Volleyball is a physically demanding sport with over 240,000 players across Australia, and 900 million globally, making it the 5th most participated sport on earth.
In mid-September, one of our Physiotherapists, Sam was given the opportunity to work with Volleyball Victoria and be one of two Physiotherapists in charge of the Victorian delegation for the National Volleyball Youth State Championship in Bendigo. Sam has written about his experience in Bendigo, working with the athletes and his overall experience working as a Physiotherapist in the realm of elite sport.
“The world of elite sport is a different kettle of fish. The weeks, months, and years of training and preparation to compete on a national stage in front of your family, friends and peers cannot be underestimated as a challenging mental and physical battle. The National Youth State Volleyball Championship is an annual 5-day tournament, where the best teams from each Australian state (ranging from U13-U18) compete for gold, silver or bronze medals, representing first, second and third place respectively.
Understandably so, some people may assume a Physiotherapists role throughout a sporting tournament would involve mostly strapping and massage to prevent and manage any injuries that may occur. While strapping and manual therapy techniques such as massage are favourable modalities in a Physiotherapist’s ‘toolkit’, the challenge for any Physiotherapist and the situation when we can be most valuable, is if and when an acute injury occurs, how to best manage the injury while also allowing the best opportunity for athlete to continue to compete.
This week has taught me a great many of things, not just how to best manage acute sporting injuries, but also how to work athletes, coaches and parents, to manage expectations and safely return to sport after an acute sporting injury. Furthermore, in a tournament with many ups and downs, long days and at times working in challenging circumstances, there’s no better feeling than to feel as part of a team and that in your own way, have done your part to contribute to the success of the team.”
Sport is a fantastic way to improve your physical and mental wellbeing and become stronger, fitter and faster. However, we do understand that sometimes injuries can happen.
If you have recently sustained an injury or are looking to get back into exercise but don’t know if you’re ready, feel free to come in and discuss the best treatment option with your Physiotherapist.