The Sports MAP Network

Brenton is the lead performance therapist at the Brooklyn, having recently relocated from his role as head physio in the AFL with the North Melbourne Football Club. Brenton is a Sports Physiotherapist (Master’s in Sports PT) and has previously worked as the Rehabilitation Physio with the Melbourne FC (AFL) and Norwich FC. He has also been a co-founder of Enhance Sports Performance and Rehabilitation since Dec 2016. Topics: Transitioning between elite sports Working in different countries and sports- the cultural shift How to level up your communication & soft skills Building trust with athletes and staff Being reflective as a learning practice Not getting lost in the world of data for decision-making Fundamental rehabilitation principles Navigating High-performance environment pressures Brenton’s lessons, transferable to practitioners https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp2kQ1wwos0

Ben Dixon is the current Head of Strength, Conditioning & Rehabilitation at Millwall Football Club. His prior experience includes roles with Watford FC, Head Performance Coach for the Chinese Olympic Committee, Head of Physical Performance for the Taiwan national football team and the English National Ballet. Topics: Ben fills us in on his post-doctorate to date and what we can expect moving forward. What is ‘match load’? What do we often overlook when it comes to match load? Ben talks about a framework to clarify the construct of match load. What is ‘density ' in practice? How accurate is the data we are getting? How do we include all this information in our rehab systems? Advice around rehabilitation for those without GPS units What do we mean by injury-specific metrics, and how might this be something that can be applied in practice moving forward? What are we missing in our current rehab RTP models in sport of recent times? Individual factors to account for the return to play process. Position demands and rolling windows. What is the post-rehabilitation phase and how can we minimise subsequent injury here? When does rehab actually stop (by definition)? One specific change Ben has made to his rehab system based on his research that other practitioners could implement tomorrow? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8WqG4C79Ws References: Ben is undertaking a Professional Doctorate at the University of Central Lancashire, evaluating rehabilitation procedures in professional football. Ben Post Doc Papers: Match load as a construct in professional football: complexities and considerations Evaluating rehabilitation and return to play procedures in male professional football: A narrative review. Post Rehabilitation Phase’ in professional football: are we optimising player support after return to play? References mentioned: Mechanism of Injury of soft tissue injuries research paper summary Mitchell & Gimpel, 2024- A return to performance pathway in professional Soccer Zhang et al 2025. The time course of injury risk and return to Sport in Professional football. Chris Bramah - SMAS Dylan Harper: Assessment of Deceleration

Katie Davies is a highly experienced neurophysiotherapist and Director of the Neuro Rehabilitation Group with a particular interest in concussion management and treatment. Katie holds an honorary appointment at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) as Physiotherapy Lead within a multidisciplinary team researching the management of persisting concussion symptoms in children. Kaite also holds an honorary position at the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health at Monash University, where she serves as Physiotherapy Lead on the iRecover study — a research program investigating concussion recovery in adults. Topics: How Katie became interested in concussion What is the role of a physiotherapist in the management of the rehabilitation of concussion? How to advise on graded exposure of exercise the four key systems. What are the recommendations we can educate athletes or families for that immediate period (24-48 hours) post-concussion? When and when not should manual therapy be utilised? How important is neck strength to concussion? When should we assess the autonomic, visual and vestibular system When and who to refer to for non-responding cases. When is an athlete ready to return to play and what compliance should be considered? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3lbWpeC3tw Refences AIS Concussion Guidelines Vicki Anderson Concussion Podcast Anne Mucha VOMS Screening

Carlos del Barrio is a Physical Therapist with further training in Strength & Conditioning and Sports Science. He has a strong interest in Sports Science & performance by integrating injury rehabilitation to performance outcomes. Topics: Carlos’ background as a PT and the reasons for adding the S&C and sports science credentials to his education. What is force application (RFD) and why is it important in rehab? How you might coach for RFD and how you can use technology for more clarity of information. What is power and velocity-based training and how it is different to RFD. Methods to training for power in the gym and on the pitch. What is reactivity and why is it important? The ‘go to’ test for reactive strength index (RSI) What to look for with the numbers, yet sometimes more importantly, the force trace. Change of direction profiling Grading deceleration demands. Vertical and horizontal-based velocity training & analysis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbpm220Ec40 References Chris Bramah - SMAShttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11064464/ Dylan Harper: Assessment of Deceleration https://www.researchgate.net/publication/398047566_Assessing_Deceleration_Performance_Methodological_and_Practical_Considerations_Assessing_Deceleration_PerformanceD_J_Harper_et_al

We chat with: Stefanio Rizzo: NBA Physical Therapist Lauren Hanna: Sports Physiotherapist (AFL & Matildas) Sallie Cowan: Associate Professor, University of Melbourne We talk to: How did our guests land their first role within professional sport? How gender or sexual orientation can impact opportunities in high-performance sport Does having fewer women in the HP system currently limit future women entering it? What can early-career women do if they want to improve thier networks for future opportunities? Why the research shows female clinicians are more likely to work with women, rather than male athletes. How can mixed-gender staffing be improved? Gender harassment in sport. What does this look like? How can organisations better support female clinicians around pregnancy & caring responsibilities (and their partners)? One thing you would do to improve conditions for female clinicians, what would it be? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwbLR5yGnkY References You have to work twice as hard as a woman to show that you are competent. Experiences, opportunities and workplace gender harassment for Sport and Exercise Medicine practitioners working in elite sport in Australia. Sallie M Cowan, Michael Girdwood, Melissa Haberfield, Andrea Britt Mosler, Andrea M Bruder, Kate Mahony, Kirsty Forsdike, Nicola McNeil, Kate A Beerworth, Miranda Menaspa, Phillipa Inge, Sue White, Rachel Harris, Adam Castricum, Kay M Crossley VIEW Article Women navigating the sports therapy playing field Lauren Hanna VIEW Article

In this first episode of our 4-part series, we get some great insights into how to get a job in High Performance Sport from our experts. Paula Peralta - Head of Medical Australian Opals Chris Bell - Head of Medical Western Bulldogs (AFL) David Clancy - Recruitment - Nxt Level Group https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvSn43hFBsY

Mel Haberfield and Brooke Patterson are leading sports physiotherapists with expertise at the intersection of elite performance and cutting-edge research. Mel has worked extensively in elite sport across basketball, gymnastics, and the AFL, and is currently completing a PhD focused on knee injuries in athletes. Her work bridges high-performance sport and evidence-based injury prevention and rehabilitation. Brooke is an Australian Research Council Early Career Industry Research Fellow whose research is shaping the future of knee injury and concussion prevention in women’s Australian Football. Her PhD examined the long-term impact of ACL reconstruction on young adults, including early osteoarthritis, symptoms, and quality of life. A former elite Australian footballer and semi-professional basketball player, Brooke also brings firsthand experience as an elite-level coach, giving her a unique athlete-to-clinician perspective. In this episode of the How I Rehab podcast, Mel and Brooke share their initial motivation in dedicating their careers to improving female athlete health. As well as discussing: Gender bias in elite sport and actionable changes that are required to improve this moving forward. How clinicians can implement the Prep-to-Play program at a community and sub-elite level. What do women want when it comes to their knee health? What did the FAIR consensus tell us about modifiable risk factors for injury? Key considerations for female athlete rehabilitation post ACL Injury - the 7 key clusters. The TRAIL-W - Knee health, and associations with female-specific health, physical, psychological, and social-gendered factors in women runners. https://youtu.be/uFnVsz_ezAg Additional References Injury prevention for women and girls playing Australian Football: programme cocreation, dissemination and early adopter coach feedback. What Do Women (With Serious Knee Injury) Want to Know About Knee Health? Identifying Research Priorities with a Consumer Advisory Group Considerations for a women’s rehabilitation programme following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a concept mapping approach to enhance women’s outcomes. Modifiable risk factors for lower-extremity injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis for the Female, woman and/or girl Athlete Injury prevention (FAIR) consensus Patterson et al (2024). Injury prevention for women and girls playing Australian Football: programme cocreation, dissemination and early adopter coach feedback. Patterson et al (2022). Evaluation of an injury prevention programme (Prep-to-Play) in women and girls playing Australian Football: design of a pragmatic, type III, hybrid implementation-effectiveness, stepped-wedge, cluster RCT. BMJ Open, 12(9), e062483 Prep to Play program resources

Dr. Keith Baar is a professor and the head of the Functional Molecular Biology Laboratory at the University of California, Davis. He has a PhD in Physiology and Biophysics. Keith has dedicated his career to the study of muscle development and adaptation. His research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms behind muscle growth, repair, and the maintenance of muscle mass and function. In this episode, we chat with Keith about: Keith's background The theory of tendon stiffness relative to muscle strength and risk factors Benefits of measuring RFD as a measure of fatigue. Stress shielding and the influence of creep. How Isometric training can be used to load the tendon lesion. Can we apply this method of training for Injury prevention with respect to Achilles tendon ruptures? Why and when to choose yielding and overcoming isometrics in rehabilitation. Optimal loading for Patella tendinopathy. Ramping isometrics for Biceps Femoris IMT strain injuries. Dietary intake recommendations to complement your loading. And more! READ: Minimizing Injury and Maximizing Return to Play: Lessons from Engineered Ligaments READ: Using load to improve tendon/ligament tissue engineering and develop novel treatments for tendinopathy WATCH this episode on our YouTube channel

In this episode of the How I Rehab podcast we chat with David Power, physiotherapist at the renowned Aspetar rehab centre in Qatar. David previously worked as Athletic Performance & Return to Play Coach at Munster Rugby & physiotherapist and rehabilitation coordinator at Leicester Tigers Rugby Club in the UK. He is also a PhD researcher at University of Limerick, exploring loading strategies, pain-threshold rehabilitation and adaptations in the area of acute muscle injury rehabilitation. In this episode, we chat with David about: Learn about David’s background and his PhD What is pain threshold rehabilitation? How important is optimising loading to the injured tissue with respect to muscle re-injury? What has developed in David’s approach to rehabilitation since his case study was published 5 years ago? What are low-jerk isometrics and why might they be beneficial? What are long yielding isometrics and how and why does David use them? What is the difference between yielding and overcoming isometrics? What is a quasi-isometric? When does David recommend using these in the rehabilitation progression? When might we look to use isometrics with caution in a rehab or performance program? David's Case Study Paper: https://tinyurl.com/5e9vdcas WATCH this episode on our YouTube channel

In this episode of the How I Rehab podcast we chat with Dr. Rich Willy, an Associate Professor at the School of Physical Therapy, University of Montana. Rich has a PhD studying patellofemoral pain and has been a clinician for over 20 years, specialising in the treatment of the injured runner. He is extensively published in running related overuse injuries and has presented to multiple elite organisations including Olympic sports medicine staff and the National Basketball Association on lower extremity injuries. We talk extensively about the management of Navicular bone stress injuries, including: Rich’s recent career move to Ohio State University What to expect from the upcoming Fast Track the injured runner event in Boston Why are overuse Navicular injuries so problematic? What are the main biomechanical loads that increase the risk of navicular BSI? What are the key signs of navicular BSI? How and what imaging best informs our practice and decision making? The navicular bone stress reaction (no cortical breach) management including Offloading Muscle loading Return to impact loading. Markers for a return to run- balance objective finding and are imaging findings here relevant? Does the location of the navicular bone stress injury change our management? Navicular bone stress classification Surgical decision making Surgical approaches to the Navicular stress fracture Bone loading during rehabilitation This episode is supported by HRIG , The Occlusion Cuff & Iron Edge WATCH this episode on the Sports MAP YouTube channel

In this episode of the How I Rehab podcast by Sports MAP we chat with Dr. Kevin Cronin, Assistant Professor & Lecturer in Diagnostic Imaging and MSc Ultrasound Programme Director at the University College Dublin. In 2023, Kevin completed his PhD at University College Dublin. His research assessed hamstring injuries with ultrasound in professional rugby players (Leinster Rugby). He has a keen interest in sports injuries and utilises medical ultrasound to establish a diagnosis, and also monitor tissue healing during the rehabilitation period to give the athlete the best possible chance of returning to play fit and healthy, minimising the risk of a recurrent injury. We talk to: Kevin tells us a little about his background and career journey. Kevin’s research into ‘wide view’ analysis of hamstring muscle architecture. What is muscle architecture and fascicle length? Why measures of fascicle length still need to be interpreted with some degree of caution. The benefits of using ultrasound for diagnosis of hamstring injuries. Sub classification of T junction hamstring injuries. Monitoring ‘healing’ using Ultrasound as information in the RTP process. This episode is supported by HRIG , The Occlusion Cuff & Iron Edge WATCH this episode on the Sports MAP YouTube channel

In this episode of the How I Rehab podcast by Sports MAP we chat with Paolo Perna a PDP Physiotherapist in a Professional Football Academy. Paolo uses his knowledge from his research on return to play out comes and his clinical experience to provide key clinical takeaways when managing the injured athlete's return to play process. Paolo provides us a background on this career and research to date. Where did Paolo’s interest in RTP come from? How Paolo thinks about the RTP process from the initial injury. What aspects may guide your prognosis? How to optimize criteria based testing to be specific to the injured area of the muscle. How Paolo breaks down the rehab process into 3 key phases. What does Paolo use as the key criteria to return to sprinting? What are common difficulties in the back end of the rehab program? What does RTP actually mean? Are we talking about the same thing? The importance of being clear with our language? Key considerations for a RTP. What does RTP actually mean? Are we talking about the same thing? The importance of being clear with our language. This episode is supported by HRIG , The Occlusion Cuff & Iron Edge Listen to this Podcast via your favourite platform including Apple, Spotify, Player FM & Stitcher. WATCH this epsiode on our YouTube channel References mentioned: 1 . Optimising the Late-Stage Rehabilitation and Return-to-Sport Training and Testing Process After ACL Reconstruction.- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31004279/ 2. Optimising the 'Mid-Stage' Training and Testing Process After ACL Reconstruction - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31782065/ 3. Paolo Perna- One test does not fit all: Tailoring hamstring Return-to-Play assessment in football - https://blogs.bmj.com/bjsm/2024/11/22/one-test-does-not-fit-all-tailoring-hamstring-return-to-play-assessment-in-football/ 4. Return-to-play criteria following a hamstring injury in professional football: a scoping review - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39666593/ 5. Evolving the Control-Chaos Continuum: Part 1 – Translating Knowledge to Enhance On-Pitch Rehabilitation- Taberner 2025- https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2025.13158 6. Progressing rehabilitation after injury: consider the ‘control-chaos continuum’ Editorial Matt Taberner - https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/53/18/1132 7 .Structuring the daily progression from return-to-run to full team integration - https://martin-buchheit.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/SPSR251_Buchheit.pdf 8. Do non-contact injuries occur during high-speed running in elite football? Preliminary results from a novel GPS and video-based method. Aiello et al 2023- https://www.jsams.org/article/S1440-2440(23)00180-9/fulltext

In this episode of the How I Rehab podcast by Sports MAP we chat with Einar Einarsson, Director of Physical Rehabilitation at Saudi Pro League. Einar has been working as a Physical Therapist in Sports for over 30 years. He has also worked as a SC & fitness coach in Soccer, specialist in Physical Therapy & CEO of a movement analysis company. In Einar’s work for Aspetar he has worked with many high profile elite athletes from different Sports disciplines & done consultancy for numerous elite Sports Organizations (Premier league & NBA) In this podcast we cover a number of topics including; Einar’s professional career with Irish Rugby, Aspetar & now as the Director of Physical Rehab at the Saudi Pro League What is EMG? How is EMG used in a rehabilitation setting? How using EMG can guide optimal hamstring loading for recurrent issues. Getting the balance between medial soleus and gastroc using EMG. How to utilise EMG post surgery for ACL rehabilitation. Medial (VMO) and lateral (VL) quad balance. The difference between electrical stimulation and EMG and how they can work together. The difference between BFR and EMG and how they can work together. WATCH on YouTube