Injuries and Fitness

The’re is a great need to be particularly concerned about the
fitness level for soccer players and the urgency and knowledge to be applied when a player is injured.
Thabile E. Mogane speaks to Thumelo Khumalo, Mbombela United Fitness Trainer


Exercise and physical well-being is considered as one of the greatest solutions for anyone to stay healthy. Just like taking a prescription order; it's also been heavily emphasized that keeping fit is of utmost importance.

 

However, looking at our local upcoming players from SAB and Vodacom leagues; we also need to be aware of other major factors that add onto the thrills of soccer matches.
Apart from the vast fans support, the heart-racing adrenaline rush experienced by the players as soon as the whistle blows for kick-off, and the numerous goals and points won or lost; we need to also look at the player's dreaded injuries. Even though they tend to slow down a game and hinder peoples focus or attention from the matter at hand; we need to be real and also face the facts of how serious injuries are.

 

A close interview with fitness trainer Tumelo Khumalo proved just how soccer injuries are quite common and often underestimated. One needs to realize that to produce an excellent and productive team; all players need to also be in proper shape and live lifestyles that help prolong their effectiveness, and thus ensuring more thrilling awesome, fast paced, mind-bobbling, shisa-nyama soccer matches.


There are numerous ways in which soccer injuries can be classified, but all need attention as they could be the fall of a sporting career. Tumelo mentioned the P.R.I.C.E principles (Institute of Fitness Professionals, “Exercise Science manual” page 116), which are basic rules set to check out and also solve injuries acquired during training and the actual matches. They are as follows:


Protection: ensuring that injured area is stabilized or immobilized properly.
Rest: based on the trauma suffered; rest and recovery time is the best way to rejuvenate any form of injury.
Ice : not just for keeping the drinks in the cooler box; ice is one of the best ways to ensure that muscle  spasm doesn't occur around the injured area.


Compression: this is what typically causes an injured area to feel more bearable.
Elevation: placing injured area on a higher platform tends to decrease hydrostatic pressure and the volume of fluid filtered out of the blood vessels into the tissue spaces.


Soccer injuries need quick attention no matter how big or small they seem. A quick and easy acronym has been written down below so that you as an individual may also know what to do when a player gets hurt; without having to jeopardize the players' chances of remaining in the game.


A-    Analysis of the intensity of the injury and the area affected.
B-     Broaden surface area. If it means having to remove the players' soccer boot slowly and safely do so. The more the area is revealed, the more you will know where to hold and where not to apply too much pressure.
C-            Carefully place injured area on a high platform so that it's elevated as you examine it.
D-           Don't try to pull bones or fix things if you are not sure about what to do.
E-            Effectively apply ice on the injured area to help reduce muscle spasm and pain.
F-            From the team’s First Aid kit, take the bandage and carefully roll it around the injured area and make sure that it's compressed properly. The extra pressure after the ice has been applied tends to make the pain more bearable.
G-           Give the player enough time to rest; even if it's a few minutes every now and then during the match till full recovery. Putting too much strain on the injured area tends to impede the healing process.

 

Soccer injuries are the major reason why most players had to retire early. Some of the reasons were mainly because the trainers, coaches or even play-mates over-looked the injury or caused more damage with the way in which they handled injuries. Ensure that you spread the awareness and find out more on how to handle sport injuries.

The impact of sports injuries is taken lightly in the in most cases until when people will realize that what they tamed as a light infringement was actually a career threatening injury. Only until then, that's when sports teams' managers and coordinators shall the importance of essential commodities such as medical kits and even ice. More consideration shall be given to the indispensability of a simple cooler box with water and ice than importing loads of cooler boxes with liquor into the stadium while the imposed medic parades the stadium with a 2 litre bottle of tap water.