Hard Grounds Seminar – Great Information for Country Sport (held April 20th 2008)

The Hard Grounds Seminar held on April 20th was of enormous value to coaches, trainers and clubs who attended.  Paul Haas, who led the session, is a physiotherapist with Bounce Health Group and works with the Eastern Rangers Football Club, the Victorian Institute of Sport Gymnastic Squad and Basketball Victoria’s Intensive Training Centre Program.  Taking the lead from the audience who were predominately from North Central, Wimmera and Horsham and District Football Clubs, he outlined reasons for a need to change training and recovery policies. 

“The game itself had increased in speed and players’ height and mass have also increased.  Combining these factors with harder grounds, variable training surfaces, and differing grass types have lead to a greater impact on the body of player and thus an increase in injuries.” 

Paul maintained that clubs and players could reduce the incidence of injury by adopting better training and recovery strategies as well as making more appropriate boot/shoe selection depending on the type of surface being played on. 

He drew on statistics from the AFL relating to hamstring injuries to underline these points.  Graphical evidence showed that players who returned to play after 3 weeks had a 30 – 40% risk of recurrence but players who returned after 4 weeks had only a 5% risk of re-injury.  Players aged over 23 and those with a history of hamstring problems were also at a higher risk of recurrent injury.

His tips for overcoming hamstring injuries included:-
DO’S
• Combining running and agility programs
• Restoring and/or improving strength in hamstrings via specific exercise and stretching regimes
• Addressing Lumbar spine (referred pain – via physio/massage)
• Giving players 4 weeks to recover
• Rotating players during middle 10 minutes of quarters (as this when they are most likely to be re-injured)
DON’TS
• Don’t train day before game
• Don’t overstretch
• Don’t drink alcohol after game
• Don’t go too fast or too slow (both increase the possibility of re-injury)
• Don’t do weights before training

The rise in the incidence of stress fractures is another symptom of hard grounds.  Bones normally respond to exercise by altering their structure and becoming stronger but with the same training and playing conditions on even harder and uneven surfaces, with little break between seasonal sports they can become “stressed”.  There are many ways to manage the injury depending on its severity including rest, cross training (swimming, gymnasium work) before a return to training in a gradual manner over a period of weeks. 

For a copy of Paul’s presentation, contact the Wimmera Regional Sports Assembly or download it in PDF format [hard grounds presentation]