When we think of movement screens, oftentimes our minds immediately go to FMS, YBT, force plate profiles, triple hops, and so on. Every team and/or coach has a unique combination that is useful to them and their process. These screens can provide so much information that allows us to track athletes’ progress, find baselines, and better evaluate their strengths and weakness which we can then target through exercise and treatment. A vital piece that is often missing from this process, however, is how the athlete functionally (arg I hate that word) moves on the field or court. That is, how do they naturally and instinctively move to accomplish the tasks that their position or role requires them to do?
I’ve had athletes score incredibly high on more “static” movement screens but then go out on the field and move absolutely miserably. Oftentimes, they are limited by their technical ability or the motor control necessary to accomplish the tasks at hand. On the flip side, there will always be athletes who have trouble with end range hip flexion in a standing Hurdle Step, but when they sprint, they get near perfect triple extension on the back leg and full hip flexion on the front leg. They tested poorly on our tests but functionally speaking, they are at the top of the food-chain.
There have also been instances where I’ve analyzed movement, found an area in need of improvement, trained it in isolation, and it did not transfer to the field one bit. For example, a fullback needed work on his drop step, opening up his hips to transition from a backpedal to a crossover run or sprint. First, we worked on mobility through the hips, allowing greater external rotation so that we knew he could at least physically have the capability. Then we worked on the motor control component, going through reps post-training, emphasizing a low posture, push with the front leg, and simultaneous rotation of the hips and trunk. Over time, it improved dramatically. However, once gameday came and we visually analyzed his movements, he was right back to his old habits.
Had we put him through a movement screen, he would have shown drastic improvement in several areas. Is it helping his performance though? Did it transfer to the field to make him a better player? Did it help our team win? No. So we went back to the drawing board, came up with some drills that included the ball, asked our assistant coaches to help design more realistic drills, and continued to work on it.
Understand that movement changes drastically when actions are done at higher velocities, when the environment is chaotic, and when they are in their element. Isolating and slowing movements down is great and tells us a lot of valuable information but there is more to it than that.
The point is, movement screens are great, but we must understand they are a piece to the bigger puzzle. As coaches, we must prioritize the health of the athlete but also look to improve their performance. There is so much to gain from analyzing on-field movement that it must become a habit. The more we consciously focus on analyzing movement when watching practices and games, the more natural it will be. And finally, and likely most importantly, it will allow us to speak the language of players and coaches in a way that tells them that we are prioritizing the game outcomes and the athletes’ development just as much as they are.
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