WAG ergonomy for coaches

[catou]

Hi everyone!

I'm doing a course in ergonomy at university and we have to analyze the postures, repetitions and many other parameters of someone working. I decided to do it with a gymnastics coach. I need some statistics about injuries (of traumatic and repetitive origin) sustained by gymnastics coaches. I was wondering if any of you, knew where I could find some? I did use google, but couldn't find anything. Thanks!

 

[sewgood]

No official diagnosis, but my shoulders always hurt when I was coaching. I'm sure it was from spotting, especially older beginners (like a beginning rec class for teens). And there's always a risk of getting kicked in the face with the preschoolers.

 

[Sari]

And there's always a risk of getting kicked in the face with the preschoolers.

And by compulsory gymnasts practicing shoot-overs

Sorry, I don't know of any data either. Have you tried not just Google, but Google scholar specifically?

 

[fuzi]

There are some articles about preventing coaching injuries on http://www.shiftmovementscience.com/. He usually cites his sources, so you might find more help in his citations.

 

[AgingHippie]

My gymmie managed a face kick once during L5 bars, she was mortified.

 

[sewgood]

There are some articles about preventing coaching injuries on http://www.shiftmovementscience.com/. He usually cites his sources, so you might find more help in his citations.

Thank you for sharing!

 

[sewgood]

My gymmie managed a face kick once during L5 bars, she was mortified.

Awww, poor thing (and poor coach).


I once got kicked by this little tiny peanut of a 3 year old, and I swear I saw stars like they do in cartoons.

 

[raenndrops]

We had coaches sprain wrists spotting. One broke a finger. Another was kicked in the face standing by the beam for a back walkover. That coach had to make an emergency trip to the dentist-tooth was knocked loose and crown fell out.
Lastly, a coach making an amazing save tore her rotator cuff.
I have no statistics though. Good luck.

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

Rotator cuffs/shoulders seem to be pretty common. I have thrown my back out more than once coaching little ones, especially of the age where you support them and they just drop... I no longer teach that age group, lol! I have been kicked in the face many time spottingBHS (once kicking my glasses off my face and then landing on them, that was lovely and expensive..!) and I'm currently sporting a lovely bruise covering my entire forearm from a gymnast pinning my arm between her and the bar as she completely collapsed onto it... She was fine though, and my arm is fine, just bruised! My wrists are always taking a beating when I spot a lot but that's partially because I have RA.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

No official statistics that I know of, but perhaps workers comp has some type of statistic, as I know the insurance companies surely do.
As for myself i will list only the major stuff.
Several (and I mean beyond counting) strains in the shoulder area, particularly in the AC joint.
Detached Bicept, (required surgery to reattach).
29 stitches in my head, (over 20 of which were internal and had to reattach a jaw muscle), I also had a concussion because of this.
Couple black eyes
Pulled muscles in back from catching falling kids.
lose teeth
couple sprained wrists
Plenty of other stuff but not worth mentioning. But yea, we take a beating....

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

Yeah, there's a reason my doctor willingly prescribes me regular massage therapy. I don't know that I would be able to do this at my age without that.... Just the minor sprains and pulls from everyday spotting really adds up to a lot of aches!

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

And CoachP, OUCH on the detached bicep and jaw muscle re attachment!!!!!

 

[Aero]

No official statistics that I know of, but perhaps workers comp has some type of statistic, as I know the insurance companies surely do.
As for myself i will list only the major stuff.
Several (and I mean beyond counting) strains in the shoulder area, particularly in the AC joint.
Detached Bicept, (required surgery to reattach).
29 stitches in my head, (over 20 of which were internal and had to reattach a jaw muscle), I also had a concussion because of this.
Couple black eyes
Pulled muscles in back from catching falling kids.
lose teeth
couple sprained wrists
Plenty of other stuff but not worth mentioning. But yea, we take a beating....

I wanted to like your post, but how could I "like" all of that…

 

[Sari]

Oh, reading through this, I remember my coach tore his biceps spotting a BHS gone wrong. Had to have surgery and all, took months for him to recover (but hey, gymnast was fine!).

 

[gymisforeveryone]

I ended up needing a surgery two years ago when meniscus in my knee teared. I spotted some giants on a spotting block tower that wasn't the most stable construction..... Now I try to tie the blocks into something stable using jumping ropes. I recommend that you all fellow coaches do the same, lol

 

[fuzi]

Since we're all giving personal anecdotes: I had surgery for multi-directional shoulder instability. Some of that was surely the result of my own gymnastics and circus (mis)use. Some of it was surely the result of coaching.

I stepped off a mat backwards once and sprained my ankle. Total goof. Was in a boot for a few weeks and then a brace for a few more.

Been kicked and smacked in the face a good # of times.

 

[fuzi]

For your project... I wonder if you could go observe coaches on a certain event (bars perhaps) and look at their body mechanics and injury risk. If I was your professor, and you went and videoed coaches movement, looked at what muscle groups/joints they are using and how they might get injured, and developed suggestion for minimizing risk: you'd get an A+.

 

[catou]

Thanks everyone for your answers!

I will go film and take pictures. One thing I noticed from your answers, it looks like injuries occur mostly to the extremities. I have to concentrate on either the back or on the arms/shoulders for the analysis.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

Hi everyone!

I'm doing a course in ergonomy at university and we have to analyze the postures, repetitions and many other parameters of someone working. I decided to do it with a gymnastics coach. I need some statistics about injuries (of traumatic and repetitive origin) sustained by gymnastics coaches. I was wondering if any of you, knew where I could find some? I did use google, but couldn't find anything. Thanks!

you won't find any. we're to brave to admit we have any.

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

Back and shoulders are probably one of the largest complain areas for coaches, that seems supported by the answers so far..?