ADAPTIVE SPORTS SIGJULY 2020 NEWSLETTER
ADAPTIVE SPORTS RECAP & UPCOMING RESEARCH/OPPORTUNITIES
CSM RECAP
By Katie LucasThank you to everyone who attended our educational sessions and our business meeting at CSM! As USOC and USPC became USOPC this year, the information was even more important and relevant for sports clinicians. We are looking forward to CSM 2021 and are always looking for individuals who want to get more involved.
SIG Kudos!Jenna Bartsokas and Danny Meyer presented at the Blaze Sports Conference in Georgia this year and were among the few clinicians at the conference. They shared how to get individuals involved in adaptive sports and injury prevention techniques, including what stretches and strengthening exercises are most important for athletes. They were able to connect to many athletes and coaches, extending the reach of our physical therapy knowledge beyond the SIG. If you are interested in getting involved with outreach events like presenting
at Blaze, please let us know.
THE OLYMPICS & PARALYMPICS ARE POSTPONED: WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
By Amber DonaldsonShortly after CSM, in March, the IOC, IPC and Prime Minister of Japan issued a combined statement that given the state of the world and the COVID 19 pandemic and in consultation with the World Health Organization, the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo have been rescheduled to July 23-Aug 8, 2021 for the Olympic Games and Aug 24-Sep 5, 2021 for the Paralympic Games. This decision was made to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic & Paralympic Games and the international community. Though disappointing and challenging time, Team USA athletes are still working hard to prepare for both Tokyo and the Beijing winter games which will be
held only 180 days after Tokyo.
COV-19 + DISABILITY CONSIDERATIONS: WHY KNOWING YOUR ATHLETES’ MEDICAL HISTORY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER
By MeMe EarnestAdults with intellectual impairments often experience decreased medical access due to their living environments and socioeconomic status. At a time of COVID-19, when the risk of spreading the disease was at its highest, individuals with disabilities were not only at high risk to contract the disease but were often at the greatest need of their caregivers. As healthcare providers, we must be able to adequately advocate for our patients during a crisis.As states start to relax the social distancing restrictions, it is even more important to
know the medical baseline of our athletes. It is especially important to consider the respiratory and cardiovascular systems of individuals at risk of developing pneumonia or worsening of underlying cardiac conditions. Individuals with asthma, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, and other developmental disabilities experience higher rates of pneumonia. Individuals with a history of cardiac conditions or cardiac surgery may also be at high risk, as
COVID-19 has been shown to negatively influence the cardiac system. Clinicians must be more vigilant than ever to consider the medical history and safety of our athletes this year due to COVID-19.
UPCOMING RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
By Deanne FayIn meetings of the APTA Adaptive Sports SIG over the last couple of years, the idea of pursuing research regarding the experiences and outcomes of students involved in adaptive sports activities during PT or PTA school has come up multiple times. We are finally moving forward with a few lines of related research in the hopes that exploring this topic will provide support for and guidance about adaptive sports experiences as part of a PT or PTA curriculum.We would eventually like to be able to provide data to support the benefits of
having experiences with adaptive sports during school, but we would also like to be able to make recommendations regarding the type of experiences that are optimal. Based on this, the first step we are pursuing is to survey PT and PTA programs across the country to gather what types of experiences are
taking place.
We need your help with this project! Our first need is to identify faculty in different programs who would know about the adaptive sports opportunities that are part of their program and would be willing to complete a survey about these experiences. Our next need will be to start gathering contact information from individuals who could help us identify experiences that would give
access to students that might be willing to complete a written reflection or participate in a qualitative interview. We would eventually like to collect qualitative data from students in a variety of experiences across the US to determine themes that are consistent as well as those that vary by type and timing of experiences. The data collection for this portion will likely take place
after the initial survey, but we are interested in making contact with potential individuals who could help with this portion as we develop the methodology.
If you, or someone you know, would be interested in helping with aspects of these studies, please reach out to Deanne Fay at dfay@atsu.edu. We would love to have your help!
ON-FIELD (VIRTUAL) MANAGEMENT FOR THE ANGEL CITY GAMES
By Katie Lucas, Shelly Weinstein, and Jen LucarevicThis year the Angel City Games will be virtual with athletes and allies competing around the world. Virtual medical screenings and “on-screen coverage” will be provided. If any medical professionals are interested in helping provide coverage, please fill out the form by clicking the button below. Training sessions will be provided free of cost for AASPT members and medical volunteers for
the Angel City Games.
THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SPONSORS
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