chapter 22. Event assessment
E Falvey and C McCarthy
INJURY AVOIDANCE
Could the injuries have been avoided by more comprehensive preparation?
Adequate protective equipment
• Is all playing equipment working properly and safely? Poorly maintained or ill-fitting playing equipment can jeopardize performance and directly result in injury
Was player size/experience/technique a factor?
• Players poorly matched for size and strength are prone to injury
• Those lacking experience need to be protected while they learn the necessary skills
Player fatigue
While fatigue is the natural result of playing/training with intensity, this should settle in 1-2 days, symptoms persisting longer need to be investigated. Excessive tiredness leads to training/playing errors and injury, as well as overuse injuries. The following factors can lead to excessive player fatigue:
• Overtraining – This can result from a coach unknowingly pushing an athlete beyond their ability, or an athlete, striving for better results, pushing harder than their body can tolerate. Conversely, this will lead to a drop in performance and is damaging both physically and mentally. A well-designed training programme with adequate rest/recovery periods is vital
• Poor nutrition – Inadequate calorific intake can affect performance and lead to injury. Players need to be advised on eating all the food groups regularly (protein, carbohydrate, fruit and vegetables, dairy products, nuts & cereals) – adequate protein intake is vital to maintain and grow hardworking muscle. Carbohydrate is essential to replace muscle energy stores
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