row2k Features
Collegiate Coaches Corner
Injury Prevention Part 2 - Core, Trainers, and Returning from Injury
March 9, 2021
Erik Dresser, row2k.com

Following the cancellation of the 2020 spring racing season, row2k solicited the collegiate coaching community to engage in a variety of high-level topics within the profession. We submitted over sixty questions across a dozen topics and thank the coaches and staffs that found time to contribute their thoughts during this stressful time.

This week we focus on the topic of Injury Prevention with the following questions:

HAVE YOU FOUND ANY PARTICULAR CORE EXERCISES TO BE HELPFUL IN INJURY PREVENTION?

TREVOR MICHELSON – DARTMOUTH LIGHTWEIGHT MEN
The core exercise we focus on are the cross-ab, glute raise, controlled sit ups, and back extensions. As with all weight training, it is important to focus on executing good form before adding any weight.


JENN LANGZETTEL – DUQUESNE WOMEN
Ensuring that women are focused on all around core and not just abs. I believe that planks and a multitude of plank variations are some of the most helpful.


KEMP SAVAGE – EASTERN MICHIGAN WOMEN
We have found that, particularly with our freshmen, using a core focused circuit can really help injury prevention. We focus on hip flexor strength through Dead Bugs, Chorus Kicks, and Tick Tocks. Then we also work with a lot of rotation in both Russian Twists and Boxer Situps. These really help with the small muscles needed to get to the catch correctly and the ability to stay in a good strong spine position at full extension.


ERIC GEHRKE – GEORGE WASHINGTON MEN
I think the obvious ones are often the best (when performed correctly): planks, crunches, mountain climbers, hip hinges, etc.


CAM BROWN – ORANGE COAST MEN
I think a strong understanding of the core, and good core strength is essential and should be the starting point for every athlete. However, I don’t ever prescribe a specific ‘core’ circuit or exercise to my team. There are lots of great specific core exercises and variations out there, and if they are completed with good technique then they can be excellent, and I may encourage certain individuals to do this if they feel they need it.

It all comes down to correct technique and muscle activation. If you row with good technique – you shouldn’t need to do much extra core work. You should be getting a strong core exercise with every stroke you take. For my entire squad in the first few weeks of the season and on a regular basis I use a lot of drills on the water to focus on correct posture and suspension/hang through the drive using the correct muscles. This helps protect our lower backs and our ribs, develops our core strength and improves the connection between the leg drive and oar. When we do our lifting program throughout the season, each exercise is selected to improve strength and core together, so we are continuing to develop our core while also developing the main muscle groups: front squats, seated row, pushups etc. Some guys will do extra core work on their own – but I don’t require it. If they complete the set exercises with correct technique – each athlete’s core strength is developed enough to do its job correctly and safely. Like I mentioned earlier, I think having a strong understanding of how the core works is more important and more effective, than having excessive core strength.


BART THOMPSON – ADRIAN
I am a believer in Dr. Stuart McGill and his work, which teaches that a lot of crunches/core work can actually further risk herniating one’s disc. So, we tend to do a lot of stabilizing core work.

IF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO ATHLETIC TRAINERS, HOW COLLABORATIVE ARE THEY WITH THE COACHING STAFF REGARDING TREATMENT AND REHAB?

ALICEA STRODEL – MINNESOTA WOMEN
Our sports performance team, trainer, and strength coach, is very responsive and collaborative. We meet weekly to discuss what they’re seeing and hearing and plan modifications. I trust that our trainers are making the best decision for the student-athlete’s health and I defer to them. Taking myself out of influencing the return to play conversations, allows me to focus on the team and allows the athlete to not feel pressure to return too soon.


CAM BROWN – ORANGE COAST MEN
We are fortunate to have athletic trainers that our athletes can access and use. In my experience, most athletic trainers have a very limited understanding of the rowing stroke and so I made sure to work with them closely in the beginning explain the technique, common errors, injuries. With each season, the trainers have done an excellent job of increasing their knowledge of the sport and therefore are able to be much more effective in their treatment. Due to the nature of the sport – most injuries are overuse and so the effective treatment is going to take time – this is the hardest thing for the athlete to understand. I think we do a decent job of identifying injuries before they become a major problem – and we can send an athlete into the trainers to get ahead of it before they have to miss any practices.

Then we have to stay ahead of it. There is always stretching involved, and usually strengthening of underdeveloped stabilizer muscles. This takes time, but critically – we usually identify the issue before it requires an athlete to miss much water time and so they can continue practicing while they are rehabbing. Our trainers and I now have a good communication system and they are aware of the common injuries and demands of the rowing sport, and the need for athletes to be in the lineup. We will keep an athlete on land when needed, but thankfully we are able to minimize these situations through early identification and maintenance of the injury.


MADELINE DAVIS – BOSTON UNIVERSITY WOMEN
A capable, invested athletic trainer can make a huge difference in the training culture and performance of the team. I’ve found it to be crucial to prioritize my communication and collaboration with our AT to ensure that our philosophies are as aligned as possible. There will always be friction points, but if each party can anticipate where those might come up, you can better talk through them and come to an understanding of the best way forward for an individual or the team.


BART THOMPSON – ADRIAN
We communicate with our athletic trainers regularly; they’re an essential piece of our team’s success. Also, given that rowing is a “niche” sport, we want to make sure that they’re fully understanding what sort of movements/loading a given athlete is undergoing at practice.


ERIC GEHRKE – GEORGE WASHINGTON MEN
We work hand-in-hand with our trainers on a daily to weekly basis. Anyone that touches our program is kept in touch with regularly, so we are all on the same page. The athlete’s development requires 360-degree support from coaches, support staff, admins, and parents so we should all be reflecting the same messages in unity. The trainers collaborate only to the level of letting us know what rehab they have prescribed. We coaches do not mix into the medical side as that is not our skill set.


TREVOR MICHELSON – DARTMOUTH LIGHTWEIGHT MEN
We are fortunate to have an excellent Athletic Trainer that works with all three of our rowing teams. Our Athletic Training staff recently began to implement a weekly Injury Report. This report is sent to the coaching staff and lists all of the athletes that have visited the training room, what injury they have, the treatment they received, comments on their progress, and what their status is for erging, rowing, and strength and conditioning workouts. It has been a very useful tool in keeping our team injury free!


KEMP SAVAGE – EASTERN MICHIGAN WOMEN
I spend a lot of time with our athletic trainers, we have to create a training room that athletes can go to early if they feel there are issues with injury. Also using the trainer as a resource who is much better trained in injury diagnosis and treatment compared to my layperson's view. Then working with the trainer to establish a return to play rehab schedule and using my training as a coach to help them design a rehab plan that will best bring the athlete back to full time training.


JENN LANGZETTEL – DUQUESNE WOMEN
We have gotten more collaborative with AT in the last few years. We now have weekly meetings to discuss anyone that has an injury or has seen the AT for pain. This has been integral in keeping all of our women involved at some level throughout the year rather than out for long periods of time.

HOW HAVE YOU FOUND THE MOST SUCCESS REINTEGRATING ROWERS COMING BACK FROM INJURY?

BART THOMPSON – ADRIAN
I think you have to be careful not to overload the athlete too quickly, and to be willing to build up their fitness in alternative ways (such as spin bikes instead of long ergs).


KEMP SAVAGE – EASTERN MICHIGAN
When re-integrating athletes back to rowing we build up time rowing starting with steady state and also using cross training to keep their base high without having the overuse from rowing that more than likely caused the injury. This allows the athlete time to adapt to the rowing training without putting too much stress on the injury. Then when they can complete full steady state workouts, we integrate them back into more intense piece work.


JENN LANGZETTEL – DUQUESNE WOMEN
They start with a lighter load and if we are on the water are all grouped together to allow for shorter practices or a cut off of practice if any of them are experiencing pain. We slowly progress their workload to full and sometimes allow for a day off to rest their injury if it is a nagging injury.


ERIC GEHRKE – GEORGE WASHINGTON MEN
Patiently – taking in feedback from the athlete on a daily basis. With that in mind, we make sure the athletes understand (1) pain, soreness, and aches are very different physical feedbacks from your body so communicate with us concisely about those feelings, and (2) work will be required to get back up to speed so build upward each day, do not accept doing the same thing at a low level as improvement.


TREVOR MICHELSON – DARTMOUTH LIGHTWEIGHT MEN
The key to reintegrating rowers coming back from injury is to not rush the healing process. We always consult our athletic trainer before having an athlete return to practice. Once they are given the clear, we will usually start them off with 10- or 15-minute bouts of erging after a proper warm up on the bike. After their 15 minutes are up, they will return to the bike. If the next day they feel good, we will increase to 20 or 30 minutes. We will continue this process until they are pain free and back to full volume, increasing their time on the erg each day by five or ten minutes.


CAM BROWN – ORANGE COAST MEN
When we have an athlete stay on land for an extended time due to injury, there is a balance between being patient and aggressive. Most importantly, listen to the athlete and what they are telling me. Some athletes need to be more patient, so they don’t re-injure themselves. Some athletes are clearly more cautious, and even apprehensive to return – they need to build their confidence back. I have had several cases where an athlete is cleared by the Athletic Trainer, but the athlete is not confident enough to return – what to do? This is where the coach-athlete relationship is critical and there must be trust. As a coach, you must know the limits of pushing the athlete beyond their comfort level to get back into it, but not to the point of causing re-injury.

Similarly, you must listen to the athlete and be prepared to give the athlete more time if that is what they need, even if they are cleared. In the past I have worked with athletes on a 1 or 2 week plan to gradually re-integrate them into the normal workload. The athlete agrees and they build their confidence with each passing session. Perhaps they skip the erg sessions, perhaps they only row 2 or 3 times this week – gradually build them back into it. There is no template to follow – you must listen to the athlete, work with the trainers, and find the best way forward for that athlete.

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