hazard. There was a data input plug slightly protruding from one of the upright supporting beams, which had a razor-sharp edge. One of our swimmers suffered a substantial deep cut as he got off a treatment table. This incident kept him out of the water for a number of days and almost ended his Olympic dream. It never happened again.

Yourself For you to function to your optimal level in this environment, you must look after yourself well: eat well, rest and sleep well and organise your day well.

The athletes Don’t try and win your athletes over by “talking yourself up”, being a joker or being overconfident. If you are new to a team, you need to realise that you may be entering a battle-hardened group of cohesive athletes with a strong established group dynamic. The team will welcome you into their circle when you

have earned your spot in the team and got their trust by being excellent at what you do. Let your behaviour as an excellent therapist do the talking. Don’t force it – let it happen. The team will welcome you if you demonstrate genuine respect for them and their achievements and respect their model of the world. A person should never be judged or put down for not being up with current world political situations or other things that may be important to you. A particular athlete may appear to be inept in certain matters, but when they talk about the finer points of their sport, team tactics or training methods, you may be blown away by their depth of knowledge in other areas.

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door of the treatment room with clear instructions or at a “reception desk”, which may be required if you are servicing a large team. I am not suggesting that you turn away athletes in need of treatment. Where possible, you should fit them in – but only if this fits in with your capabilities. Always involve the other practitioners in your team. Don’t

fall into the trap of believing you are the only person capable of successfully treating a certain athlete. In relation to the optimal function of the off-field support team, consider your role as a mediator and do not contradict the instructions of other support staff in the team. If you have problems with advice given to athletes by others, go straight to the person who gave the advice and discuss the issue directly.

CONCLUSION Have an attitude of “What can I put into this situation?” rather than “What can I get out of this situation?”, and put the team outcomes ahead of your personal gains. I love the phase “Successful teamwork allows ordinary

people to achieve extraordinary results” because, when I see groups working together effectively, I consistently see extraordinary results – whether it’s gold medals or the establishment of deep, supportive, lifelong friendships. Good luck with positively transforming yourself and your team working environment!

THE AUTHOR

Rob is widely regarded as one of Australia’s most respected and experienced educators and practitioners of soft tissue therapy. Rob is co-founder of the Australasian College of Soft Tissue Therapy and was a contributor to the internationally successful, Brukner & Khan textbook “Clinical Sports Medicine” now in its 3rd edition. He was head of massage therapy for the Australian Olympic Team in 1996 and 2000 and the Australian Commonwealth Games team in 1998. Rob also co-ordinated massage therapy services and the athlete recovery centre for the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games. Rob currently consults from his own private practice in Melbourne and is a teacher in the myotherapy department at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia.

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