A national sports medicine coalition recently cited the Charter School of Educational Excellence’s athletics program as a model for preventing youth athlete injuries.
The Aspen Institute’s Project Play, for the National ACL Injury Coalition, published a case study that details how the CSEE, under the leadership of Athletic Director Mike DeSimone and PE Teacher/Athletic Trainer Patrick Kilcarr, implemented a neuromuscular training program based on the Hospital for Special Surgery’s Neuro-dynamic Warmup.
This initiative has led to remarkable results, including a 35% decrease in documented knee and ankle sprains and, notably, zero ACL injuries since its implementation. Before 2018, the school recorded three ACL injuries.
An ACL injury is a tear or sprain of the anterior cruciate ligament, a ligament in the knee that connects the thighbone (femur) to the shinbone (tibia).
“The Neuro-dynamic warm-up is now part of how we do things here,” DeSimone told Project Play. “Athletes, coaches and families are learning on a daily basis through pre-season and on-going in-season education how to properly take off and land on single legs and perform a proper neuro-dynamic warm up, which is completed on a daily basis and feedback is provided by coaches trained three times per year.”
The success of the program at CSEE is attributed to several key factors:
- Strong Leadership Buy-in: DeSimone’s philosophy of prioritizing “whatever is best for the kids” set the stage for a culture of prioritizing athlete well-being.
- Emphasis on Coach Development: CSEE has invested in annual summer coach development workshops in sport safety education and quarterly professional development for coaches.
- Data-Driven Approach: Consistent data collection and sharing of results have reinforced the importance of the neuromuscular training program.
- Strategic Implementation: The school’s methodical approach to introducing the program, starting with coaches who were early adopters, ensured smooth integration and widespread adoption.
The Aspen Institute’s Project Play, the National ACL Injury Coalition and the Hospital for Special Surgery are working to address the rising rates of ACL injuries among young athletes. This case study on CSEE serves as a valuable resource for other institutions looking to adopt similar injury prevention strategies.
The full case study can be found on the Aspen Institute’s Project Play website.
