Spirit

We all want to support our children and give them every chance of success, and the health of our younger population has never been a more topical issue. Adolescents have access to, and are participating in, more sports and activities than ever. And with this can come increased stress both physically and emotionally.

A 2017 research paper* states that with this increase in participation we have seen an increase in injuries in our young sports people. The primary factors contributing to these injuries include:

• Sudden increases in training frequency
• Poor strength and conditioning
• Sub-standard training techniques at too high an intensity

To prevent injury and keep the young athlete at the top of their game physically and emotionally, Mold Physiotherapy offers ‘Spirit’. Spirit is a personal, youth orientated sports coaching module aimed at preventing injury, developing health and fitness education, and supporting the health and well-being of young adults while providing a sound platform from which they can reach their full sporting potential.

This six-month program offers:

• An initial consultation with both child and parents to discuss sporting backgrounds, aspirations and goals
• Discussion and identification of present and possible injuries
• Physiotherapy treatment and other injury prevention tactics
• Postural assessment including flexibility and joint mobility testing
• Muscle stability and strength assessment

Then, a personal, physical fitness program is customised and designed to fit exact needs. The young athlete will then meet with their personal fitness coach and physiotherapist for a weekly, 60-minute personal physical fitness session in the gym. As well as their physical fitness program, coach and athlete will cover a ‘health and fitness curriculum’. This education module will cover all manner of health-related topics from nutrition to sleep and will include quizzes and homework. Subjects covered in the ‘health and fitness curriculum’ include:

• Important tips on how to train smarter for sport. For example, why stretching is important, why optimal rest is good for the body and why good food and hydration is so key
• How to exercise safely and effectively in a gym and how to design your own workout
• Coaching analysis of ‘game-time’, identifying problems during competition and creating solutions to provide better sport performance
• Advice on how to successfully manage the stress of sport along with other commitments such as school and social time
• We will provide advice and strategies so they can manage their own self beliefs

Measurement:

• At the half-way mark of the course, we will meet with the parent and athlete again to discuss progress. This will be supplemented with a written ‘mid-term report’ with outcomes reached and goals still to be achieved.
• On-going feedback sessions and reports for parents on the progress of their young athlete will be supplied where required.
• Homework will be given weekly to the child. This may include working with parents to help create a stronger bond.

In order to work exclusively with our Spirit clients, we only offer eight slots nationwide over 12 months.

The program runs in either a three month or six-month timeframe. We encourage the six-month program because this gives a longer timeframe to deliver sustainable results however the three-month program is a great starter and is intensive in its own right.

Invest in the health, fitness and sports performance of your children and get this eight-week personalised program for $126 +GST, per person, per session. Get all your needs met with one person.

Book today if you want to enable your child to get the best from their sporting lives!

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*Epidemiology of sports-related musculoskeletal injuries in young athletes in United States Dilip R. Patel, Ai Yamasaki, Kelly Brown. 2017.