Commitment and communication key physio attributes

Commitment and communication are the key attributes of an effective sports physio according to English Institute of Sport (EIS) Lead Physiotherapist with British Gymnastics Jason Laird.

Speaking to The Sport Industry Access Podcast Laird, who held a similar role at the EIS with British Judo for three years before recently moving across to Gymnastics, outlined the core skills required in sports physiotherapy.

“First of all you need to be a good physio and have the technical knowledge” he says. “But as important are non-technical skills such as working well within a team and being able to communicate ideas within that team and with other stakeholders.

“Within my role I look mainly at the injury prevention and performance of the athletes, trying to make sure that all the exercises or interventions we do are performance focused and aimed at reducing the injury burden on the squads.

And it is that performance focus which Laird believes really defines a sports physiotherapist.

“We try and make the rehab process performance focused and I think that’s a key skill now as coaches want them coming back better than they were which is achievable given the time we have with the athletes.

“The best thing about my role is getting someone back [to competition].

“We are all in sport to win and perform well but when they’ve come through your rehabilitation programme, particularly the long, hard rehabs where you get to know them very well  and you get them to that Olympics or competition, just seeing them perform is what gives me the most satisfaction.”

So what advice would he give to an aspiring sports physiotherapist?

“The key thing for me is commitment.”

“It takes a lot of time and effort. The athletes are dedicated and so must we be, so be prepared for the long hours and to put in the hard yards.

“Having that commitment and passion for the sport you work in is very important.”

Listen to the full interview with Jason on The Sports Industry Access Podcast.