Student-athletes at De Soto High School have something going for them none of the other schools have. It’s a special training program that’s worked so well, it’s reduced injuries by 20 percent.
It’s called the Human Performance Laboratory, and it’s a program the school’s athletic trainers, supplied by The University of Kansas Hospital Sports Medicine and Performance Center, have been using for a couple of years. The concept is simple, according to Matthew Way, De Soto High athletic trainer. Instead of having sport-specific workouts and weight training, which traditionally focus on strengthening areas most likely used for that sport, the athletes focus on movements that will improve their overall strength and coordination. For example, football linemen are doing volleyball moves and soccer players are acting like baseball players.
In the video, Way explains what the program is about, how it works, how successful it’s been in reducing injures and how it’s increased the confidence of the student-athletes.
