Bridging Research with Reality
There are massive amounts of information available providing insight into the world of youth sports. Much of this information comes from research done in universities focusing on particular parts of the of sports world. I have spent a great deal of my education career reading these articles and determining what its meaning and value to society are.
There is one major problem: the articles are long, boring, speak in medical talk, and rarely offer practical application.
This article aimed at Reducing Injuries in Sport, offers a synopsis of other research articles. Nice part about pieces like this is they offer a quick reference on what you can do to reduce risk in sports. Trouble is it requires individuals to look over massive amounts of information and take the time to put together an article. So, if you stumble onto some research, hear something on the radio and run to the internet, or someone tells you something as if it is "doctrine" in the current sports world, consider the following:
1. DOES IT MAKE SENSE? - I know this seems like a simple litmus test but serious consider it. If the information cannot come across in couple sentences of its purpose....look elsewhere.
2. IS IT HELPFUL? - If you are looking over articles that apply to advanced swimmers and your child plays softball, you may be wasting your time.
3. IS IT PRACTICAL? - I cannot tell you how many times I read journal articles or advice from experts that are completely unreasonable! Sure, I agree doing 30 minutes of stretching before and after each practice is good for an athlete but are you going to get a group of 8 year old to pay attention for that long? Probably not......
4. IS THERE MORE INFORMATION LIKE IT? - Sometimes information out there will be a small piece of the puzzle. It is tough for those with a medical background to piece together information so if there aren't many sources for a particular topic or concern, grasping to understand the whole process may be difficult.
There is one major problem: the articles are long, boring, speak in medical talk, and rarely offer practical application.
This article aimed at Reducing Injuries in Sport, offers a synopsis of other research articles. Nice part about pieces like this is they offer a quick reference on what you can do to reduce risk in sports. Trouble is it requires individuals to look over massive amounts of information and take the time to put together an article. So, if you stumble onto some research, hear something on the radio and run to the internet, or someone tells you something as if it is "doctrine" in the current sports world, consider the following:
1. DOES IT MAKE SENSE? - I know this seems like a simple litmus test but serious consider it. If the information cannot come across in couple sentences of its purpose....look elsewhere.
2. IS IT HELPFUL? - If you are looking over articles that apply to advanced swimmers and your child plays softball, you may be wasting your time.
3. IS IT PRACTICAL? - I cannot tell you how many times I read journal articles or advice from experts that are completely unreasonable! Sure, I agree doing 30 minutes of stretching before and after each practice is good for an athlete but are you going to get a group of 8 year old to pay attention for that long? Probably not......
4. IS THERE MORE INFORMATION LIKE IT? - Sometimes information out there will be a small piece of the puzzle. It is tough for those with a medical background to piece together information so if there aren't many sources for a particular topic or concern, grasping to understand the whole process may be difficult.
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