In an attempt to reduce soft-tissue injuries across all sports, Colgate student-athletes are now receiving specialized screening to help identify those at risk.

Strength coaches and athletic trainers will use data collected during the screening process — known as functional movement screening — to help develop adaptive training regimes designed to reduce the chance of injuries in competition or practice.

It's an initiative from Colgate's Sports Performance department, spearheaded by Bryan Klobucar and his staff and Cody Herbert in athletic training, which analyzes the movements of student-athletes when they complete a fixed set of tests. The goal is to reduce soft tissue injuries like groin strains, hamstring issues, and tendonitis.

Colgate has used the tests on a limited basis in the past, but now all teams must complete the exercises, which consist of an overhead squat, truck-stability push-up, hurdle step, shoulder mobility, active straight-leg race, and a side-lying rotation.

The Sports Performance Department spearheaded the initiative as it sought new ways to help student-athletes avoid injuries.

When student-athletes complete each exercise, they receive a score from one to three. One is the lowest score, and it means a student-athlete has poor mobility. Anyone with a score of two moves better, but still has room for improvement. Three is the top score.

Those who receive a one or two are encouraged to follow a corrective exercise plan to help them improve their flexibility.

"Studies show that if there is a dysfunction in movement over time, it could cause injury," said Klobucar, director of strength and conditioning. "We work to move them up and help them move more efficiently. The more efficiently they move, the less likely they are in theory to get hurt."

Adam Fam '24, a captain of the men's soccer team and economics major from Cambridge, Mass., said the program will help a lot of student-athletes.

"Over the last 20 years, sports medicine has become more important. It has grown and evolved. When you do these tests, you can see where the weaknesses are and you can work on improving them," he said.

Steve Chouinard, senior associate athletics director for health and performance, said the tests are a significant undertaking, which will require re-screening student-athletes with low scores to determine if the program is working.

"It's a big project, screening the teams, issuing corrective exercises, and following up with student-athletes," Chouinard said. "We just don't do it with one team. We do it with all the teams."

But the effectiveness of the program hinges on the student-athlete, who has to commit to the corrective exercise plan, which requires daily work. 

"They have to get the work done. If they do that, they should see improvement," Chouinard said.  "Ultimately, if the chronic injuries decrease annually, then we think we've done something good, and that helps everybody. It keeps them on the field. It keeps them performing at their best."