I discussed this on the podcast with @dmackey13 . We had some surface level discussion as players were hitting the portal.
At this point it is fair to say that there seems to be a lot of smoke that this is something OU needs to address. It’s also fair to say that this is potentially an issue that is over BV’s pay grade and needs to be dealt with at an administrative level.
I will also say that I am conflicted. I work with a young athlete in Tulsa who’s dad is very close with a number of the doctors for OU and he assures me that they all do the best to provide quality care for the team, coaches, etc.
That being said, it’s a layered issue.
1. Medical - This is the first, and probably most important step for athletes after they suffer in an injury. The initial diagnosis and treatment plan is so important to get right. If it is wrong, it has the potential to set the athlete back months, maybe even years. That being said, in this particular situation, we don’t know who the specific medical staff is that may have gotten things wrong and we also don’t know if it was the players “second opinion” doctor who got it wrong.
That being said, if I were Oklahoma’s administration and wanted to put this to bed, I would announce that we are doing a thorough review of all practices and procedures. I would have it done by a third-party and I would market the hell out of it to the players, future players, and their parents..
2. PT/Rehab - the second crucial step is recovery. That being said, a players, rehab, and recovery is dependent upon the initial diagnosis. If the initial diagnosis is wrong, the entire treatment plan may be wrong.
3. Sports Performance - the last piece is sports performance, which I feel very comfortable speaking on. I am a huge fan of coach Jerry Schmidt, and think he has done a great job and developing players, both past guys as well as current athletes. That being said, it is never a bad idea to review what you’re doing and, in my opinion, seeing a specific position group get crushed by injury brings a tear to my eye. It is very important that coaches monitor what the athletes are doing in the work out and discuss what they are doing outside of the work out. IT IS ALWAYS ON THE COACH, imo. I know not everybody may hold that opinion, but I do. If an athlete of mine that I have worked with for a long span goes out and immediately gets injured, I take it very personally, and so should the coaches on staff. Yes, freak things do happen, but the specifics of these injuries makes me wonder if there needs to be a refocus in terms of what they value most from a performance standpoint. on average, receivers are going to put the most mileage on their bodies over a week., And generate some of the greatest ground forces from cuts, which makes them exceptionally prone to soft tissue injuries. You have to figure out a way to mitigate this going forward. It just has to be done..
I will add more as the thread progresses, but just wanted to put the initial thoughts out there. If you guys have thoughts or questions, I would love to get into those as well.
At this point it is fair to say that there seems to be a lot of smoke that this is something OU needs to address. It’s also fair to say that this is potentially an issue that is over BV’s pay grade and needs to be dealt with at an administrative level.
I will also say that I am conflicted. I work with a young athlete in Tulsa who’s dad is very close with a number of the doctors for OU and he assures me that they all do the best to provide quality care for the team, coaches, etc.
That being said, it’s a layered issue.
1. Medical - This is the first, and probably most important step for athletes after they suffer in an injury. The initial diagnosis and treatment plan is so important to get right. If it is wrong, it has the potential to set the athlete back months, maybe even years. That being said, in this particular situation, we don’t know who the specific medical staff is that may have gotten things wrong and we also don’t know if it was the players “second opinion” doctor who got it wrong.
That being said, if I were Oklahoma’s administration and wanted to put this to bed, I would announce that we are doing a thorough review of all practices and procedures. I would have it done by a third-party and I would market the hell out of it to the players, future players, and their parents..
2. PT/Rehab - the second crucial step is recovery. That being said, a players, rehab, and recovery is dependent upon the initial diagnosis. If the initial diagnosis is wrong, the entire treatment plan may be wrong.
3. Sports Performance - the last piece is sports performance, which I feel very comfortable speaking on. I am a huge fan of coach Jerry Schmidt, and think he has done a great job and developing players, both past guys as well as current athletes. That being said, it is never a bad idea to review what you’re doing and, in my opinion, seeing a specific position group get crushed by injury brings a tear to my eye. It is very important that coaches monitor what the athletes are doing in the work out and discuss what they are doing outside of the work out. IT IS ALWAYS ON THE COACH, imo. I know not everybody may hold that opinion, but I do. If an athlete of mine that I have worked with for a long span goes out and immediately gets injured, I take it very personally, and so should the coaches on staff. Yes, freak things do happen, but the specifics of these injuries makes me wonder if there needs to be a refocus in terms of what they value most from a performance standpoint. on average, receivers are going to put the most mileage on their bodies over a week., And generate some of the greatest ground forces from cuts, which makes them exceptionally prone to soft tissue injuries. You have to figure out a way to mitigate this going forward. It just has to be done..
I will add more as the thread progresses, but just wanted to put the initial thoughts out there. If you guys have thoughts or questions, I would love to get into those as well.
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