Personal coach Head coach PD

FILTER coach

athlete with a problem

feedback

learning to do it better next time

athlete with a problem

colleague S+C physio doctor psychologist athlete support nutrition

biomechanics performance analyst masseur other

notification to the ‘system’

Medical co-ordinator notify

problem identified

case conference undertaken

case co-ordinator identified

corrective action OR

treatment undertaken

FILTER

precendence determined

IMMEDIATE URGENT PRIORITY ROUTINE

Treatment undertaken

NGB doctors NGB physios (NGB team)

EIS doctors EIS Physios (EIS team)

all stakeholders understood what was required of them and within what time frame.

Questions Is there a clear understanding of the mechanisms involved so

that the chances of success have been maximised? Again the team determines the questions they need to ask for the problem they are trying to solve or the conditions they are attempting to change.

Figure 2:

Communication feedforward/ feedback loop for the medical environment

TEACHING ATHLETES TO GET THE MOST FROM YOUR SERVICE

The following is an excerpt from some of the information put together to enable athletes to utilise the physiotherapy service to best effect in meeting their needs and helping them manage their expectations.

Appropriate use of the physiotherapy service In the early part of your rowing career you will be learning about how your body responds to training and competing. It is our job, whilst you are in this stage, to help you to learn how to get the most out of your body through recovery and injury prevention. In this way, when we get it right, your ability to train and compete will be enhanced.

What sort of problems should you contact the physio- therapy service with? Anything musculoskeletal that you feel could inhibit your training or performance should be discussed with the physiotherapist.

In elite sport, physiotherapy is here to keep you training

and competing: these days, very rarely is an athlete taken completely off training! The only “stupid” question is the one you don’t ask.

What will you be expected to do for yourself? You compete to win a medal for yourself so here are some of the things you need to do to look after yourself… Self help: What do I need to do today to get the most out of my training, my competing and my life?” Self management: Before I seek the help of others “have I

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done all that I can to sort out the problem myself?” Self treatment: RICE/foam roller massage/stretching Self monitoring: Heart rate/urine colour (hydration)/recovery

How can this service benefit your performance? Beyond simply treating your condition we work to address the causes of any problems that you have, and get you working to actively build a fitter, stronger, more flexible and balanced body. Our aim is to return you to training and competition stronger and more capable than ever before. In elite sport the goal and emphasis is to help you to

realise your full potential, achieve your ambition and to compete at your best.

The philosophy surrounding the provision of

physiotherapy services to adaptive rowing athletes The physiotherapists will not lead YOU by the hand or

pander to YOUR every whim, because they won’t be there with YOU on the start line or receiving a medal with YOU on the podium. If YOU get there YOU will have made it primarily through

what YOU have managed to do for YOURSELF. By knowing YOURSELF inside out and by giving YOURSELF every opportunity to succeed. There resides in the EIS (English institute of Sport) and

GB Rowing a vast pool of talented and highly skilled men and women who will support YOU in every way in YOUR attempt to be the best in the world, BUT...NONE OF THEM will do it for you and NONE OF THEM will be interested in helping if you have not first attempted to help yourself.

sportEX medicine 2010;44(Apr):24-27