David Stringer with the Football Association’s Medical Faculty
January is always a busy time here at the clinic, particularly as people get back into their fitness and training regimes post-Christmas. However, it is also when as part of my role within the Football Association’s Medical Faculty we meet to review the courses we are delivering and make improvements where we can.
I’ve been teaching for the FA for 3 years now, in addition to the teaching that I do for the Rugby Football League. The role involves tutoring and examining a combination of Sports Therapists, Physiotherapists and Doctors on advanced sports trauma and life-saving techniques that they might be required to use on the field of play. It’s an area that isn’t taught to therapists in detail at University and ours is also one of the few courses where learners will be heavily examined. They must complete a written assessment and two practical examinations and if they don’t meet the required standard, they are unable to pass. The courses are usually held at St Georges Park (The FA’s centre of Excellence) however in January Myself and some colleagues went to Leeds Beckett University, delivering the FA’s course to their students who were undertaking a master’s degree in Sports and Exercise Medicine. Under normal circumstances, we’d be teaching members of staff from Premiership and Championship football clubs and below, as opposed to university students. That means the pressure really is on as they need the qualification in order to run on the pitch come game day. It means we must work hard to ensure everyone is up to the standard that is required so when required they can perform the job to the required standard.
Although I enjoy the teaching side my real passion is treating members of the public and athletes but I’ve found that you have to be so much better at it if you are going to teach it that it raises the standards of your own treatment.
To book an appointment with David or one of the team, please contact David by phone on 07974 578 191 or by e-mail: david@leedssportsphysio.com
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