Robert J. Dunlop - Canadian Team Olympic Physiotherapist  x2
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| Bob Dunlop at work |
July 6, 2000 
Off The Crossbar
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Robert J. Dunlop, M.P.E., B.Sc.P.T., Dip.Sport P.T., MCPA
Robert Dunlop, Bob as he is known to his friends, has reached the pinnacle of his profession. A Physiotherapist specializing in sports injuries and rehabilitation, he has contributed his expertise to Canada?s mission at two Olympic Games already, the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, and the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics. He is currently preparing for his role on the Canadian medical staff for the Sydney Olympics in September, where he will be a key member of Canada?s field hockey group.
Bob also runs a private practice in High River, Alberta. Off The Crossbar talked to him on Team Canada?s recent tour to Cuba.
Notably, Canada did not have one player who missed a game due to injury.
Event Preparation
OTC: Let?s talk about preparation for a big event, or an intense phase of an athlete?s season.
RD: You want to go in healthy to an event. This encompasses a number of things. First, the medical resources within the team. The coach, along with the doctor, physio, trainer, etc. should counsel athletes to report problems promptly, and make it part of the commitment to the team, taking care of injuries.
There should also be a steep taper in your training heading into a major event.
OTC: How about the NCAA or CIAU leagues, or any season where you are competing right through until the major event?
RD: The difficulty for coaches coming into the important part of the season is that there is so much they have to get in. So the important decision is to give the skills and strategy information, and allow a fresh body to execute those.
In practical terms, in the two weeks leading up to the event if the training volume is higher than it was early in the season, you?re working people too hard, or there is the potential of working people too hard.
Use the studying analogy. So much depends on your preparation throughout the season, and you can?t just stay up the two nights before an exam to read up on stuff.
OTC: What preparation do you suggest for a healthy player or team as they approach an important event?
RD: Focus on low volume, high quality practice and preparation. Structure practices, have a clear goal for everything you do. Ask yourself ?How can I do what I need to do in a minimal amount of time?? Don?t be worried about shorter practices ? quality over quantity.
OTC: Because it is more likely you will get injured?
RD: It could reduce performance and predispose you to injury.
OTC: Can you give us some ideas for injury avoidance specifically for Field Hockey Athletes during a competition?
RD: The first thing is to make sure your do an adequate warm up and cool down every workout. Pay attention to changes in flexibility as the event goes on. You know you will get sore and tight, and you must have the skills to know how to deal with that.
Treat small injuries right away, for example if you get dinged with the ball, do the appropriate things right away.
Also get good rest between matches, even if that means not going to a tournament banquet for example.
And before any on-pitch training, start with some low-key hitting and trapping to establish warm, flexible muscles. Take a few runs with the ball from a slow pace to high intensity ? this uses a very specific posture, so ease into it.
For defenders, run through a few one-on-ones against ball carriers, working from low to high speed.
Injury Management
OTC: Can you give me an example of an athlete managing an injury badly?
RD: An example of a common pitfall would be Kurt Browning in figure skating. He?s a 3-time world champion, and he was injured close to a major event. There was a delay in getting him into treatment ? part of this was because he didn?t have a good relationship with caregivers, so all those advising him were new to him. Also, a number of things interfered with his rehab and preparation ? endorsement issues, family issues, the media in general, and social things. In the end, all that adversely affected his performance in a major event.
OTC: How about an athlete who managed an injury well?
RD: Coming back from the World Cup, Alan (Alan Brahmst, Team Canada center back) starts getting back pain ? a disc herniation - a serious potential career-threatening injury.
The first step was to get a variety of opinions on how to treat the injury and the implications for future competition, and his athletic career. The next step is to make a plan for his return to sport. At that time Alan took a full 9 months away from hockey and did his rehabilitation.
Once you arrive at an opinion you have confidence in, then take the hard advice. The key is that once you get an opinion that says 9 months, don?t say that for me that means six or four months.
Player/Coach Issues
OTC: How do you deal with injury issues between a player and a coach?
RD: (As a physio), first and foremost you?re working for the player. I have to get an athlete?s permission to talk to the coach about an injury. A player has to understand their commitment has to be first to the team. So for example, if you say, ?Bob I don?t want to tell the coach about this groin injury because he won?t pick me,? I?ll say, ?Do you feel confident you can go and contribute the way you should.
OTC: Is this a function of our culture, and our sporting culture?
RD: In Canada that?s a law, a provincial regulation. In sport sometimes we play fast and loose with that rule ? we?re all part of a team. But bottom line, you?re working for the athlete. If there?s a conflict between being a team physio and a physio for the athlete, you?re the physio for the athlete.
OTC: What would happen if a coach asked about a player?s status, and the player had asked you not to tell the coach?
RD: I?ll assess the athlete again. Then I?ll talk to the athlete if they?ll sit down and have a frank 3-way discussion.
A Final Word
OTC: Is there any general advice you would give to athletes?
RD: I would teach them how to pay attention to their bodies. One of the main differences in dealing with Olympic athletes and other athletes is that usually the Olympic athlete has a much better awareness of their body and what it can do. I always wonder if all athletes had a similar respect and understanding of their bodies, if they wouldn?t be able to achieve better results.
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