[YOUR EDGE] coaches
Leave the
Hammy
And more injury prevention tips from CEP trainer Shane Rye
How can coaches keep athletes healthy when they’re playing up to three games per day for several weeks during the summer tournament season? I sat down to tackle the topic with Shane Rye, coach of the state runner-up Benjamin (Fla.) School boys’ lacrosse team, US Lacrosse Coaching Education Program trainer and sports performance coach.
TJB: What are the most common injuries you see in lacrosse players on the summer tournament circuit? SR: This time of year often comes with an increase of nagging injuries such as muscle pulls and back pain. Without sounding too nerdy and diving too far into the anatomy and science of it all, a majority of lacrosse players tend to have the same movement patterns and compensations for muscle deficiencies. Playing three games a day for weeks only furthers those compensation patterns and often leads to injury. For most lacrosse players, the
primary complaints revolve around having tight hamstrings, groin or their lower back. Hamstrings that feel tight are usually because they are overstretched. Stretching them further only exacerbates the issue.
LM: How do lower back injuries
occur? SR: Lower back issues usually happen because the lower back gets overstretched or hyperextended repeatedly. Add in the fact that most hyperextension occurs during shooting or throwing while simultaneously rotating, and you have a recipe for disaster.
58 LACROSSE MAGAZINE August 2014>> Plank with Posterior Tilt
Symptoms can range from feeling stiff or tight to feeling downright debilitating. It’s not uncommon to see back issues wreck a player’s entire summer recruiting plans.
One of the most serious issues we are encountering more and more are fractures of the vertebrae. These injuries are commonly diagnosed as Spondylosis or spondylolisthesis, or Spondy for short. A Spondy is actually a fracture of one of the bones that make up the vertebrae. Depending on the severity, injured players’ recovery could range from six weeks to many months, often accompanied by a back brace. Players who suffer from these injuries have complaints about having “tight hamstrings and a tight lower back” in the early stages. Recovery can often be tedious and lengthy.
LM: How do you prevent such injuries? SR: There are four exercises I use with athletes in their warm-up and in between games. These help with tight hamstrings, back, hip flexors and groins. At the risk of having daggers thrown at me, I suggest you stop stretching your hamstrings before you play. Above all, players should be part of a well-rounded strength and conditioning program that addresses their muscle imbalances.
Hip Flexor Stretch Get into a forward lunge position. Push your front leg hard into the ground. Squeeze your glute and slightly
twist your upper body toward your front leg. Don’t overarch your back. Instead, tilt your pelvis toward your posterior. Hold for seven seconds and relax. Do this three times per leg.
Plank with Posterior Tilt Take the arch out of your lower back by squeezing your glutes together and pushing your stomach (obliques) out as though you were bracing for a punch. Do three to four reps for 15 seconds.
Dead Bug
Lie on your back and bring both legs up to 90 degrees. Alternate moving your legs up and down while pushing your lower back into the ground. Push your stomach out. Take the arch out of your back. Do two sets of 10 reps per leg.
Shooters
This is an upper-back mobility exercise. Get down on your hands and knees, and then sit back so your glutes are close to your heels. Put your hand on the back of your head. Move your upper back and arm to the opposite leg, and then back up. Your head and eyes follow your elbow. Do this 12 to 15 times on each side.
US L acrosse
Coaching education program
— TJ Buchanan US Lacrosse coaching education content manager
A Publication of US Lacrosse Shooters Dead Bug
Hip
Flexor Stretch
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68