UON Research Aligned to CCAS Basketball

7 Nov 2017 by ccasport

The University of Newcastle (UON) continue their involvement with the Central Coast Academy of Sport through the provision of research. Research in sport remains high on the ‘to do’ list as the Central Coast Academy of Sport continues to provide significant opportunity for athletes within the scholarship programs on offer.

UON Senior Lecturer in Biomechanics Dr Suzi Edwards is part of the international research team led by Professor Jill Cook through the La Trobe Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre and supported by the National Basketball Association and GE Healthcare. The outcome of this research may assist young athletes in maximising their sporting performance and minimising their risk of developing injuries specific to running, jumping and landing, three essential fundamental skills in the sport of Basketball.

The patellar tendon connects the kneecap to the shin bone and it plays an important role in transferring the force young athletes generate in their thigh muscles to create movement. Many athletes suffer a condition called ‘jumper’s knee’ that affects their ability to train and perform, decreasing ability to jump and change direction. This current research is designed to identify how best to overcome acute injuries and introduce correct jumping and landing techniques in your pre-elite athletes.

Any research designed to minimise injuries and in turn assist performance is of interest to the Central Coast Academy of Sport. The CCAS has a long and robust relationship with the University of Newcastle and this current research project is well designed to help the many current and former basketball players who have progressed through the Academy of Sport gain a performance advantage.

Mark Tipple the Central Coast Academy of Sport Programs Coordinator said of the study: “any research that helps minimise risk associated with sport is something we will always support. Obviously, when you talk about running, jumping and landing it fits closely with the CCAS basketball program. The athletes are being exposed to another reason we are different to ‘club land’, this type of research is clearly important for our athletes and more important globally for the sport of basketball. It will be interesting to see the results and how we can then apply the finding to make the sport safer for those involved.”

Suzi Edwards the University of Newcastle Program Convenor in Exercise and Sports Science said of the research project: “a risk factor for developing jumpers knee is knee tendon pathology. This research aims to provide greater understanding of how knee tendon pathology develops during puberty. This critical information will assist us to develop better training methods to prevent jumpers knee later in life and clear guidelines for jumping loads at different stages of puberty in our youth basketball athletes.”

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