Tommy's Story
Condition: Ankle Sprain
Sport: Soccer
Imagine playing soccer your entire life, waiting for the chance when you might get noticed by college scouts. This was the reality for Real Colorado Soccer athlete Tommy Jaeger, as he suited up for a game knowing there would be important eyes on him. Giving his all on the field, he jumped up to volley a ball on defense - and as he landed, his ankle gave out. Was his shot at playing college soccer over?
Tommy suffered a lateral right ankle sprain that took him out of the game that day and for a couple months after. He was unable to bear weight on his right leg and wore a walking boot to protect his ankle while it healed.
Having been voted the 5A Division Player of the Year by the Colorado High School Activities Association, Tommy had a promising soccer career ahead of him. He knew his ankle needed to heal quickly and get stronger to get back in the game -- that's why he and his family turned to Children's Hospital Colorado.
In early 2011, Children's Hospital Colorado formed a partnership with Real Colorado Soccer, a non-profit, community- based organization committed to helping each player learn, grow, and celebrate his or her love of the game.
As the preferred healthcare provider for Real Colorado, members of Children's Sports Medicine Program for Young Athletes will offer state-of-the-art, comprehensive pediatric care to all Real Colorado community members.
Sports medicine physical therapy at Children's Colorado
Tommy was instructed to rest for one month in order for his ankle swelling go down. After that, he was able to begin Sports Medicine Physical Therapy at the Children's Hospital Colorado Sports Gym in Parker. Physical therapist Nathan Estrada was glad Tommy got in to see him ASAP.
"If it doesn't get attention right away, an ankle sprain can greatly affect an athlete's ability to run, pivot and jump. Essentially it will impair their performance and make them susceptible to more ankle sprains, because their sensors aren't as sharp and they won't be able to feel when they are about to roll an ankle," he said.
Nathan worked with Tommy two to three times a week on eyes-closed balancing exercises, hop training, change-of-direction exercises and multi-directional stability that all mimicked movements Tommy would make when playing soccer. These exercises work to improve his ankle strength and his overall performance as an athlete.
Tommy says he could feel a huge improvement in his ankle after just one week of physical therapy, and after three weeks he was ready for return-to-sport testing, a type of examination where a doctor or physical therapist determines if an athlete is healthy enough to play sports again. After 45 minutes of sports-specific fatigue testing, Nathan cleared him. Tommy was ready to get back on the soccer field and play for Real Colorado Soccer Club, one of the top soccer clubs in the nation. And in fall of 2011, Tommy will go on to play college soccer for WestPoint Military Academy.
Watch Tommy talk about how the overall experience gave him more confidence on the field.
State-of-the-art motion capture technology improving performance in young athletes
Athletes like Tommy who have suffered an injury and are looking to enhance their rehabilitation and/or improve their athletic performance can benefit from participating in the BRICK Program at Children’s Center for Gait and Movement Analysis (CGMA), which is one of eight accredited motion laboratories in the world.
The BRICK Program uses high-definition cameras (for observational analysis) and a state-of-the-art motion capture system to record an athlete’s movements. This motion capture system uses these images to create a skeletal avatar from which kinematics (angles) and kinetics (forces) are generated.
Our certified strength and conditioning specialists and orthopedic physical therapists then analyze this data and create a summary with recommendations for the athlete. Ultimately, these recommendations help athletes of all ages and abilities perform better at their sport. This unique program, part of our Center for Gait and Movement Analysis, offers an affordable way to getting a sports performance training evaluation.
In order to establish a baseline reference of Tommy’s athletic abilities after his ankle injury and gain insights into his athletic movements, he participated in the BRICK Program. He performed fundamental sport movements, such as depth jumps and single limb hops, which were recorded by the motion capture (MoCap) system and used to create a custom 3-D skeletal avatar. The CGMA’s specialized team of sports physical therapists, researchers and engineers worked together to analyze Tommy’s skeletal model and provide him with a thorough analysis and cutting-edge strategies to enhance his performance.
“We’ll be able to tell if there are any specific deficits or athletic tests Tommy needs to optimize his performance,” said Susan Kanai, BRICK Program Leader and CGMA orthopedic physical therapist.
The following video footage provides a glimpse at the athletic movements Tommy performed as a participant in the BRICK Program. In this video, you’ll see how the reflective markers on Tommy’s body are translated into his personalized 3D skeletal avatar.
To schedule a BRICK Program appointment for your athlete, call (720) 777-5805 or send an email to brick@childrenscolorado.org.