What a fantastic weekend of NFL football that was played to determine who would be the final two teams to meet in the 2014 Super Bowl. Wow, the excitement, the thrill, and the determination of each player, coach, and fan doing whatever they can to make sure that their teams win. For those of you who watched the game you were probably witness to the player, 49ers linebacker Navorro Bowman, that was injured on the San Francisco defense. It was a horrific injury that occurred on his left leg/knee. We are certain that professional athletes have the best training, strength and conditioning coaches, medical doctors, therapists, sports physiologists, and sports psychologist in the industry, so why do players get hurt? Well, ladies and gentlemen, even the best conditioned athletes, the best trained athletes, still have injuries because they are human, and have areas of their bodies that may not withstand too much force. When reviewing the play, the force and angle of impact that was placed on his leg/knee was too much load for that area of his body to withstand. As coaches, we look for the best way to train the entire body, but how do you prepare for this shock that Navorro sustained? The most we can do as coaches is prepare our athletes by teaching them the proper angles and positions, as well as strengthening them in those angles and positions, to make sure they perform at their peak since it is so crucial for their success.
At Git Right Sports Performance and Fitness, our training is designed to prepare our athletes for success on the football field. We assist with preparing the body to withstand shock in a safe and effective manner. Even with our expertise, it would have been impossible to build a leg/knee that was strong enough to withstand the shock that he sustained because of all the forces and angles of collision that occurred. When the slow motion was played back, you could see how the weight of three big guys, including Navorro, centered at one specific point of his leg/knee. It is reported that he tore his left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and his medial collateral ligament (MCL) (AP Source.) In addition, we take injuries seriously and are always looking for ways to train in manner that will cause a specific change to occur and protect the joints. In addition, we work to prevent injury because we want our athletes to thrive and be able to do what they love to do. It is unfortunate that Navorro Bowman suffered such a horrific injury but it is the nature of the game. Football is a violent, high impact sport that is sometimes unpredictable. Football has its benefits and it is a game that is extremely difficult to attain the highest point, Super Bowl Champion.
In addition, we would like to congratulate Coach Pete Carroll for advancing to the Super Bowl this year along with all his staff. We also congratulate his Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Chris Carlisle and his assistant Jamie Yanchar who we both had the pleasure of working with when we were strength coaches at USC with Pete Carroll as the head coach.
“Going all the way down to the last drive and all that, it came out with all of the drama that you could maybe hope for in a game like this. It was a great match up. They’re a fine team and they were tough on us and we were tough on them and you just kind of had to wait it out and see what the opportunities were going to present. We took care of business when we needed to.” – quote: Pete Carroll
“People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society.” – quote: Vince Lombardi
“In life, as in a football game, the principle to follow is: hit the line hard.” – quote: Theodore Roosevelt
“Football is like life- it requires perseverance, self- denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority.” – quote: Vince Lombardi