Pre-Screening Athletes

Looking forward to see the pre screen. The one thing all athletes should have is an echo cardiogram to show if they have enlargement of their hearts.Japan does them routinely.Have to ask for them here.But your insurance company will most likely pay.

I dont know all these screening terms, but improper posture and spinal alignment can and will lead to injury(usually shoulder)

At the beginning of the off-season our 13U travel team began an association with a local fitness training group that deals with rotational athletes. The initial evaluation involves a pre-screening to determine each athlete’s level of strength and more importantly his joint and muscle stability, mobility and flexibility.

We did this for basically two reasons. One is we want to help the kids maximize their abilities through proper conditioning. 13 seems to be a pretty good age to start this process. Probably the most important reason though is we want our kids to stay healthy. Some will be in 9th grade in the fall and in our area that is a time when ballplayers start weight training. Certain forms of weight training are notoriously hard on joints, especially in young athletes. As coaches we didn’t want to see the kids enter the high school program without having had some focus on proper conditioning in the areas of stability, mobility and flexibility.

The program was voluntary in the fall with costs having to be shouldered by the families. Participation was mixed as you would expect in tough times. We feel strongly enough though that we are seriously considering adding at least the screening to the team budget for next year and may dedicate a fall fundraiser for this purpose.

One final thought. I attended several open houses where athletes ages 12-17 were screened as part of the presentation. Without exception the younger athletes ages 12-14 were determined at risk to begin weight training until basic stability, mobility and flexibility issues were addressed. I was very surprised at the number of flexibility/range of motion issues, particularly in the hips, as well as the number of kids that needed some type of foot support or orthotic.

I am not one of those people opposed to weight training in younger athletes. However after watching several screenings I am convinced almost none are prepared to do it properly.

All athletes should be cleared medically to participate in sports. An echocardiogram is not included in a physical prior to participation. As mentioned above, it is of course extremely beneficial but you do have to ask for them and if your insurance does not cover it can be a costly test.

I am glad to see that your travel team did have some type of screening proctored by fitness professionals. Even though it is at an extra cost, recognizing and catching these limitations or muscular imbalances at an early age can be crucial to preventing further injury. Once you know the limitation/imbalance, you can address them appropriately and implement specific exercises to correct the problem.

In regards to weight training in younger athletes, I agree that there are more than enough reasons to be cautious when implementing a program for this particular age group. However, it is extremely important to teach proper lifting mechanics and movement patterns using body weight, training bars, broomsticks, light med balls, etc. This is another topic that we can discuss at a later time as well.

Sample Pre-Screening for Athletes

I have learned a great deal from a well known practicing physical therapist, Gray Cook - MSPT, OCS, CSCS and his functional evaluation pre-screening techniques. This guy knows what he is talking about. He is very practical and precise when it comes to pre-screening athletes. Along with some of his exercises, I have implemented my own exercise protocol pre-screen depending on the sport, gender, and age.

*This Pre-Screening protocol should be proctored and analyzed by a professional.

First Step: ROM Measurements

Determining normal values in range of motion (ROM) will give the instructor an idea of how susceptible the athlete may be to injury.

IR/ER Throwing shoulder
IR/ER Non throwing shoulder
Shoulder Flexion, Extension, Abduction
Dorsiflexion, Inversion, Eversion of the ankle
Hip Flexion, Internal/External Rotation
Knee Flexion

Second Step: Video Analysis

Posture
Gait - walking cycle/running cycle
Squat
Lunge
Side Lunge
Hurdle Step
Prone Core Pushup
Shoulder Mobility

From each of these basic exercises, the instructor can determine movement limitations, balance issues, and postural inefficiencies that may lead to injury. This will also give the instructor the appropriate knowledge in order to implement a proper exercise program to help correct these problems.

If you have any questions feel free to email me at austin@abathletics.com.

Well said, Austin. We screen our players for postural imbalances and use the goniometer to measure their throwing and non-throwing shoulder ER/IR (total) motion, hip internal rotation, and perform the Thomas Test on all athletes beginning a program with us.

We preach self-myofascial release (SMR) with foam rollers and PVC pipe. It's a must-have here!

Squat/lunge depth and unilateral bias are great tests to perform as well.

I have a feeling that we could type thousands of words on this subject alone, but I think everyone has covered the importance of pre-screening athletes before serious physical training.

Austin and Kyle,

I am somewhat biased as I work for Athletes Performance. We partnered with Gray Cook many years ago and perform his FMS (Functional Movement Screen) on every athlete that comes through. That is one of numerous tests we perform regardless of level...Little Leaguer to MLB. I would also encourage you to check out www.tptherapy.com

They are leading the way with soft tissue care both for pre training and post training.

Thanks for the website Jason. Looks like there's a ton of great info here.