WE need a new S&C coach

[ErickJD08]

I am not a college basketball junky so if someone tells me this crap happens to every program and I will just look the other way.  But this CRAP happens every friggin year, I feel like its not a coincidence any more.  I easily could be wrong but I am just pissed right now.

[Tugg Speedman]

I am not a college basketball junky so if someone tells me this crap happens to every program and I will just look the other way.  But this CRAP happens every friggin year, I feel like its not a coincidence any more.  I easily could be wrong but I am just pissed right now.

What is it your unhappy about?  Injuries?  DJ, DJO, Jr and McMorrow all had foot injuries.  All four were very different.  Are you saying that any injury below the ankle is the fault of some coach?

[KipsBayEagle]

if he hurt himself because he was lifting too much weight in an exercise, or was using improper form, thats one thing, but an acl tear can happen doing anything.  To assume its the strength and conditioning coaches fault just isn't fair.

[Nukem2]

if he hurt himself because he was lifting too much weight in an exercise, or was using improper form, thats one thing, but an acl tear can happen doing anything.  To assume its the strength and conditioning coaches fault just isn't fair.

Agreed.  Some posters are leaping to conclusions.

[Tugg Speedman]

if he hurt himself because he was lifting too much weight in an exercise, or was using improper form, thats one thing, but an acl tear can happen doing anything.  To assume its the strength and conditioning coaches fault just isn't fair.

Not an ACL tear, Achilles.

[muwarrior87]

The strength and conditioning coach is not the problem. Most of these injuries have been either freak accidents or fairly common injuries. In the other thread I said something needs to possibly change if this continues, I meant that if injuries that can be prevented happen, then something needs to change. I think based on these injuries, it's been more of a run of bad luck in my mind than anything else.

[Skatastrophy]

It certainly has been odd how many foot and ankle-area injuries our team has sustained the past couple seasons.

I don't know if it's our S&C coach, or the crappy Converse shoes that the players didn't like or just bad luck... but hopefully it either gets straightened out or our bad luck takes a turn for the better.

[muwarrior87]

Well, since the injuries this year can't be chalked up to the Converse shoes, they've been wearing the generic Nike's as of late, I don't know if the shoes are to blame.  They still might have something to do with it though. Any biomed engineers, etc, work on the design of bball shoes for Nike in the house?

[ErickJD08]

The strength and conditioning coach is not the problem. Most of these injuries have been either freak accidents or fairly common injuries. In the other thread I said something needs to possibly change if this continues, I meant that if injuries that can be prevented happen, then something needs to change. I think based on these injuries, it's been more of a run of bad luck in my mind than anything else.

Cool.  All I wanted to know.  Just seems like it always happen around the same time every year.  But if no one else (especially with more knowledge than me) is concerned, my rant will end.

[muwarrior87]

Cool.  All I wanted to know.  Just seems like it always happen around the same time every year.  But if no one else (especially with more knowledge than me) is concerned, my rant will end.

don't get me wrong, I'm concerned about the team, the fact that these injuries have happened the past two years, etc. The thing is, a couple have been guys having their feet stepped on or injuries that can just happen at weird times. Fatigue may be causing the injury in some of these cases though so it may be wise for the summer workouts to be stepped up at more incremental levels though if it is a case of fatigue causing the injuries.  But again, I'm far from an expert at this kind of stuff.

[rocky_warrior]

Well, since the injuries this year can't be chalked up to the Converse shoes, they've been wearing the generic Nike's as of late, I don't know if the shoes are to blame.  They still might have something to do with it though. Any biomed engineers, etc, work on the design of bball shoes for Nike in the house?

I'm no biomed person, but I've recently been hearing/reading that ALL shoes (not just some brand or style) are actually really bad for our feet.  Basically - they make us walk wrong, and "ruin" all the good designs of our foot (arches, flexibility, etc.).

Kinda' strange thinking, but makes sense if you think about it. If you're interested, here's a decent article.  Long, but interesting.

http://nymag.com/health/features/46213/

"Wearers of expensive running shoes that are promoted as having additional features that protect (e.g., more cushioning, 'pronation correction') are injured significantly more frequently than runners wearing inexpensive shoes (costing less than $40)." According to another study, people in expensive cushioned running shoes were twice as likely to suffer an injury—31.9 injuries per 1,000 kilometers, as compared with 14.3—than were people who went running in hard-soled shoes.

They had people walk in their walking shoes, then barefoot, and each time measured the stress on their knees. They found, to their surprise, that the impact on the knees was 12 percent less when people walked barefoot than it was when people wore the padded shoes.

[shaquilvaine]

IMHO achilles tendon ruptures, Jones fractures and stress fractures might indeed by due to the strength and conditioning schedule.  Individuals are prone to each of these injuries if they are subjected to overuse injuries.  In other words, frequent intense training without set breaks in exercise.  One way to prevent these injuries is to have a 6day on 1day off schedule and to be sure that the six days on involve working different muscles, body parts each day.  For example, if the strength and conditioning coach is doing frequent squats and jumping exercises most days of the week, a player may be prone to these conditions due to a lack of rest.  While it is likely just coincidence that a number of our players have come down with these type of injuries, I think it is on the team orthopedic surgeon, team trainer and strength and conditioning coach to get together and make sure that events like boot camp or offseason workouts aren't focusing too much on the same muscle groups. 

[BuzzSucksSucks]

I agree that the strength and conditioning program has red flags.  These guys seem to be undergoing stresses their bodies cannot bear, and I say that simply because it's no isolated incident.  Okay, sure, an elite level of fitness is required in order to be competitive.  But at what point do we start looking at the causes of these injuries, instead of just writing them off as flukes?  I think they've got these guys tighter than piano strings, but that's just my opinion.

[Daniel]

Achilles tendons explode as a result of very stressful, quick movement.  Jumping/leaping, quick pivots, and, as in Junior's case, dashing from a dead stop to a fast run.  So, don't know what condition his tendon was in just prior to it rupturing, or if anything previously done as a routine contributed to the weakening of the tendon.  It could just be that the situation was just right to pop it - who knows.  But, it usually is a 30 - 40 year old injury, and that contributes to long recovery times (th eolder you are the worse).  

I just hope that he can recover quickly and 100%.  It is a tough injury, and rehab is painful and slow.  I went through it myself, so just speaking from my own experience.

[Blackhat]

I think it'd be good to review the off season program.   I think T Smith knows what he's doing and I'm sure he'll try to adapt.   If it continues I'll let Buzz make the call(not that I have a choice). 

[The Lens]

FYI, Shaq is a doctor and a medical doctor at that not one of those BS Doctor of Italian Studies or something.

Also, I know every program does it, but why do these guy need to be working 365?  We've had 5 newcomers go down in 12 months. 

[Tugg Speedman]

Should Pitt fire their S&C coach too?

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4478222

[Big Papi]

The problem is that basketball at this level has become 24/7 365 days a year.  There is no rest period.  They have become better players, faster, quicker, jump higher, become stronger, shoot better, get tougher.

[Blackhat]

I don't think Buzz is ever going to be one not to work to the max.   But we've got to make sure we are smart about it.   Sometimes rest and a day or days off are the right call and will help more in the long run.   Ask any long distance runner or weight lifter.   You're doing more damage if you don't take a day off than if you do.   

[Murffieus]

Every player should have his ankle/foot taped properly for every practice and for every game. Especially a guy like Junior who had an ankle problem a few years back. Some BB players are more vulnerable to ankle/food injuries than others.

Bob Weingart (ex MU trainer from 1950-1980) always said that 90% of all ankle/foot injuries are "inversion" sprains-----and he developed a taping method that absolutely eliminated that. His method also included a "heel lock" which he said prevented damage to the achillies tendon (Junior).

BTW----Bob is in the MU HOF-----was the head trainer for the USA Olympic team in 1972----and is in the Nat'l Trainers Asoc of America HOF.

[CAINMUTINY]

OKAY I think there are some folks on here who have a lack of understanding on what a S&C coach does.  They prepare the body for competition, and as part of this the exercises they have they players do should strengthen then muscles around sensitive areas, making them less prone to injury.  That is not to say fully eliminating it. 

Injuries happen.....that is a fact.  The thing that should be questioned is whether the player has a weak set of tendons or joints rather than pointing fault towards the S&C coach.  Todd Smith does a great job and we our lucky to have him.  Our team last year was one of the most athletic in the ncaa thanks to him.  Everyone take a deep breath....so we knew this was going to be a tough year and it just got a little tougher, but we have oodles of talent coming in and a young coach who is driven and most of all, likeable.......we will be fine.

[dsfire]

FYI, Shaq is a doctor and a medical doctor at that not one of those BS Doctor of Italian Studies or something.

This was very confusing until I realized you were talking about shaquilvaine

[MUDPT]

I thought more about this and I would be more concerned with the attitude that coaches take towards injuries/ pain.  As a PT, I stop exercises immediately is there any sharp pain, where I feel coaches and SC coaches push someone to work through it.  The old coach once said on his show: "pain is weakness leaving the body."  Anybody that works in medicine, knows that that statement is false, and potentially dangerous. All minor injuries need to be addressed by the coach/ athletic trainer/ physician/ physical therapist to see if they need to be checked out further.  Players should not pushed through injuries.  I know that leaves you in the position where you have players "dogging" it, but I don't want those guys playing anyway or in our program.